Who was Denmark's Queen Margrethe II who announced she would abdicate after a 52-year reign?

After a 52-year reign, Denmark's Queen Margrethe II made the announcement of her abdication on New Year's Eve. She was Europe's longest-reigning monarch and the last reigning queen after the death of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.

Modern Queen

Queen Margrethe II — an 83-year-old woman who was a true and accomplished artist — ascended to the throne at the age of 31 in January 1972, after her father, King Frederik IX, died. She made the surprise announcement during her traditional New Year's Eve speech broadcast on Danish television, citing her age and health issues.

The Queen said: "On January 14, 2024 – 52 years after I succeed my beloved father – I will abdicate and hand over the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik. One person can't do as many things as they did in the past."

The Queen said she had thought she would "never abdicate" but the back surgery she underwent in February made her "think about the future – whether now is the right time to hand over responsibility to the next generation".

When she ascended to the throne at the age of 31 in January 1972, she took the name Margrethe II in recognition of Margrethe I, who ruled Denmark from 1375 to 1412 but never officially held the title of Queen.

At the time of her coronation, only 45% of Danes supported the monarchy, most believing it had no place in modern democracy. But as a cultured person, Queen Margrethe tried to steer clear of scandals and modernize the institution, by allowing her two sons to marry commoners.

To date, the Danish monarchy is one of the most popular in the world, receiving the support of more than 80% of the Danish people. Queen Margrethe is also currently the only reigning queen of Europe, although 4 countries - Belgium, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden - both have princesses.

Tough Queen

Nicknamed "Daisy" by her family and residents, she repeatedly affirmed that she would never give up her duties. She used to say, "I will stay on the throne until I fall." At the age of 82, she still rides roller coasters at Copenhagen's famous Tivoli amusement park with her hat fastened on her head. But things weren't always smooth sailing for Margrethe. Her French-born husband, Prince Henrik, proved uncomfortable being the husband of a queen. Henrik died in February 2018, 5 months after being diagnosed with dementia.

Queen Margrethe also showed toughness in her very recent public controversy with her youngest son, Prince Joachim, after she stripped her 4 grandchildren of their royal titles in 2022 to undermine the monarchy.

On September 28, Queen Margrethe II shocked the world by announcing that the four children of her younger son, Prince Joachim, would be stripped of their royal titles. As of January 2023, Felix, Athena, Henrik and Nikolai will be referred to as counts and countesses of Monpezat.

"With her decision, Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create a framework for her 4 grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and obligations officially associated with the Danish Royal Family," Palace of Notice.

Apolitical Queen

The Queen was born in Copenhagen on April 16, 1940, just a week after the Nazis invaded her homeland and is the eldest of three sisters. Denmark's succession law at the time prohibited women from inheriting the throne. It was changed in 1953 after a referendum, under pressure from successive Danish governments over the need to modernize society.

Historian Lars Hovebakke Sorensen said: "She became the queen of Danish reunification during a period of great change: globalization, the emergence of a multicultural state, economic crises in the 1970s, 1980s and again in 2008 to 2015 and the pandemic." He said: "The basis for her popularity is that the queen is completely apolitical."

Queen Margrethe marked the 50th anniversary of her reign in January 2022 with a celebration scaled back due to Covid-19. The full festivities were postponed until September 2022, but had to be scaled back significantly following the death of her third cousin Queen Elizabeth.

Queen of Art

With her sparkling blue eyes and big smile, Queen Margrethe was known for her laid-back and playful personality as well as her involvement in Danish culture. She studied at Cambridge and the Sorbonne in Paris and is fluent in English, French, German and Swedish.

As a painter, as well as a fashion and stage designer, she has worked several times with the Royal Danish Ballet Theatre and the Royal Danish Theatre. She has also translated plays, including Simone de Beauvoir's "All Men Are Mortal" with her French-born husband under a pseudonym.

But it was only her drawings and paintings that attracted public attention. She has illustrated several books, including the 2002 Danish edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," and her paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries in Denmark and abroad.

Meanwhile, Crown Prince Frederik, 55, who will succeed her, embodies the country's laid-back, liberal monarchy. He met his wife Mary Donaldson, an Australian lawyer, at a Sydney bar during the 2000 Olympic Games. They tried to raise their four children as normally as possible, mainly by sending them to public school. Their eldest child, Prince Christian, who just turned 18, was the first Danish royal to attend the nursery.

Passionate about the environment, Prince Frederik has discreetly placed himself in his mother's shadow, supporting Denmark and working to find solutions to the climate crisis. "When the time comes, I will lead the ship," he said in a speech celebrating his mother's half-century reign. Prince Frederik added: "I will follow my mother, as she followed her father" in leading the millennial institution.

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