The surprise abdication of Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II in her New Year’s speech won’t lead to a massive coronation event like that of British King Charles earlier this year. Instead, the advent of her son as King Frederik X will be marked with low-key events.
Margrethe, who is 82, had reigned for 52 years, and had often said she would never quite. On January 14, accompanied by the Prime Minister, she will formally notify the government of her resignation; the Prime Minister will then appear on a balcony with the new King to announce his accession.
There is speculation as to whether the retired Queen will appear at the balcony with her son, who is 55. Since all previous accessions since 1532 have been at the death of a monarch, it is also possible that there might be some sort of public celebration, since it is not a funeral occasion.
Denmark switched in 1648 from a monarch elected by nobles to a hereditary monarch; at that time the coronation ceremony was abolished because the new hereditary king did not want to be crowned by the nobility who were no longer his peers. When it became a constitutional monarch in 1849, the power symbols of crown, sword and orb were put aside, along with physical thrones.
