Crown Prince Frederik becomes King of Denmark - When will Victoria and Haakon follow?
When Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (83) abdicates on January 14 after 52 years, her son Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (55) and his wife Mary of Denmark (51) will succeed her on the throne. This means that there will only be two Scandinavian changes of throne in this generation: Crown Princess Victoria (46) will succeed her father, King Carl XVI Gustaf (77), to the Swedish throne. And Crown Prince Haakon (50) will succeed his father, King Harald V (86), on the Norwegian throne. But when will they be ready?
Two kings of the old school
When Victoria and Haakon will have to take up their inheritance at the latest is of course still written in the stars, because in extreme cases it will be the day their fathers die. And at least in Sweden, everything still seems to be heading towards this classic and, for Victoria, certainly very painful change of throne. The 77-year-old recently commented on this in his speech on the occasion of his 50th anniversary on the throne in summer 2023. "It is my hope that I can continue to serve our Sweden now and in the years to come. Both in ups and downs. In good times, but also in times of great challenges," he said at the time.
However, the Swedish king's latest statement on the abdication in Denmark is formulated in a diplomatically neutral way. "The King has great respect and understanding for Queen Margrethe's decision to relinquish the throne to Crown Prince Frederik," reads the statement from the palace, which was published on the Danish TV channel "TV2".
King Harald's statement is still pending. As with Queen Margrethe, however, Haakon has been standing in for his father more and more often for some time now. Most recently mainly due to the ailing health of the 86-year-old monarch. It is not known whether he is now perhaps toying with the idea of abdicating. In principle, however, he is also an old-school king who lives by the motto of his grandfather King Haakon VII (1872-1957), as historian Ole-Jørgen Schulzrud-Hansen once explained according to "Bunte". "A king is either healthy or he is dead," is said to have been the guiding principle of the late regent.
Two queens and two kings chose to abdicate
The early handover of royal duties has become quite popular. Former Queen Beatrix (85) made the first move on January 28, 2013 and has been supporting her son, King Willem-Alexander (56), as Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands ever since.
On July 3, 2013, King Albert II (89) announced his abdication on July 21, 2013, the Belgian national holiday. His eldest son Philippe (63) became the new king on this day.
One year later, the time had come in Spain: King Juan Carlos I of Spain (85) abdicated in favor of his son, King Felipe VI (55), on 18 June 2014 as a result of several scandals.
Queen Margrethe will now abdicate on January 14.
It will then remain exciting for Europe's most important monarchy, that of Great Britain. Prince William (41) is actually one of the next heirs to the throne. However, as his father Charles (75) only became King Charles III at well over 70 following the death of Queen Elizabeth II (1926-2022), it may be a while before he relinquishes the throne prematurely ...
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- In contrast, Queen Margrethe II's son, Crown Prince Frederik, is set to become the king of Denmark on January 14, following his mother's 52-year reign.
- Meanwhile, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden (46) is set to succeed her father, King Carl XVI Gustaf (77), to the Swedish throne upon his eventual abdication.
- Similarly, Crown Prince Haakon of Norway (50) will ascend to the throne upon the abdication of his father, King Harald V (86).
- However, the exact timeline for the abdications of Victoria and Haakon is uncertain, as it depends on the fate of their fathers.
- In Sweden, King Carl XVI Gustaf expressed his hope to continue serving Sweden, both in good times and in times of challenge.
- King Harald V of Norway has not yet made a public statement about his plans for abdication, but his health has been a concern recently.
- Historically, the Norwegian monarchy has followed the principle of "A king is either healthy or he is dead," as famously espoused by King Haakon VII (1872-1957).
- Preceding these upcoming transitions, Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (85) abdicated in 2013, paving the way for her son King Willem-Alexander (56).
Source: www.stern.de
