Denmark - Queen Margrethe steps down: Great expectations of Frederik
Denmark is facing a new era. With the announced retirement of Queen Margrethe II after 52 years on the throne, Crown Prince Frederik will have to face great expectations. However, the 55-year-old, who is due to come to the throne as Frederik X on January 14, is likely to find himself in a good position.
Margrethe announced her abdication as a complete surprise in her annual New Year's address on Sunday evening. She cited a back operation last year as the background to her decision, which she had survived well but which had made her think. "I have decided that now is the right time," she said and announced that she would hand over the sceptre to Frederik in the new year. Margrethe had inherited the throne after the death of her father on January 14, 1972.
Margrethe succeeded in increasing support for the monarchy
Denmark's Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen praised Margrethe as the "epitome of Denmark", who over the years has found words and feelings for who the Danes are as a people and as a nation.
Margrethe succeeded in consolidating the acceptance of the royal house. According to the Danish agency Ritzau, people's approval of the monarchy as a form of government in Denmark grew to more than 75 percent during her reign. She has adapted the monarchy step by step so that new generations perceive it as a meaningful institution, the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, Søren Gade, praised the outgoing Queen in a statement. In doing so, she had paved the way for her eldest son.
There is reason to believe that the future king will be able to build on this. Crown Prince Frederik and his wife Crown Princess Mary are just as popular as Margrethe, according to a survey by Danish broadcaster DR. According to the survey, more than 80 percent of Danes have a positive image of the soon-to-be royal couple.
Abdication is considered extremely unusual in Denmark
There was initially no reaction to the surprise from the neighboring royal houses. However, there was already speculation in the media that Margrethe's departure could have an impact on the crowned heads of state in Sweden and Norway. It is absolutely not impossible that the Swedish King Carl Gustav (77) and Norway's King Harald (86) will follow suit, SVT quoted royal household expert Roger Lundberg as saying. Margrethe had personally informed Carl Gustav of her decision in advance, SVT reported.
Margrethe's move is considered extremely unusual and historic. Since the introduction of the hereditary monarchy in 1660, there has never been a monarch who voluntarily abdicated the throne, history professor Lars Hovbakke Sørensen from the University of Absalon told the Ritzau agency.
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- As the head of state in Denmark, Queen Margrethe II, also known as Margrethe II of Denmark, has significantly increased the support for the Monarchy throughout her reign.
- The upcoming accession of Crown Prince Frederik, who will become Frederik X upon Queen Margrethe's abdication, is highly anticipated given his and his wife Crown Princess Mary's positive image among the Danish people.
- The Noble and popular Crown Prince Frederik is expected to face great expectations as the future king of Denmark, as he follows in the footsteps of his mother, Queen Margrethe, who successfully consolidated the acceptance of the royal house and adapted the monarchy to suit new generations.
- The impending abdication of Queen Margrethe, who has reigned for 52 years, is considered an unprecedented and historic event in Denmark, as she will be the first monarch to voluntarily step down since the introduction of the hereditary monarchy in 1660.
Source: www.stern.de
