There are only a few hours left until a highlight moment occurs in one of the European monarchies. This Sunday will be a historic day for the Danish royal family, as Crown Prince Frederick will succeed his mother, Queen Margaret. Frederick will be proclaimed King of Denmark from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, however, before that an important appointment will take place in which his wife, Mary, will not be present.
Before her appearance on the balcony, Queen Margaret will make her formal abdication at the Council of State. On Friday it was confirmed who will witness this historic transfer of power. If anything was surprising, it is that the crown princess, Mary, who will become queen, has been left off the list. Instead, the list of attendees is made up of Margaret, Frederick, Prince Christian, who will become Crown Prince Christian, and the other members of the Council of State.
The Council of State is a body of advisors to the monarch, similar to the Privy Council of the United Kingdom, and consists of the monarch, his successor and all current members of the Danish cabinet. Margaret’s abdication is the first in the history of the Danish monarchy in almost 900 years, making this moment especially historic. Looking back, the last one was that of Eric III, who resigned in 1146. Among the reasons that would have led Margaret to abdicate were her recent health problems.
“In February [2023] I underwent an extensive back operation. Everything went well thanks to the qualified medical staff who cared for me. Of course, the operation also made me think about the future, whether it was time to let go of responsibility to the next generation,” said Margarita. “I have decided that now is the right time. On January 14, 2024, 52 years after succeeding my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederick,” she stated. the monarch
The decision came as a surprise to many, and a royal palace spokesperson confirmed to Berlingske that the queen only informed her two sons, Crown Prince Frederick and Prince Joachim, three days before making the announcement. As for the Queen’s abdication, it will take place at 2:00 p.m. this Sunday, January 14. On the other hand, Frederick will be declared King Frederick X at 3:00 p.m. Therefore, there are only a few hours left to see this change in one of the most consolidated and prominent monarchies on the European continent.
