In her annual New Year’s Speech, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has announced that she will be abdicating the Danish Throne on January 14th, following a Reign of 52 years.
A very special thank you must be heard from me tonight. Thank you for all the warmth and affection that I and my family have received over many, many years.
In 14 days I will have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Such a long time does not pass without a trace for any human being – not even me! Time wears on, and the “diseases” increase. You no longer cope with the same things as you once could.
In February this year I underwent extensive back surgery. It went well, thanks to the skilled healthcare staff who took care of me. Of course, the operation also gave rise to thinking about the future – whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation.
I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 2024 – 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father – I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik.
The eldest daughter of King Frederik IX of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden, she was born just a week after Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany. She is the elder sister of Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Queen Anne Marie of Greece as well as the first cousin of King Carl Gustaf of Sweden and the Haga Princesses. In 1953, her father, by then King Frederick XI, altered the constitution to allow women to succeed to the throne and appointed her Heiress Presumptive, after a referendum. In 1967, then Crown Princess Margrethe married French Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat. The couple had two children, now Crown Prince Frederick and Prince Joachim. In January 1972, she succeeded her father as Queen Margrethe of Denmark. She has many ceremonial duties as the Danish Head of State, as well as supreme authority of the Church of Denmark and Commander-in-Chief of the Danish Defence Forces. Queen Margrethe is also an accomplished artist and designer, often designing many of her own outfits as well as costumes for theatre productions.
Danish Pearl Poiré Tiara | Danish Emerald Parure | Danish Crown Diamond Parure | Antique Diamond Parure | Antique Turquoise Parure | Baden Palmette Tiara | Daisy Brooch | Crown Pearl and Ruby Parure | Queen Alexandrine’s Sapphire Parure | Danish Royal Tiaras | Queen Margrethe’s Top 8 Jewels | Danish Royal Orders
Danish Pearl Poiré Tiara
Danish Emerald Parure
Baden Palmette Tiara
Danish Crown Diamond Parure
