She is the longest-reigning monarch on earth – and now, completely surprisingly, she doesn’t want any more. Danish Queen Margrethe II wants to abdicate next year. The 83-year-old said in her televised New Year’s speech on Sunday evening that she wanted to step down as regent on January 14, 2024. The resignation coincides with her 52nd anniversary on the throne.
In February she had to undergo major back surgery. Because of the rehabilitation, she canceled numerous appointments or was represented by her son, Crown Prince Frederik (55), and his wife Mary (51). Her eldest son – heir to the throne for 53 years – is already attending appointments that the Queen used to do herself. Frederik’s eldest son, Prince Christian (18), has recently been allowed to officially represent the Queen.
The operation went well thanks to the health workers, but made her think about her future as queen, Margrethe said in her New Year’s speech. She will leave the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederik. Above all, she wanted to say thank you this evening – for the warmth and support that has been shown to her over the years, said the monarch. The back surgery seems to have caused the queen to completely rethink her approach. According to Danish media reports, she even stopped smoking after the operation – Margrethe was known for her cigarette consumption for decades.
At almost 13, she suddenly became a crown princess
Margrethe’s stubborn, extravagant and unconventional nature has made her popular with Danes for decades. She spent her early childhood without knowing that she would one day become Queen of Denmark. She was born Margrethe Alexandrine Thórhildur Ingrid on April 16, 1940. Her father King Frederik IX. Only had the rules of succession changed in 1953 when it became clear that he would have no male descendants.
Margrethe suddenly became crown princess shortly before her 13th birthday. After her father’s death, she ascended the throne on January 14, 1972. Their motto: “God’s help, the people’s love, Denmark’s strength”. As Margrethe II, she is Denmark’s first female ruler in 500 years.
The Queen in London was always a role model for her. Elizabeth II was a third cousin. Like her, Margrethe II served her kingdom with dedication and dignity for decades. With the Queen’s death in September 2022, Margrethe became the world’s longest-reigning monarch.
Love for art
Margrethe is highly educated and is also interested in art and literature. She studied political science and architecture not only in Denmark, but also in Cambridge, Great Britain, and at the Sorbonne in Paris. She speaks English, French, Swedish and also the language of Denmark’s neighbor to the south, German, more or less fluently. Since the 1970s she has been painting watercolors, drawing, and designing sets and costumes for the Royal Theater and Copenhagen’s Tivoli theme park. Many of her works are exhibited in Denmark and abroad. She is even said to have illustrated the Danish edition of the Tolkien classic “Lord of the Rings” under a pseudonym.
It is also her love of art that connected her with her husband, the French Count Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat. They met in London, where he worked in the embassy. They married in 1967. They lived out their creativity together, for example translating “All Men Are Mortal” by Simone de Beauvoir. Crown Prince Frederik was born in 1968, followed a year later by Prince Joachim. Henrik dies in February 2018 – after more than 50 years of marriage.
Crown Prince Frederik takes over
Like his mother, Crown Prince Frederik is popular with his compatriots. His sporting enthusiasm is also well known: Frederik ran various marathons, completed an Ironman and founded the Royal Run running event for his 50th birthday. In the military, in his mid-20s, he underwent the rigorous training to become a Navy combat swimmer. He and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, are considered a well-rehearsed team. The couple has four children: Christian (18), Isabella (16) and twins Vincent and Josephine (12).
