She is the longest-reigning monarch on Earth – and now, surprisingly, she no longer wants to. The Danish Queen Margaret II wants to resign this year. The 83-year-old said in her televised New Year's address on Sunday night that she wanted to step down as regent on January 14, 2024. The resignation coincides with her 52nd anniversary on the throne. In February, she had to undergo major back surgery. Because of rehab, she canceled several appointments or was informed by her son Crown Prince Frederick (55) and his wife Mary (51) represented. Her eldest son – heir to the throne for 53 years – already attends appointments that the queen herself used to do. Frederik's eldest son was also recently allowed to go Christian prince (18) officially represent the Queen.
Health problems made Queen think
The operation went well thanks to health professionals, but it made her think about her future as queen, Margrethe said in her New Year's speech. She will leave the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederik. Above all, she wanted to say thank you tonight – for the care and support shown to her over the years, said the monarch. Back surgery appears to have made the Queen completely rethink her approach. According to Danish media reports, she even stopped smoking after the operation – Margrethe had been known to smoke cigarettes for decades.
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Margrethe's stubborn, flamboyant and unconventional nature has made her popular among Danes for decades. She spent her childhood not knowing that one day she would become Queen of Denmark. She was born Margrethe Alexandrine Thórhildur Ingrid on April 16, 1940. Her father King Frederick IX Only the rules of succession were changed in 1953, when it became clear that he would have no male descendants.
Margrethe suddenly became crown princess just before her 13th birthday. After her father's death, she ascended the throne on January 14, 1972. Her motto: “God's help, the love of the people, the strength of Denmark.” As Margrethe II, she is the first female ruler of Denmark in 500 years.
Cousin as a model
The Queen of London has always been a role model for her. Elizabeth II he was a third cousin. Like her, Margrethe II served her kingdom with dedication and dignity for decades. With the Queen's death in September 2022, Margrethe became the world's longest-reigning monarch.
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Margrethe is highly educated and is also interested in art and literature. She studied political science and architecture not only in Denmark, but also at Cambridge in Great Britain and the Sorbonne in Paris. She speaks English, French, Swedish and also the language of Denmark's southern neighbor, German, more or less fluently. Since the 1970s she has been painting watercolors, drawing and designing sets and costumes for the Royal Theater and Copenhagen's Tivoli theme park. Many of her works are exhibited in Denmark and abroad. It is even said that she illustrated the Danish edition of Tolkien's classic “The Lord of the Rings” under a pseudonym.
Love for art
It is also the love of art that she shares with her husband, the French Count Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat, Association. They met in London, where he worked at the embassy. They married in 1967. They lived out their creativity together, for example translating “All People Are Mortal” from Simone de Beauvoir. Crown Prince Frederik was born in 1968, followed a year later by Prince Joachim. Henrik dies in February 2018 – after more than 50 years of marriage.
Like his mother, Crown Prince Frederik is popular among his compatriots. His sporting enthusiasm is also well-known: Frederik ran several marathons, completed an Ironman and founded the Royal Run running event on his 50th birthday. In the military, in his early 20s, he underwent rigorous training to become a Marine combat swimmer. He and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, are considered a well-rehearsed team. The couple has four children: Christian (18), Isabella (16) and the twins Vicente and Josefina (12).
new chapter
Head of government of Denmark Mette Frederiksen sees a new chapter opened for his country after the announcement of Queen Margrethe's resignation. “We will miss Queen Margrethe, whom we loved so much,” she said in her New Year's speech on Monday night. But it is largely thanks to the 83-year-old that the royal family still exists as an institution. “I am sure that the crown prince will be a good and strong king for Denmark and the entire kingdom,” added the social democrat. Following the announcement of Margrethe's resignation, Frederiksen decided to completely change his New Year's speech and instead of focusing on reforms to the social and healthcare system, he focused on the legacy of the outgoing queen.