Queen Margrethe II announces Abdication for January 14, 2024

[Emmily]

Will there be a coronation and when might that happen? My apologies if this has been addressed already.

 

[Adda]

Will there be a coronation and when might that happen? My apologies if this has been addressed already.

No, just a proclamation on the balcony.

 

[sophie25]

Will there be a celebration with foreign royals attending even if there is no coronation?

 

[iceflower]

Nothing concrete is known yet, as soon as new information is released it can and will be posted here:


** Pre-Abdication, Information and Musings thread **

 

[muriel]

I believe Frederik knew about the abdication and was "getting his affairs in order." In fact, I believe the Crown Princely family may have known as early as Christian's 18th birthday gala. I noticed that they were all very nervous upon arrival to Christiansborg, which made me think that something big had happened to put them all on edge. Just my speculation, but I seriously doubt that the family had not known for months what 2024 held for them all.

I suspect Fred & Mary have known for some time (12-24 months?), and were probably part of QM II's decision making process. There would only have been a handful of people she would have been able to have the conversation with. I suspect that group is probably limited to Fred, Mary, Benedikte and Anne-Marie.

 

[wartenberg7]

Today, a german newspaper raised the question, if this could be a move, this unforseen abdication, could be regarded as a try to save the royal couple´s marriage.... If that should be the case, which I doubt, this wouldn´t work in long run!

 

[muriel]

Today, a german newspaper raised the question, if this could be a move, this unforseen abdication, could be regarded as a try to save the royal couple´s marriage.... If that should be the case, which I doubt, this wouldn´t work in long run!

Some UK newspapers have also run with similar stories, but I do not buy that. My view is that this has been in the planning for some time. The change of titles for Joachim's children were a step in the planning for this abdication. Detailed planning for the new court and personnel changes have been laid out clearly.

 

[Stefanie]

If Mary put the gun to Margrethe' s head by saying: "Let me become Queen or I separate Frederik" then the situation will worsen but Margrethe is out.
I still ask myself why Margrethe announced it so short- term when they all knew it since months.

 

[Viv]

Will there be a celebration with foreign royals attending even if there is no coronation?

Sophie25, a coronation is superfluous in a hereditary monarchy!
The new monarch is - figuratively speaking - wearing the crown
from the moment a) the predecessor dies OR b) abdicates officially.

In the case of a): there will be no celebrations as the proclamation
takes place in a period of mourning, usually on the day after
the death of the predecessor.
In case of b): That remains to be seen, as there is no precedent here
in Denmark. They’ ll even have to change the wording of the proclamation,
if the royal court decides to stick to that!

 

[Muhler]

Today, a german newspaper raised the question, if this could be a move, this unforseen abdication, could be regarded as a try to save the royal couple´s marriage.... If that should be the case, which I doubt, this wouldn´t work in long run!

No, that would be like having a child to save a marriage. Won't work.
However, there were photos of M&F looking at each other during the gala. And Mary didn't look like she felt an urge to crown Frederik's head with a vase.
So perhaps Frederik can paraphrase, was it Mark Twain, and say: the rumors of my infidelity are strongly exaggerated.

I don't think Mary is that progressive, but could she choose not to have ladies in waiting? Even Queen Camilla doesn't officially have ladies in waitimg anymore although some critics may point out that she just calls them by another name (or title) in practice.

Yes, she could. She could call the personal assistants. So why not just keep calling them Ladies-in-waiting.
The reason why QMII has four is that the position is voluntary, you serve your queen. And they are close personal friends whom she trusts. - She may opt to pay them a salary and break the old tradition that way.
QMII also has four in order to spread the burden, she will rarely need more than one, perhaps two at most, at any given time.
A lady-in-waiting is also someone who has an intimate knowledge about the queen, so she has an important role in the planning of visits. Like say Mary right now having an "issue" if she laughs too hard, so preparations for Mary being able "to powder her nose" at a moments notice are needed. Or Mary that seriously hate cats or has a morbid fear of daddy longlegs. You get my meaning? Something she may find too embarrassing to confide to even the senior staff
It's also the lady-in-waiting who complains about someone or something on behalf of Mary or who make personal requests.
A lady-in-waiting also know Mary well enough to read a situation, like when a person is babbling away and Mary is trying to hide the fact that she's on the verge of ripping the head of that person's shoulders. That's not something a personal assistant who has been employed can necessarily do.

 

[camelot23ca]

If Mary put the gun to Margrethe' s head by saying: "Let me become Queen or I separate Frederik" then the situation will worsen but Margrethe is out.
I still ask myself why Margrethe announced it so short- term when they all knew it since months.

I wonder if the pictures of Frederik in Madrid actually delayed the announcement of the abdication? Maybe they were originally set to make the announcement earlier, but postponed to allow the story to run its course and see what kind of fallout there would be (regarding both public opinion and Mary and Frederik’s private relationship).

The date of the abdication has likely been set for some time, and would be difficult to change barring a true crisis, but they would have had more flexibility with the date of the announcement.

Or maybe QMII just preferred to wrap things up quickly, and avoid a long public goodbye.

