One day before the 52nd anniversary of her proclamation as queen, Margaret of Denmark will transfer the throne she received from her father, Frederick IX, to her son, who will reign as Frederick of the crown, will retire to its winter quarters with the satisfaction of having fulfilled the motto that it enunciated, on January 15, 1972, when beginning its royal journey: “The help of God, the love of the people and the strength of Denmark ”.
Unlike the coronation ceremony carried out by Charles III of England, Prince Frederick will be proclaimed king of Denmark in a brief and austere ceremony that will take place next Sunday, January 14, at Christiansborg Palace, where, in addition to the dependencies that are used for official acts of the royal family, the Government, Parliament and the Supreme Court are located, the three powers, the executive, the legislative and the judicial. A complex of buildings, located in the center of Copenhagen, popularly known as Borgen.
There, the prime minister, the social democrat Mette Frederiksen, will attest to the resignation of Margaret II; of the proclamation of Frederick X and also of Christian of Denmark’s new role as crown prince. The events will begin at noon, with the convocation of the Council of State, before whose members Queen Margaret will sign the act of her abdication. Shortly afterwards, Prime Minister Frederiksen will make, from the same balcony of Christiansborg Palace, where Queen Margaret was declared Queen, the proclamation that will make the hitherto crown prince king and head of state.
Although Margaret had been queen since her father’s death, which occurred on January 14, 1972, her official proclamation was celebrated the next day to allow for family mourning. The then Prime Minister Jens Otto Krang (Social Democrat, died in 1978) was the one who appeared on the iconic balcony accompanied by Margarita who was dressed in mourning. In a ceremony, which lasted just five minutes, Krang said three times “King Frederick IX is dead. Long live His Majesty Queen Margaret II”, before asking for nine cheers in honor of the new sovereign.
Margarita then spoke a few brief words, before her husband, Enrique de Monzepat, accompanied her on the balcony. After the proclamation, Margaret and Henry went to Amalienborg Palace and went out to the balcony in the company of their children, Frederick and Joachim, who were then 3 and 2 years old, respectively. Already queen, Margaret presided over the funeral of her father, Frederick IX, which took place on January 24, 1972.
On this occasion, the transfer of the throne will occur during the life of the previous sovereign, so that the proclamation formula will vary but the ritual of cheers and the first words of the new king will be maintained, and the double appearance: an institutional Christianborg and another, relative in Amalienborg. Margarita, like she did with Juan Carlos I, will maintain the honorary title of queen.
After the ceremonies in Borgen, there will also be the ceremony of transferring the banners that will move from the rooms currently occupied by Queen Margaret, to those occupied by Frederick and Mary, both located in different wings of the Amalienborg Palace, located in the center of the Danish capital in a square with public access. Queen Margaret alternated that residence with that of Fredensborg Palace, located 40 kilometers from Copenhagen and surrounded by gardens and forests, these days covered in mountains of snow. Starting Sunday, that will be her main residence, reserving small rooms in Amalienborg Palace for the colder months.
Queen Margaret has decided to dedicate herself to her hobbies: painting, poetry and theater, mainly, and not even, as in the case of Beatrice of Holland, appear with the new kings beyond some family celebration. Her idea is to dedicate herself to her grandchildren, rebuild her relationship with her son Joaquín, and spend time with her sisters.
Like Margaret, Benedicta and Ana María, they are widows; the first after the death, in 2017, of Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and, the second, a year ago, of King Constantine of Greece. The three of them, recovering the union of their childhood and adolescence, intend to spend time together, both in Denmark and in the south of France, where Margarita owns a property; in Greece, in the residence of Ana Maria and in the castle of Benedicta, in Germany.
Meanwhile, the new King Frederick Now they are united by something more than four children and a destiny: together they must represent the Crown and maintain the prestige and popularity that accompanied Margarita.
