Denmark's Queen Announces Unexpected Abdication During New Year's Speech

• Europe's long-serving queen, Margrethe II, disclosed that she will be stepping down after serving the country for over five decades
• She made the unexpected announcement during her traditional New Year's eve speech, stating that her 2022 back surgery necessitated her resignation
• Queen Margrethe II stated that her son, Crown Prince Fredrik, will take over the throne after the January 14 event

Nancy Odindo, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics, news, and feature stories across digital and print media in Kenya.

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II has announced her plans to abdicate her role on January 14 after a 52-year reign.

The 83-year-old queen made the surprise notice during her traditional New Year’s eve speech aired on Danish television on December 31, stating that her son, Crown Prince Frederik, will take over the mantle.

"I have decided that now is the right time. On January 14, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik," she said.

According to Sky News, Queen Margrethe II ascended the throne on January 14, 1972, following the demise of her father.

She has been Europe's long-serving monarch since the demise of Queen Elizabeth of Britain.

Why is Queen Margrethe II stepping down?

The monarch attributed her decision to the back surgery she underwent in early 2022. She stated that the operation made her think of delegating duties as she could no longer perform other tasks.

"The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future—whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation," she asserted.

However, as per a Danish journalist, who described the abdication as a total shock to the country, the queen had shown positive signs of recovery.

"She recuperated well and is doing fine, but she said that when you are 83, you are not able to do the same things you were when you were younger," he said.

He added:

"So I think she just found that the time was right—that is what she said in her New Year speech—that she thought the time was right to pass on the baton to her eldest son."

Queen Margrethe II strips grandchildren of royal titles

At the end of September, the queen stripped four of her grandchildren of their titles, sparking unprecedented royal drama and leading her enraged second son, Prince Joachim, to air the family's dirty linen in public.

She demanded that Joachim's four children no longer use the prince and princess titles as of January 1, 2024.

The queen apologised for the hurt caused, but said the move was to allow her grandchildren to live normal lives without royal obligations.