This Sunday, Denmark is experiencing a historic moment. Crown Prince Frederick has succeeded his mother, Queen Margaret, and proclaimed himself King of Denmark from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen. There have been many anecdotes that the ceremony has left, but if something has caught special attention, it has been the outfits. Crown Prince Frederick looked radiant on his first day as king wearing the oldest naval officer uniform in the world.
The ceremony began at 2 p.m., at Christianborg Palace. There, Queen Margaret signed her abdication before the Council of State, in the presence of the crown princes, Frederick and Mary, and her eldest son, Prince Christian. It was at 3 p.m., when the Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, proclaimed Frederick X from the balcony.
Naval uniforms are a tradition in the Danish Royal Family. It is an essential part of their communication: bicorn hats, shoulder pads, side stripes on the pants and other nineteenth-century buttons help each solemn act at court acquire a unique splendor. The same effect is given by the decorations they wear on the warrior.
The main one of all is the Order of the Elephant, the oldest in the Danish reward system. Its roots go back to a religious brotherhood of the Late Middle Ages, whose symbol was an elephant; Its definitive institutionalization as an order of chivalry was completed by King Christian V in 1693. Along with the Order of the Elephant, King Frederick usually carries the Order of the Dannebrog – that is the name of the Danish flag -, also founded by Christian V, although some years before, in 1671. All of them give it a very formal touch.
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. This Sunday, the Danes have woken up with a queen and will go to sleep with another sovereign. Without a doubt, it is a historic day for the monarchy.
