Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II, who has reigned for greater than 50 years and is Europe’s longest-serving monarch, mentioned throughout her conventional New 12 months’s Eve speech on Danish tv that she’s going to abdicate the throne in early 2024.
The 83-year-old queen mentioned she’s going to hand over the crown to her son, Crown Prince Frederik. on January 14, 2024, 52 years to the day she succeeded her father, King Frederik IX, after his dying.
Crown Prince Frederik is 55 years previous.
“In February this yr I underwent in depth again surgical procedure,” she mentioned throughout her speech. “The whole lot went effectively, due to the competent well being personnel, who took care of me. Inevitably, the operation gave trigger to ideas in regards to the future – whether or not now can be an acceptable time to cross on the duty to the following technology.
“I’ve determined that now’s the best time,” she mentioned.
“On behalf of your complete inhabitants, I want to prolong a heartfelt thanks to Her Majesty the Queen for her lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the Kingdom,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen mentioned in an announcement on the PM’s web site.
Queen Margrethe turned Europe’s longest-serving monarch following the dying of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022. The UK monarch had been queen for 70 years and 214 days.
