DENMARK turned a page in its history today as Queen Margrethe stepped down after half a century on the throne making her son King Frederik X.
Over 100,000 turned up to watch the dramatic royal spectacle – the first abdication in 900 years– as the smiling new king and queen put on a united front and waved from the balcony.
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Fifty-two years of faithful service ended today as hugely popular Queen Margrethe, 83, signed a historic document finalising her abdication.
In a single swipe of her pen, her 55-year-old son – known as the scandalous “party prince”– automatically succeeded her as the new monarch of Denmark.
She left the room with tears in her eyes, saying: “God bless the king.”
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen then formally proclaimed Frederik the new king on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace with his wife Queen Mary at his side.
Australian-born Kate Middleton lookalike Mary is the first commoner to become queen in Denmark and the loved-up looking pair shared a kiss as their fans raucously cheered.
“It’s just exciting that an ordinary person like us becomes a queen. It’s very exciting!” said Judy Langtree, a retiree who had flown with her granddaughter all the way from Brisbane, Australia to watch the succession.
Despite the freezing winter weather, huge crowds had gathered along the procession route and outside Christiansborg, bundled up in warm parkas and some wrapped in Danish flags to catch a glimpse of the new sovereign.
This is only the second time a Danish sovereign has stepped down – the last one was Erik III, almost nine centuries ago in 1146.
There was a heavy police presence in the capital, which was decked out in red-and-white flags for the occasion.
Aske Julius, a 27-year-old Copenhagen resident, called Margrethe “the embodiment of Denmark… the soul of the nation.”
“More than half of the Danish population has never known anything else but the queen,” he said.
Portraits and banners around the capital thanked the queen for her years of service, with cheeky signs in the metro declaring “Thanks for the Ride, Margrethe”.
Others read “Long Live the King”.
Apart from the abdication, the protocol was largely similar to previous royal successions in Denmark.
No foreign dignitaries or royals were invited, and there is no coronation or throne for the new monarch.
In a move that shocked Denmark, Margrethe chose to abdicate exactly 52 years to the day after she took over from her father, Frederik IX.
She had repeatedly insisted she would follow tradition and reign until her death and her own family was only informed three days prior.
She attributed her decision to health issues after undergoing major back surgery last year. Margrethe will retain her title of queen and may represent the royal family on occasion.
However, some royal commentators have suggested it was part of a “shrewd” bid to save her son’s marriage amid claims of a cheating scandal.
Affair rumours emerged after Frederik was photographed with former MasterChef star Genoveva Casanova in Madrid in November, and they were spotted on a night out until 1am.
The TV star branded claims “malicious” and categorically untrue, but speculation continued after Crown Princess Mary was seen crying a fortnight ago and shared a cryptic post about loneliness.
Mary and Frederik, who met in a pub in Sydney, have been married for 19 years and share four children.
Prior to their “fairy tale romance”, he was dubbed “spoilt” and the “Casanova Crown Prince” who had dalliances with pop stars and drove fast cars.
Mary is widely credited with helping him go from “party prince” to a devoted family man in the eyes of the Danish public.
However, other royal experts say that the shock abdication was simply the queen passing the baton to her son to allow him time to flourish in his role as monarch.
“She thinks the crown prince is totally ready to take over. And she wants to avoid a situation like in Great Britain where Prince Charles became King Charles after the age of 70,” historian Lars Hovbakke Sorensen said.
Frederik, who had been crown prince since the age of three, enjoys the support of more than 80 per cent of Danes – the same approval rating of his mother.
He is expected to bring his own style to the monarchy, which dates back to the 10th century Viking era.
“He understood that he could not copy [the queen] and has managed to define his own image, his own ties to the Danish people,” another historian, Bo Lidegaard, said.
While his mother is known for her love of the arts and is an accomplished writer and artist, Frederik is an avid sportsman who champions environmental causes.
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