Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announces abdication

• Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has announced that she will abdicate after 52 years on the throne.
• She said in a New Year’s Eve announcement that her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederick, would be her successor.
• She said she was prompted to make the decision in February 2023 after undergoing back surgery.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has announced that she will abdicate the throne after 52 years.

The Danish royal family made the shocking revelation on Sunday during their annual New Year’s Eve speech. Margrethe became queen in 1972 at the age of 31, after her father, King Frederick IX, died of complications from pneumonia.

“I have decided that now is the right time. On January 14, 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I will hand it over to the Prince,” Margrethe said. she said.

In her speech, Margrethe said she had undergone “major” back surgery in February, which had caused her to think about her future.

“Inevitably, this operation caused me to think about the future and whether now is the right time to hand over responsibility to the next generation,” she said.

After Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, Margrethe became Europe’s longest-living monarch.

Representatives for the Queen’s household did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment outside of normal business hours on Sunday.

Recent drama in the Danish royal family unfolds in public

Margrethe’s announcement comes after the drama of the Danish royal family began to unfold before the public.

She announced in September 2022 that the descendants of her youngest son, Prince Joachim, will no longer hold Danish royal titles from 2023. Instead, they will only be able to use their titles as Count and Countess of Montpezat. This decision directly affected Joachim’s four children. Count Nikolai is currently 24 years old. Count Felix, 21 years old. Count Henrik, 14 years old. and Countess Athena, 11 years old.

“Her Majesty, by her own decision, has created a framework in which her four grandchildren will be able to shape their lives more broadly, without being limited by the special considerations and obligations that come with formal affiliation with the Danish Royal Family.” We want to create this because institutions are involved,” the statement said.

Crown Prince Frederik’s children retained their royal titles, but this appears to have caused tensions between the family members. Joachim spoke out after her mother’s announcement, telling Denmark’s Ekstra Bladet that the children were being “abused” and that Margrethe had not given her five days’ notice of her decision. .

Margrethe issued a public apology in October 2022.

“I made this decision as a queen, as a mother and as a grandmother. But as a mother and grandmother, I underestimated how much it affected my second son and his family. It made a huge impression on me. I feel sorry for that,” the reporter said.