Former party prince succeeds Queen Margrethe II.
In two weeks' time, Queen Margrethe II will abdicate and leave the Danish throne to her son Frederik and his wife Mary. The Australian state of Tasmania is also bursting with pride, but there will be no pompous ceremony. Instead, the couple's eldest son is given new responsibilities.
King Frederik X and Queen Mary - soon there will be another couple on the Danish throne. Queen Margrethe II surprisingly cleared the way for the 55-year-old and his 51-year-old wife in her New Year's address when she announced her abdication. The monarch intends to abdicate on January 14 - the 52nd anniversary of her accession to the throne.
The 83-year-old does not have to worry about the future of the monarchy: according to a survey by Danish broadcaster DR, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary are just as popular as Margrethe, with more than 80 percent of Danes having a positive image of the soon-to-be royal couple. The future royal consort, who was born Mary Donaldson in Tasmania, will be the first Australian to receive such a royal title, writes the Australian broadcaster ABC. The head of government of Australia's smallest state, Jeremy Rockliff, has already congratulated her and praised her as a "wonderful ambassador for Tasmania".
No coronation ceremony
There will not be a pompous coronation ceremony like last year's in the UK for King Charles III, says monarchy expert Cecilie Nielsen to broadcaster DR. "We don't hold coronations in Denmark. We have a proclamation, and it will be on January 14 that Crown Prince Frederik will be proclaimed king by the Prime Minister."
That should suit the nature of the heir to the throne: Not standing out in the crowd, meeting people at eye level - that suits Frederik. Despite his many public appearances, he has never been a great orator. He had to put up with a lot of criticism from the Danish media in his younger years.
What role will the children play?
Of the four children of the soon-to-be royal couple, Christian (18), Isabella (16) and the twins Vincent and Josephine (12), the eldest in particular will experience a significant change. Prince Christian will become Crown Prince when his father ascends the throne. He will also take on many official duties and become a permanent member of the Council of State, an advisory body to the Danish monarch, said monarchy expert Lars Hovbakke Sørensen to the Danish news agency Ritzau. This means that he will become his father's deputy and take on the role of head of state when his father is abroad. Previously, it was only intended that Christian would assume his grandmother's duties in exceptional cases.
Are the scandals a thing of the past?
As a young man, Frederik had a reputation as a party prince. Scandals, flirtations and a penchant for fast cars were always the subject of gossip columns in past decades. But things have quietened down since the mid-90s. When he was spotted going out for the evening with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova in Madrid a few weeks ago, the tabloids were full of speculation - but Frederik and Mary stoically put up with it. The two have long been regarded as a dream team that doesn't get rattled easily.
One of the ways Frederik gained recognition was with his sporting zeal. He has run various marathons, completed an Ironman and has taken part in the Swedish cross-country skiing classic Wasalauf over 90 kilometers several times. In his mid-20s, he underwent tough military training to become a combat swimmer in the navy. The crown prince also earned respect when he drove almost 2,800 kilometers through Greenland on an expedition on a dog sled in the freezing cold.
What are the potential pitfalls?
The relationship with his younger brother Joachim (54) is no longer entirely untroubled. A rift occurred when Queen Margrethe stripped Joachim's children - her grandchildren - of their prince and princess titles. Prince Joachim and his ex-wife, Countess Alexandra (59), then publicly displayed their hurt feelings, forcing the Queen and Crown Prince to react.
"It was emotionally very difficult for Frederik, especially as he has a close relationship with his brother. The two normally have good chemistry," summed up royal family expert Marianne Singer from the magazine "Billed-Bladet" at the time. The affair did not develop into a full-blown scandal. That would also be atypical for the otherwise rather inconspicuous and down-to-earth Danish royal family.
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King Frederik and Queen Mary, hailing from Denmark's monarchy, will start their reign with a proclamation instead of a grand coronation ceremony, as per the Danish tradition. Following her abdication, the popularity of the new royal couple, Frederik and Mary, remains high in Denmark, with over 80% of Danes having a positive image of them.
Queen Margrethe II's eldest son, Prince Christian, will take on the responsibilities of his new role as Crown Prince, becoming his father's deputy and taking on the role of head of state when the king is abroad, as monarchy expert Lars Hovbakke Sørensen stated.
Source: www.ntv.de
