Queen Margaret
© Getty Images / Patrick van Katwijk / Contributor
Danish television showed on Thursday morning how many people in Copenhagen stood in the snow and waved to Margrethe (83).
Queen Margaret II drove for the last time as Danish regent in a carriage from her palace to the New Year's reception at Christiansborg Palace. Danish television showed on Thursday morning how many people in Copenhagen stood in the snow and waved to Margrethe (83) as she passed by in her golden carriage. At the annual reception, around 1,000 guests present their New Year's wishes to the royal family.
The monarch's carriage ride from her residence, Amalienborg Palace, to Copenhagen city center is a tradition. In 2025, however, it will not be Margrethe, but her son Frederick Sit in the carriage – if he keeps this tradition.
In her New Year's speech on December 31, Margrethe surprisingly announced that she wanted to abdicate as queen after 52 years on the throne. She cited as her reason for this a back operation last year, which she survived well, but which gave her pause. On January 14, the 55-year-old crown prince will assume the throne as King Frederick X.