“We will miss Queen Margrethe, whom we love so much,” said Frederiksen in her New Year’s address on Monday evening. 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. In addition to the motherland, the Kingdom of Denmark also includes Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
Picture gallery: Danish Queen Margrethe II wants to abdicate
Königin Margrethe Dänemark (Photo: KELD NAVNTOFT (Ritzau Scanpix)) Bild 1/15
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Margrethe II announced her abdication completely unexpectedly in her annual New Year’s speech on Sunday evening. As a background, she cited back surgery last year, which she survived well, but which made her think. “I have decided that now is the right time,” she said and announced that she would soon hand over the scepter to her son, Crown Prince Frederik.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen then decided to completely change her own speech and instead of focusing on reforms to the social and health system, she focused on the legacy of the outgoing queen.
