Keld Navntoft, Kongehuset ©

King Harald has sent a congratulatory message to King Frederik X and Queen Mary, telling the new monarch and his consort that he is “convinced that you will fulfill your new roles excellently.”

The Norwegian King released a message shortly after Queen Margrethe’s abdication. In the message to King Frederik, King Harald praised the former queen’s 52-year reign, saying that she has “fulfilled her role in an admirable manner.”

King Harald wrote: “Her Majesty Queen Margrethe has followed her country and her people through joys and sorrows. For more than 5o years she has been able to be a present monarch – with an infectious mood and vast knowledge. And with good support from his immediate family. The close friendship between our two families means a lot to all of us.”

As for the new reign that has just begun, King Harald wrote that King Frederik and Queen Mary “will carry on the legacy and follow Denmark into a new era.”

The King also shared how the Norwegian Royal Family “hope and pray that you will have the strength and support you need in all your endeavors.”

King Harald is the second monarch to send a message to Denmark today. King Carl XVI Gustaf—now the longest-reigning European monarch—sent his ‘cousin Daisy’ a message earlier today congratulating her on her reign.