Frederik, Mary crowned King and Queen of Denmark in historic coronation
A highly emotional King Frederik X has acceded to the Danish throne, sealing the special moment with a kiss with his wife, Australian-born Queen Mary.
A highly emotional King Frederik X acceded to the Danish throne this morning, sealing the special moment with a kiss with his wife, Australian-born Queen Mary.
At the urging of an estimated 100,000 well-wishers on the streets of Copenhagen below the balcony of Christiansborg Palace, the new King turned to a laughing Mary, who was uncertain what to do. Then the couple kissed to celebrate their accession and an the extraordinary transfer of power.
The cobbled streets of Copenhagen were crammed with Danes, with celebrations centred on the Christiansborg Palace where Queen Margrethe II had minutes earlier authorised the change of head of state to Frederik, her first born, on Monday Australian time, with a simple signature.
The abdication – the first in 900 years in Denmark – was witnessed by a handful of family, Danish cabinet officials and council of state members. Margrethe left the room with tears in her eyes, saying: “God bless the king.”
The new king then went onto the balcony of Christiansborg, wiping away tears, and told the crowd: “My hope is to become a unifying king of Denmark. It is a task I have approached all my life. It is a task I take on with pride and joy.’’
Mary, dressed in a simple white outfit, then took her place alongside her husband, and waved enthusiastically.
The rest of the family, the crown prince Christian, Princesses Isabella and Josephine, and Prince Vincent joined them to greet the sea of people.
Frederik, 55, then pressed his hands to his heart before the royal family returned to the warmth of the palace.
At the time the proclamation was made, Queen Margrethe, 83, was thought to have returned to her home, her 52-year reign complete, to watch the spectacle on TV.
But the crowds remained, a sea of Danish flags waving in the midwinter light, and a smattering of Australian ones too.
One Australian girl stood on a bollard and emerged above the the crowd with her small Australian flag. A faint chant of “Aussie Aussie Aussie” was heard amongst the crowd.
“It’s just exciting that an ordinary person like us becomes a queen. It’s very exciting,” said Judy Langtree, a retiree waiting outside Christiansborg who flew with her granddaughter from Brisbane.
King Frederik later announced his mission statement, or motto: “Connected, committed for the Kingdom of Denmark.” Margrethe’s was “God’s help, the people’s love, Denmark’s strength”. Frederik’s orchestra-conducting grandfather King Frederik’s was “With God for Denmark”.
Mary and Frederik then took a carriage ride to their home – Amalienborg Palace.
No foreign dignitaries or royals were invited, but among the first to congratulate Frederik and Mary was King Charles III, who wrote: “My wife joins me in writing to convey our very best wishes on the day of your accession to the throne of the Kingdom of Denmark.
“I pay tribute to the many years of service of your mother, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II.
“I was delighted that Your Majesties were able to attend our coronation last year and I much look forward to future opportunities to celebrate the close connection that unites our countries and our families.”
It was feared sub-zero temperatures might deter the crowds but it was not to be, with Danes who have embraced Mary, 51, as one of their own since her fairytale wedding to Frederik 20 years ago determined to be there.
They travelled through heavy snow in Jutland, packing out the ferries to Zealand to support the royals in this flourishing city built on the back of Viking raids and herring fishing.
Among the crowd was a small group of activists protesting about an agreement to host US military bases in the country. They carried signs calling on “Pingo” – the nickname of the King from his time in the naval special forces when he was said to have resembled a penguin in his wetsuit – not to give royal assent.
But nearly everyone else was there to send their best wishes to the couple. The police presence was subtle and the mood was celebratory.
Frederik and Mary’s love story, which began inauspiciously, eating pizza at the Slip Inn at Darling Harbour during the Sydney Olympics, has culminated in the Tasmanian now becoming Queen of Denmark, a nation of more than 5.8 million.
It has been a stellar leap from her days in Bondi Junction working for a Sydney real estate firm to the Danish royal palaces of Amalienborg, Fredensborg, Marselisborg, Grasten, Sorgenfri, a hunting lodge and even a French chateau winery Chateau de Cayx.
As she stepped out onto the balcony in the early hours of Monday she may have reflected on the dramatic upheaval of her life in nearly a quarter of a century.
At the turn of the century, she was a young woman keenly feeling the sudden loss of her mother Henrietta, known as Etta, who died from complications after heart surgery. Mary was establishing herself in the anonymity and brashness of Sydney when she fell in love with a dashing “turbo” prince. The romance involved clandestine meetings, a shift to France and then Denmark to learn the Danish language, and then blossomed under the warm embrace of the Danish people.
Mary has had two decades of forging a distinct path within Danish society: earning the respect of all by helping Frederik be more confident in public, while she too has kept her poise despite being the centre of constant attention. She told Vogue after her wedding: “I knew I could deal with this because I was in it for all the right reasons. I am with the person that I love.”
Mary’s regal and dutiful air in representing the Danish people and “being exemplary’’ as one local confided, as well as helping women and the vulnerable through her charity, the Mary Foundation, have seen her popularity rise to enviable levels.
“She hasn’t put one foot wrong in 20 years, that is quite something,’’ said Copenhagen local Sanne Olson, 33. “When I was a teenager I tried to dress like her because she looked so smart and beautiful, and I will tell you a little secret, I still do.’’
Even the six-year, almost $50m renovation of their main Amalienborg Palace, the rococo building of Frederik VIII, was viewed uncritically as they restored an ancient decaying Empire interior and boosted the arts scene by allowing 10 modern Danish artists to paint murals in various rooms.
And of course, as well as being scandal-free, she is the mother to four unfailingly polite children, the new crown prince, 18-year-old Christian, 16-year-old Isabella, and 13-year-old twins Vincent and Josephine.
Keeping her children grounded has been a strong focus for Mary, with no mobile phones at the breakfast table and aides at a distance.
Mary often used a cargo bike with the children in front to do the school drop-off, and can be seen walking in the local streets. The square outside home is always open to the public.
The children have all attended public schools, in sharp contrast to the elite palace schooling of Frederik.
Mary has spoken about trying to use her platform to advocate for the empowerment of women and human rights for gay and transgender identities.
She pinpointed bullying and mental health as areas of priority. It was a theme she thought hard about in the early days of her marriage, wanting to make a difference and not just cut ceremonial ribbons.
While she concentrates on causes to improve health, Frederik has been passionate about pushing Denmark’s eco-credentials on trade trips. As Queen, Mary will no longer have to curtsy to foreign royals – she was pictured executing a deep dip for newly crowned Queen Camilla last year – and will have the entire collection of crown jewels from which to accessorise her smart outfits.
Royal analysts tipped that Frederik, whose common touch and love of sport has resonated with many, along with his wise choice of an intelligent, modern Australian as his wife, would choose a modern slogan.
The couple’s stipend of $416,000 a month from the Danish government will increase substantially.
On the eve of the coronation the Danish government approved an increase in civil list monies so that “the royal house can continue and develop its activities, which are linked to, among other things, travel and representative tasks, business promotion and voluntary work both in Denmark and abroad”.
The government also confirmed the King and Queen’s rights to the royal yacht, the right to hunt in state forests and also the government’s commitment to help with the expensive upkeep of the royal residences.
