Margrethe II abdicates - her son Frederik becomes the new Danish king
The 55-year-old had already stood in for the popular monarch when she underwent a serious back operation in February, which prevented her from appearing in public until April. "The operation has led to thoughts about the future, whether it is time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation," said the Queen. "You can't do as much as you've managed in the past."
Since the death of her distant cousin Elizabeth II, Margrethe is the last queen to reign in Europe. More than 80 percent of Danes describe themselves as monarchists. They came in their thousands to celebrate Margrethe ' s 50th anniversary on the throne last year.
"Many of us have never experienced another monarch," explained Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. "Queen Margrethe is the embodiment of Denmark and over the years has put words and feelings into words for what we are as a people and as a nation."
Margrethe was 31 years old when she ascended the throne of Europe's oldest monarchy on January 14, 1972, still in mourning for her father King Frederik IX. At the time, she was already married to the French Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat and had two sons with him - four-year-old Frederik and three-year-old Joachim. In 2018, her husband, who suffered from dementia and lung disease, died at the age of 83 after 50 years of marriage.
Always dressed in colorful outfits, the monarch is known for her optimism and social commitment. Her speeches to her people are more direct and less formal than those of other European monarchs. A heavy smoker, she paints, travels and for a long time never thought of abdicating: "I'll stay on the throne until I drop," she used to say.
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Source: www.stern.de
