Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announces that he will abdicate after 52 years on the throne
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced that she will abdicate in early 2024, after more than five decades of reign.
Margaret will hand over the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederick, she said in her traditional New Year's Eve speech broadcast on Danish television.
She cited back surgery in February 2023 as the reason for her reflections on the future.
"In two weeks I will celebrate 52 years as queen of Denmark," she said.
"Such an amount leaves its mark on anyone, including me! Time takes its toll, and the number of 'ailments' increases. One cannot undertake as much as in the past," she added.
"In February of this year I underwent a long back operation. Everything went well, thanks to the competent medical staff, who took care of me. Inevitably, the operation made me think about the future: whether now would be the right time to undergo responsibility to the next generation.
"I decided now is the right time," she said.
"On January 14, 2024, 52 years after succeeding my beloved father, I will cease to be Queen of Denmark. I will pass the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederick."
Queen Margaret II assumed the throne on January 14, 1972 following the death of her father, King Frederick IX.
Prince Frederick will assume the throne as His Majesty King Frederick X in January, the Danish Prime Minister's Office said in a statement.
Following a meeting of the Council of State, the Prime Minister will proclaim the change of throne at Christiansborg Castle.
The queen will continue to carry her majesty's title after the transfer.
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