Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2014

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark; Photo: Per Morten Abrahamsen ©

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was born as Princess Margrethe Alexandrine Þorhildur Ingrid of Denmark and Iceland on April 16, 1940, at Frederik VIII’s Palace at the Amalienborg palace complex in Copenhagen, Denmark. She was the eldest daughter of the future King Frederik IX of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden. Margrethe was also a Princess of Iceland until 1944 when Iceland became a Republic.

The infant princess was christened on May 14, 1940, in Holmens Kirke in Copenhagen. She was named Margrethe after her late maternal grandmother Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, Alexandrine after her paternal grandmother Queen Alexandrine and Ingrid after her mother Crown Princess Ingrid. Since her paternal grandfather was also the King of Iceland, she was given an Icelandic name, Þórhildur (Thorhildur).

Her godparents were:

Queen Margrethe (middle) with her sisters Anne-Marie (left) and Benedikte (right); Credit – Wikipedia

Queen Margrethe has two sisters:

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In 1947, Margrethe’s grandfather died and her father became King Frederik IX. At the time, women were excluded from the line of succession. Having just three daughters, and unlikely that there would be more children, King Frederik’s heir presumptive was his younger brother, Prince Knud. Frederik soon began to work toward changing the succession laws in Denmark. Finally, in 1953, a new Act of Succession was passed, changing to male-preference cognatic primogeniture (meaning that sons would come before daughters, but in the absence of a son, Frederik’s daughters could succeed to the throne). Margrethe became the heiress-presumptive. Her uncle, Prince Knud who had held the title of Hereditary Prince of Denmark, was not very happy with the new laws, as he and his two sons were now pushed further down the line. In somewhat of a consolation, Knud was given the title Hereditary Prince Knud even though he was no longer the direct heir to the throne. However, Margrethe, as heiress-presumptive, was never given the title of Crown Princess.

Princess Margrethe began her education at the Zahle’s Skole in 1946 (privately tutored at Amalienborg Palace for the first three years). She spent a year at the North Foreland Lodge, in Hampshire, England, and then graduated from Zahle’s Skole in 1959. She then studied philosophy at the University of Copenhagen and received her degree in Prehistoric Archeology from Girton College of the University of Cambridge in 1961. She continued her studies at Aarhus University (1961-1962), The Sorbonne (1963) and the London School of Economics (1965).

On June 10, 1967, Princess Margrethe married Henri de Laborde de Monpezat at Holmens Kirke in Copenhagen, followed by a banquet at Fredensborg Palace. After the wedding, Henri became a Prince of Denmark and was known by the Danish version of his name, Henrik. Following a honeymoon in Cozumel, Mexico, the couple took up residence at Amalienborg Palace, in Christian IX’s Palace (formerly Schack’s Palace).

Margrethe and Henrik had two sons:

photo: Radical Royalist

Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag proclaims Margrethe Queen of Denmark; photo: Radical Royalist

On January 14, 1972, King Frederik IX died after a brief illness. Margrethe ascended the Danish throne as Queen Margrethe II. The following day, in keeping with tradition, Margrethe was formally proclaimed Queen, by Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag, from the balcony at Christiansborg Palace. To the crowds gathered below, she gave a brief speech, expressing the nation’s grief at the loss of their King and the warm feelings held by all for her mother, Queen Ingrid in this time of loss. She asked for God’s help in assuming the duties that had been her father’s for nearly 25 years, as well as the confidence and support of the Danish people. After being joined briefly on the balcony by her husband, the couple traveled back to Amalienborg Palace where they again appeared on the balcony, this time with their two young sons.

In addition to her duties as Sovereign, Queen Margrethe always found time to express her passion for the arts. An avid painter and designer, she had her work displayed in exhibitions around the world, and some are part of permanent collections in several museums in Denmark. In addition to her painting, The Queen designed many sets and costumes for theater productions and provided illustrations for several books. She published translations of several foreign works.

The Danish Royal House announced on August 3, 2017, that Prince Henrik would not be buried with his wife Queen Margrethe II of Denmark at Roskilde Cathedral in Roskilde, Denmark, the traditional burial place of Danish royalty. On September 6, 2017, it was announced that Prince Henrik was suffering from dementia.  Prince Henrik died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, at 11:18 pm, at Fredensborg Palace at the age of 83. His wife Queen Margrethe II and their two sons Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim were at his side.

Queen Margrethe and her family in 2017; Photo Credit – The Danish Monarchy

On January 14, 2022, Queen Margrethe II marked fifty years on the Danish throne. She is the second longest-reigning Danish monarch after King Christian IV who reigned for 59 years, 330 days, from April 4, 1588 until February 28, 1648. As of January 14, 2022, the only current monarchs who reigned longer than Queen Margrethe II were Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom (reigned since February 6, 1952) and Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei (reigned since October 5, 1967).

Queen Margrethe stated several times that she had no intention of abdicating and that she viewed her position as a job for life. She recognized Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom as a source of inspiration for her devotion to duty. Since the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom in September 2022, Queen Margrethe had been the longest-reigning current European monarch.

Queen Margrethe II announces that she will abdicate during her New Year’s Speech

However, in her New Year’s Speech on December 31, 2023, Queen Margrethe announced that she will step down as Queen of Denmark on January 14, 2024 – the 52nd anniversary of her accession. In her New Year’s Speech, Queen Margrethe stated:

In two weeks time I have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Such an amount will leave its mark on anybody – also on me! The time takes its toll, and the number of “ailments” increases. One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past.

In February this year I underwent extensive back surgery. Everything went well, thanks to the competent health personnel, who took care of me. Inevitably, the operation gave cause to thoughts about the future – whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation.

I have decided that now is the right time. On 14th January 2024 – 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father – I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I will hand over the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik.

Upon Queen Margrethe II’s abdication of January 14, 2024, her elder son and his wife became King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of Denmark. Frederik and Mary’s elder son became Crown Prince Christian of Denmark, the heir to the Danish throne. After her abdication, Margrethe held the style and title Her Majesty Queen Margrethe.

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