Denmark turns a web page in its historical past on Sunday when Queen Margrethe abdicates and her son turns into King Frederik X, with greater than 100,000 Danes anticipated to prove for the unprecedented occasion.
The massively common chain-smoking Queen Margrethe II, 83, will go away her residence at Copenhagen’s Amalienborg Palace shortly after 1:30 pm (1230 GMT) for a brief carriage trip to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of presidency and parliament.
There, at a Council of State at 2:00 pm, she’s going to signal a declaration of abdication ending her 52-year reign, solely the second time a Danish sovereign has stepped down, the final one Erik III nearly 9 centuries in the past in 1146.
Her 55-year-old son Frederik — who will even attend the Council of State alongside together with his Australian-born spouse Mary and their eldest little one, 18-year-old Prince Christian — robotically turns into king and head of state upon Margrethe’s abdication.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will then proclaim him King Frederik X on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace.
“The balcony serves solely this goal,” joked historian Lars Hovbakke Sorensen in an interview with AFP.
“The final time, in 1972 (when Margrethe turned queen after the loss of life of her father), there have been greater than 10,000 folks on the sq. beneath. We’re anticipating extra this time,” he mentioned.
Police anticipate at the very least 10 occasions that within the streets of the capital.
“It is unimaginable to say what number of however I believe there will probably be greater than 100,000 folks,” Copenhagen police official Peter Dahl advised AFP, including that police reinforcements had been known as in from throughout the nation.
– ‘Soul of the nation’ –
Motels and rail and airline tickets have been absolutely booked because the queen dropped her bombshell abdication announcement in her annual televised New 12 months’s Eve handle.
Aske Julius, a 27-year-old Copenhagen resident, mentioned Saturday he hoped to get a great spot to see the proclamation of the brand new king.
“Greater than half of the Danish inhabitants has by no means identified anything however the queen,” he mentioned. “She’s actually the embodiment of Denmark… the soul of the nation.”
Other than the abdication, the protocol is essentially just like earlier royal successions in Denmark.
No international dignitaries or royals are invited, and there’s no coronation or throne for the brand new monarch.
Margrethe selected to abdicate precisely 52 years to the day after she took over from her father, Frederik IX.
“There’s a number of symbolism round at the present time,” Cecilie Nielsen, royal correspondent for Danish public broadcaster DR, advised AFP.
The queen’s abdication announcement surprised Danes, after she had repeatedly insisted she would comply with custom and reign till her loss of life.
Even her circle of relatives was solely knowledgeable three days prior.
She attributed her determination to well being points after present process main again surgical procedure final 12 months.
Opinion polls present that greater than 80 p.c of Danes help her determination.
Margrethe will retain her title of queen and will symbolize the royal household occasionally.
– ‘Totally different’ monarch –
Specialists say that passing the baton to her son now will give him time to flourish in his position as monarch, after regularly taking over rising duties.
“She thinks the crown prince is completely able to take over. And she or he needs to keep away from a scenario like in Nice Britain the place Prince Charles turned King Charles after the age of 70,” historian Hovbakke Sorensen mentioned.
Like his mom, Frederik, who has been crown prince because the age of three, enjoys the help of greater than 80 p.c of Danes.
However he’s anticipated to deliver his personal model to the monarchy, which dates again to the tenth century Viking period.
“Queen Margrethe II is a lady of her time and Frederik additionally lives in his personal period. He understood that he couldn’t copy her and has managed to outline his personal picture, his personal ties to the Danish folks,” one other historian, Bo Lidegaard, advised AFP.
“We may have a special kind of monarch, far more casual in his means of talking with folks when he travels throughout the nation,” his colleague Hovbakke Sorensen added.
Whereas his mom is understood for her love of the humanities and is an completed author and artist, Frederik is an avid sportsman who champions environmental causes.
In Denmark the monarch’s position is essentially ceremonial, however she or he does signal laws, formally presides over the forming of a authorities and meets with the cupboard usually.
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