Queen Margrethe II has said farewell to the throne and welcomed her son as the new King of Denmark.
Her last words after signing her abdication after 52 years as monarch were very poignant as she said “God save the King”, according to Danish broadcaster DR and the BBC.
It was on New Year’s Eve 2023 that Margrethe took the world by surprise by announcing she was stepping down and that her son Crown Prince Frederik would take over.
After undergoing major back surgery Margrethe said she’d turned her thoughts to the future and set about deciding what would be the best thing for her family.
The sudden announcement was made on live TV during the 83-year-old queen’s annual New Year’s Eve speech.
Huge numbers of people gathered at Christiansborg Palace Square in Copenhagen to watch the ceremony as the transfer of power took place.
At 3pm Danish time the new King and his mother made a balcony appearance at the Palace where the Prime Minister proclaimed the King’s accession to the throne.
The new King then made a speech revealing his hopes for his reign – and said that he’ll need support to achieve his plans.
He said: “I need all the support I can get. From my beloved wife, from my family, from you and from that which is greater than us. I face the future knowing that I am not alone.
“Bound, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark.”
King Charles joined the scores of well wishers as the British monarch shared a message to the official Royal Family X account.
He said: “My wife joins me in writing to convey our very best wishes on the day of your accession to the throne of the Kingdom of Denmark.
“I look forward to working with you on ensuring that the enduring bond between our countries, and our families, remains strong, and to working together with you on issues which matter so much for our countries and the wider world.”
It’s been a pretty quick turnaround since Margrethe made the shock announcement that she planned to step down.
But the monarch is no stranger to surprise announcements as in September 2022 the Danish monarch removed the royal titles from the children of her second son Prince Joachim.
She took away titles from Nikolai, 24, Felix, 21, Henrik, 14, and Athena, 11, who can no longer be called prince and princess or His/Her Highness.
Now they are now Counts and Countess and referred to as Their Excellencies.
In the months that followed Prince Joachim told local news outlet B.T. that “communication was missing” and that his children were “hurt” by the decision.
