Queen Margrethe II of Denmark used her New 12 months’s tackle on Sunday to unexpectedly announce her abdication on reside tv.
The queen, who has reigned for 52 years, mentioned she will abdicate on January 14 and can be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik.
The 83-year-old queen, who took over the throne in 1972, is the longest-serving monarch in Europe following the loss of life of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
Queen Margrethe, who underwent profitable again surgical procedure final February, mentioned that surgical procedure “naturally gave rise to fascinated about the longer term — whether or not the time had come to depart the accountability to the subsequent era,” she mentioned in her tackle.
“I’ve determined that now could be the best time. On January 14, 2024 — 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father — I’ll step down as queen of Denmark,” she mentioned.
She is the longest-serving monarch in Danish historical past, taking the throne after the loss of life of her father, King Frederik IX, in 1972.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked the queen for her service. “On behalf of the complete inhabitants, I want to lengthen a heartfelt thanks to Her Majesty The Queen for her lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the Kingdom,” Frederiksen mentioned in a press release.