Princess Mary to become Queen of Denmark on January 14.
Australia’s Princess Mary will be crowned alongside her husband Frederik X on January 14 after the shock abdication of Queen Margrethe.
Australia’s Princess Mary of Denmark is to be the new Queen of Denmark in just a fortnight’s time after the shock abdication of the Danish throne by Queen Margrethe II.
Queen Margrethe, 83, announced she would be standing down after 52 years on the throne, handing the crown to Princess Mary’s husband Crown Prince Frederick.
The sudden move means that Mary, will take the title of Queen while Frederick, 55, will become known as King Frederick X.
The Danish accession will occur on January 14, with a simple announcement at Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen and no formal coronation, unlike the extravaganza and pomp of the British monarchy which saw King Charles III crowned in Westminster Abbey in a history-laden two hour ceremony last year.
Mary was a Sydney real estate agent when she met Frederik at the Slip Inn in Sydney during the Sydney Olympics in 2000. The couple now has four children Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 16, and 12-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
Margrethe is a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, with both women being descendants of Queen Victoria. She had been unable to attend King Charles coronation because of a back injury and sent Frederik and Mary in her place.
In a statement on New Year’s Eve, Margrethe said: “I have decided that now is the right time. The 14th January 2024 – 52 years after I followed my beloved father – I will step back as the Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son the Crown Prince Frederik. “ She added thanks to the overwhelming warmth and support she has received and specifically mentioned a thank you “to the changing governments with whom the collaboration always has been rewarding, and thank you to The Parliament, who have always vested their confidence in me”.
Margrethe said she hoped Frederik and Mary, the new King and Queen will be met with the same trust and devotion. She said: “They deserve it! Denmark deserves it! I will conclude my new year’s address in my usual manner: God bless Denmark, God bless you all.’’
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked the queen for her long-life dedication to duty.
“It is still difficult to understand that the time has now come for a change of throne,” Frederiksen said in a statement.
The surprise accession has dominated Danish news with Mary being Queen regarded as a highly popular decision.
However Frederik’s image took a hit last month after a Spanish magazine Lecturas published photos of the crown prince on a night out in Madrid with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova. At the time the palace said it wouldn’t comment on innuendo or rumour.
British royal commentator and journalist Dickie Arbiter said while Princess Mary will be able to continue her charity work when she ascends the throne, her role as Queen will see her day to day work change.
“She is into ecology, science, anti-bullying, and she will be able to carry on with those, but her role will be largely working in support of her husband, whose duties now will be far greater than they have been over the past few years,” Mr Arbiter told the Today Show on Monday morning
“But it will be good news for her organisations and charities, and she will be able to carry on supporting them because they depend on her.
“They think she does an incredibly good job. It will be a tough period settling in but they will settle down quite well.”
Mr Arbiter said the change in monarch will likely be welcomed by the Danish people.
“Mary has got quite a lot of things under her belt. She’s been working with charities. She’s a very intelligent woman. She is a good conversationalist and I think the Danes probably feel change is a good thing,” he said.
Liberal MP Alex Hawke has welcomed news that an Australian will ascend the Danish throne, celebrating the New Year’s announcement in a post to X. “Happy New Year everyone. 2024 is off to a great start with news an Australian will become Queen of Denmark,” he wrote on Monday morning.
More Coverage
Canada expels top Indian envoy over murder of Sikh separatist
Six Indian diplomats are expelled after they were linked to ‘homicide and acts of violence’ against Sikh separatists, including Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Hezbollah drone strikes weakness in Israel defence system
The drone was able to pass detection before crashing into a military base, highlighting a weak spot in Israel’s vaunted air defence system that military officials say is hard to counter.