COPENHAGEN: Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, Europe’s longest-serving monarch, will abdicate on Jan 14 after 52 years on the throne and will be succeeded by her eldest son Crown Prince Frederik, she announced on Sunday (Dec 31).
The 83 year old queen, who ascended the throne in 1972, became the longest serving monarch in Europe following the death of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
The queen made the surprise announcement on live TV during her traditional New Year’s Eve speech, which is viewed by many in the country of 5.9 million people.
In February, she underwent a successful back surgery.
“The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future – whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation,” she said.
“I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as queen of Denmark,” she said.
“I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik,” she said.
Source: CNA