 

[suztav]

I have to believe that this has been a few months in the making and nothing to do with the Spanish incident. QMII is way too strategic to make a decision based upon tabloid press stories.

The date of the hand-over is also quite significant and symbolic -- the 52nd anniversary of her reign.

Once again ... she is one smart cookie -- look at the incident which foretold this announcement -- when she made the title decisions about her grandchildren. That should have been our first clue!

 

[Somebody]

Or maybe QMII just preferred to wrap things up quickly, and avoid a long public goodbye.

That's what I thought. She seems someone who doesn't like things to linger.

 

[princess gertrude]

I have to believe that this has been a few months in the making and nothing to do with the Spanish incident. QMII is way too strategic to make a decision based upon tabloid press stories.

The date of the hand-over is also quite significant and symbolic -- the 52nd anniversary of her reign.

Once again ... she is one smart cookie -- look at the incident which foretold this announcement -- when she made the title decisions about her grandchildren. That should have been our first clue!

You're right. Thinking back now, it probably should have been a BIG clue.



I have a wonderful plan to the Queen and her sisters, spend 3 months in each of their "countries", Denmark, Greece, Germany and 3 months in France. ?

 

[tommy100]

That would be a lovely plan. But I do wonder if Daisy would be physically up to that- she has chosen to abdicate which is something she said she would never do, so I assume their is something stopping her from doing the job properly. In that case I assume the same issue would stop her travelling to far and wide.

 

[ricarda]

princess gertrude
Thinking back now, it probably should have been a BIG clue

For me the BIG clue was the announcement regarding Prince Christian's apanage, that they would wait until his 21st birthday, unless there would be a throneshift before that time. The mentioning of the possibility of a throneshift in an official document. Back then I thought either Margrethe is contemplating abdication or she knows something about her health we don't know yet. That's why I was not as shocked as others.

 

[Izzie]

That would be a lovely plan. But I do wonder if Daisy would be physically up to that- she has chosen to abdicate which is something she said she would never do, so I assume their is something stopping her from doing the job properly. In that case I assume the same issue would stop her travelling to far and wide.

I actually think that an inability to travel abroad, especially long distances for state visits for example is a contributing factor. You can see in some of her public appearances recently that there is a visible strain when it comes to her mobility. I can only imagine what kind of pain she may be in daily that is literally inhibiting her ability to carry out the activities of daily life, including her duties as monarch, especially to the level that she expects of herself.

I also think that now that the announcement has been made, there was a sense of "exhale" with her and the crown prince couple as they arrived for the new years court. At least that is the impression I got. Who knows how long they've had to keep this whole process secret.

But, QMII can now step back and enjoy a hopefully very long, well-deserved and well-earned rest and she can still be there for support, advice and guidance for the new regent couple and the new crown prince as well.

 

[Somebody]

For me the BIG clue was the announcement regarding Prince Christian's apanage, that they would wait until his 21st birthday, unless there would be a throneshift before that time. The mentioning of the possibility of a throneshift in an official document. Back then I thought either Margrethe is contemplating abdication or she knows something about her health we don't know yet. That's why I was not as shocked as others.

Interesting. So, Christian will get an apanage starting this month while his fellow heirs in Belgium and the Netherlands chose to postpone that while they are still studying (not sure about Leonor).

 

[kalnel]

I wonder if the pictures of Frederik in Madrid actually delayed the announcement of the abdication? Maybe they were originally set to make the announcement earlier, but postponed to allow the story to run its course and see what kind of fallout there would be (regarding both public opinion and Mary and Frederik’s private relationship).

The date of the abdication has likely been set for some time, and would be difficult to change barring a true crisis, but they would have had more flexibility with the date of the announcement.

Or maybe QMII just preferred to wrap things up quickly, and avoid a long public goodbye.

I doubt that QMII, who has devoted half a century of her life to this job, would chuck it aside over something as inane as the flap about the woman in Madrid. Being head of state is a serious job that she has always taken seriously.

Besides, as the Danish posters here have pointed out, the incident never grew into a huge scandal in Denmark, so it wouldn't have been necessary for her to take action.

I would think that the court is always prepared for a change on the throne -- things happen. Before Margrethe had her surgery last year, I'm sure they reviewed plans and personnel in preparation for any outcome. (It sounded like a very risky operation, especially for a smoker of her age.)

As she said, it makes a person think.

I'm sure it wasn't lost on her that most of the reigning monarchs in Europe are her son's generation, except for Charles (who got his job as an old man), Carl Gustav (who had heart surgery the week of Margrethe's surgery), and Harald (who has been in and out of the hospital multiple times in recent years).

I wonder if she also considered that she has reached the same age Prince Henrik was when he died.

 

[Muhler]

At some point after the 14th the National Bank will formally ask Frederik for permission to mint new coins, with his portrait on them.
I don't know whether he will have to sit for that or whether they will have a sculpture make the templates based on a photograph.

It's actually no later than May 2023 that the National Bank minted new updated coins of QMII - partly because she had turned older and partly because coins constantly go out of circulation as they get worn. Many payment systems are based on weight so it doesn't take that much before a coin is unusable for that purpose.

