Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s coronation was on January 14, 1972. During her New Year’s Eve, she announced that she would be stepping down as Queen of Denmark, a move that shocked the country.
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Indeed, Queen Margrethe had said that being monarch was a job for life and she intended to sit on the throne until her death, just like her father and her predecessors. Experts believe they know the real reason the Queen abdicated and it may have something to do with her son, Crown Prince Frederik, who will soon become King of Denmark.
Queen Margrethe will officially abdicate on January 14, 2024, exactly 52 years after her coronation. This is a historic day for Denmark as it is the first abdication in over 500 years.
What will Queen Margrethe II’s abdication day look like?
A monarch abdicating isn’t something you see every day, indeed, for the UK, the last abdication was on December 11, 1936, when King Edward VIII decided to marry Wallis Simpson over being king.
Express has a detailed plan of what Queen Margrethe II’s abdication will look like. The process won’t start until 1.35 pm when Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary along with their son, Prince Christian, will ride in a car from Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg to Christiansborg Palace.
Then, just two minutes later, Queen Margrethe will ride in a carriage from Christian IX’s Palace, Amalienborg to Christiansborg Palace and will be escorted by the Guard Hussar Regiment.
Thousands of people are expected to be on the streets to watch Margrethe’s last procession as Queen of Denmark.
At 2 pm, Queen Margrethe will officially abdicate at the Council of State. Queen Margrethe will sign a declaration of her abdication in the presence of her son, Crown Prince Frederik and her grandson, Prince Christian.
Crown Prince Frederik will become King of Denmark
During that meeting, the succession of the throne will take place. At 2.30 pm, the new King and Queen, Frederik and Mary, will hold a levee for specially invited persons.
At 3 pm, Crown Prince Frederik will be proclaimed His Majesty King Frederik X by the Danish Prime Minister from the palace balcony.
After being proclaimed as the new King, Frederik will address his public and at 3.10 pm, 27 shots will be fired three times from the Sixtus Battery on Holmen, Copenhagen to salute the new King.
Finally, at 3.30 pm, the new King Frederik and Queen Mary will ride in a carriage and be escorted by the Guard Hussar Regiment’s mounted squadron. They will travel from Christiansborg Palace to Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg.
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Sources used:
Express: ‘What to expect on Queen Margrethe's abdication day - full timeline of events’