And a little trivia: The monarch on the Danish coins always look to the right.

 

[ladongas]

…

And a little trivia: The monarch on the Danish coins always look to the right.

And as we have recently learned, Frederick doesn’t look back over his shoulder.

 

[Toledo]

At some point after the 14th the National Bank will formally ask Frederik for permission to mint new coins, with his portrait on them.
I don't know whether he will have to sit for that or whether they will have a sculpture make the templates based on a photograph.

It's actually no later than May 2023 that the National Bank minted new updated coins of QMII - partly because she had turned older and partly because coins constantly go out of circulation as they get worn. Many payment systems are based on weight so it doesn't take that much before a coin is unusable for that purpose.

And a little trivia: The monarch on the Danish coins always look to the right.

I feel this is something new to me but I thought Denmark used the Euro. From what I recall, and not doing a wiki search because I'm tired after a long driving trip this afternoon and about to log out, the Euro allow local mints to place the local monarch's face on a side of the coin.

 

[Somebody]

I feel this is something new to me but I thought Denmark used the Euro. From what I recall, and not doing a wiki search because I'm tired after a long driving trip this afternoon and about to log out, the Euro allow local mints to place the local monarch's face on a side of the coin.

Denmark does not use the Euro but the Danish Krone. 1 Euro is about 7.5 Danish kroner.

 

[gerry]

In the aftermath of the announcement, I've discovered so many interesting things about her life, what a remarkable and talented woman she is!


Congratulations on your 52 years of service Ma'am. Well done!

Congratulations indeed! My theory is that HM Queen Margrethe was offered a Netflix contract based on her outstanding work on Ehrengard….

 

[CyrilVladisla]

At some point after the 14th the National Bank will formally ask Frederik for permission to mint new coins, with his portrait on them.
I don't know whether he will have to sit for that or whether they will have a sculpture make the templates based on a photograph.

It's actually no later than May 2023 that the National Bank minted new updated coins of QMII - partly because she had turned older and partly because coins constantly go out of circulation as they get worn. Many payment systems are based on weight so it doesn't take that much before a coin is unusable for that purpose.

And a little trivia: The monarch on the Danish coins always look to the right.

Muhler, I am learning a lot about the Danish Monarchy.
I did not know about the monarch on the Danish coins.

 

[ricarda]

Interesting. So, Christian will get an apanage starting this month while his fellow heirs in Belgium and the Netherlands chose to postpone that while they are still studying (not sure about Leonor).

No, I didn't say that. He will not get an apanage starting this month but he will probably get one before he turns 21.

 

[LadyFinn]

As I posted previously, Margareta Thorgren, the director of the Information Department of the Swedish Royal Court, sent a message to the media on New Year's Eve, where she wrote that Queen Margrethe has personally spoken to and informed King Carl Gustaf about her abdication decision.
Now Margareta Thorgren tells Expressen about the King's thoughts about the Queen's decision to hand over the throne.
"The King has great respect and understanding for Queen Margrethe's decision to hand over the throne to Crown Prince Frederik."
She then refers to the King's words in his Jubilee speech:
"It is my hope that now, and in the coming years, I can continue to serve our Sweden. In both up and down. In good times, as well as in times of great challenge.”
Kungens tankar om Margrethes beslut _ Kungligt _ Expressen

 

[Annine]

CP Haakon is listed as Crown Prince Regent on the 15th of january, he only is that when the King is abroad. No engagements on sunday 14th but there rarely are on sundays. However the King of Sweden has an event on monday 15th, nothing on the 14th.

 

[CrownPrincessJava]

As I posted previously, Margareta Thorgren, the director of the Information Department of the Swedish Royal Court, sent a message to the media on New Year's Eve, where she wrote that Queen Margrethe has personally spoken to and informed King Carl Gustaf about her abdication decision.
Now Margareta Thorgren tells Expressen about the King's thoughts about the Queen's decision to hand over the throne.
"The King has great respect and understanding for Queen Margrethe's decision to hand over the throne to Crown Prince Frederik."
She then refers to the King's words in his Jubilee speech:
"It is my hope that now, and in the coming years, I can continue to serve our Sweden. In both up and down. In good times, as well as in times of great challenge.”
Kungens tankar om Margrethes beslut _ Kungligt _ Expressen

It is interesting that this particular passage was reiterated. You can view it from two viewpoints - "It is my hope" meaning he too understand that he may also need to step down. Then there is the part of "In good times, as well as in times of great challenge" - meaning he will serve even if there are challenges - health or otherwise.

Honestly, the passage from his Jubilee speech didn't need to be added. Why would they do that? For me, it's a slap in the face. I could be reading into it though....

 

[JR76]

According to Peter Astrup, a political journalist on the newspaper BT, the Queen told Prime Minister Mette Fredriksen about her plans to abdicate in a face-to-face meeting sometime in the days between December 21 and December 31. A few other prominent politicians, including former Prime minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, were told closely before the announcement, but besides them it was kept a secret to everyone.