Emotional Crown Prince Frederik wipes away tears

Queen Margrethe II has signed her historic abdication after 52 years as monarch, Danish broadcaster DR has stated – and BBC stories say that her final phrases earlier than leaving the Council of State have been: ‘God save the King.’

Today’s transferrence of energy has kicked off as Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary – together with their son Prince Christian – made their method to Christiansborg Castle.

A procession of vehicles set off with the royals being pushed in a 1958 Rolls-Royce from Amalienborg.

Margrethe II adopted in a carriage, waving at delighted crowds as she left from Christian IX’s Palace.

Both handed by Frederiksgade, Bredgade, Kongens Nytorv, Holmens Canal and Prince Jørgen’s Courtyard on the way in which.

At Christiansborg Palace, Margrethe, Frederik, and Christian all took half in a Council of State at with the Government and the Council of State secretary.

This is the place Her Majesty The Queen will signal a declaration of her abdication. 

Margrethe has now made her approach again to Amalienborg, whereas Frederik and Mary are holding a proper reception for specifically invited company.

At 3pm Danish time, the couple will make a balcony look at Christiansborg Palace. The Prime Minister will then proclaim the King’s accession to the throne.

After this, the newly topped monarch will then communicate and conclude with the motto.

It might be adopted by an honourary cannon salute from the Sixtus Battery – a heritage web site on Holmen, Copenhagen – and the Royal Standard will then be lowered at Christian IX’s Palace (Margrethe’s dwelling) and reraised at Frederik VIII’s Palace, the place the brand new King and Queen are based mostly.

Frederik and Mary will take a carriage from Christiansborg Palace again to Amalienborg, which might be escorted by a mounted squadron. 

At 5pm, there will even be a switch of the royal colors from Christian IX’s Palace to Frederik VIII’s Palace.

Speaking to FEMAIL, physique language knowledgeable Adrianne Carter stated there have been ‘no indicators of nervousness’ from Magrethe as she beamed at delighted crowds from her carriage – and waved.

‘Genuine smiles from the Queen within the carriage,’ she defined.

‘Full beaming smiles, she’s having fun with seeing so many individuals in attendance.’

Copenhagen’s streets have been lined to the brim as as we speak’s festivities kicked off within the morning. 

A reside broadcast from regional channel DR1 reveals troopers marching up and down the streets as excited crowds have lined up, donning plastic crowds, Danish flag and varied regalia to have fun the low-key ceremony.

Photos from the occasion additionally present safety making checks on the balcony of Christiansborg Castle, with solely hours to go earlier than Queen Margrethe II’s abdication – which she introduced on New Year’s Eve.

Stable keepers have additionally been readying the horses within the royal stables of Christiansborg Palace this morning.

And earlier as we speak, troopers from the Danish Guard Hussar regiment gave the impression to be working towards for as we speak’s occasions.

Elsewhere, excited royal followers in Copenhagen have been queueing to purchase muffins embellished with a seal of the quickly to be topped King Frederik X, displayed within the window of the well-known confectionery store La Glace.

And the celebrations started as early as final night time as Margrethe was seen listening to the general public sing to her in Copenhagen on the eve of her abdication. 

The royal, 83, has dominated Denmark for greater than 52 years and have become Europe’s longest-reigning monarch after Queen Elizabeth II handed away in September 2022. 

The monarch delivered the information throughout her conventional New Year’s Eve speech.

The ceremony will occur as we speak, the place she is going to switch energy of the throne to her 55-year-old son, Crown Prince Frederik and his Australian-born spouse Mary, 51.

Danish royalists took to the streets of Copenhagen this weekend and waved purple and white flags to honour their beloved Queen Margrethe – and this morning, wellwishers have already began to arrange outdoors Christiansborg Palace Square.

A video posted on X, previously generally known as Twitter, captured the general public singing to Margrethe outdoors Amalienborg, Margrethe’s winter residence final night time.

One of the home windows to the palace was left large open, in order that she might hear those that got here to sing to her. 

The Queen, recognized for her chain-smoking and flamboyant fashion – was seen on the clip strolling round her dwelling and peering out on the crowd. 

Margrethe, who previously had stated she would stay on the throne for all times, didn’t give an actual cause for her choice to step down.

However, she stated {that a} main again surgical procedure she underwent in February final yr had made her contemplate her future.

‘The surgical procedure naturally gave rise to enthusiastic about the longer term – whether or not the time had come to go away the accountability to the subsequent era,’ she stated in her speech.

‘I’ve determined that now’s the precise time. On January 14, 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I’ll step down as Queen of Denmark.

‘I depart the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik.’

And as we speak will see Denmark welcome the Crown Prince and Princess as their new King and Queen.

Wellwishers with folding chairs donning Danish flags have already began to excitedly line the streets in preparation for this afternoon’s occasions. 

The historic event is certain to be an thrilling occasion for the nation – however is ready to be a way more stripped down transferrence of energy in comparison with King Charles’s ornate Coronation in May.

Queen Margrethe, who took to the throne in 1972, has change into the primary Danish monarch in almost 900 years to relinquish the throne.

However, throughout an interview in 2016, she expressed a unique opinion.

She stated: ‘It’s all the time been: you keep so long as you reside. That’s what my father did and my predecessors. And the way in which I see it too.’ 

‘It could possibly be that she thinks Prince Frederik is ready to take over now,’ stated Lars Hovbakke Sorensen, a historian and affiliate professor at University College Absalon in Denmark.

‘He’s 55, and possibly the queen needed to keep away from a state of affairs the place you’ll have a really, very previous king, as you noticed with Prince Charles.’ 

The new Danish royal couple will take the throne at a time of giant public help and enthusiasm for the monarchy.

The most up-to-date survey, which was performed after the queen introduced she would abdicate, indicated that 82 per cent of Danes anticipate Frederik to do effectively or very effectively in his new position, whereas 86 per cent stated the identical about Mary.

‘The royal household means all the pieces that’s Danish. It’s fairytales and traditions,’ stated Anna Karina Laursen, 59, a nod to the nation’s well-known fairytale author Hans Christian Andersen.

The Amalienborg advanced, constructed within the 1750s, is positioned in central Copenhagen and consists of 4 palaces constructed round an octagonal courtyard. 

It is dwelling to each the outgoing queen and the brand new reigning couple.

However, a royal knowledgeable stated that the Danish Queen broke an ‘invisible pact’ between Scandinavian monarchs to by no means abdicate.

Roger Lundberg instructed STV that, after Denmark’s changeover, there’s a probability King Harald of Norway, 86, and King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, 79, may observe swimsuit and step down to permit their eldest kids to take the throne.

New Danish royal titles and line of succession

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK WILL BECOME KING     

Frederick, 55, previously generally known as Crown Prince Frederick – is ready to change into His Majesty King Frederick X.

Her Majesty The Queen will proceed to be generally known as Her Majesty and bear the title HM Queen Margrethe. 

CROWN PRINCESS MARY WILL BECOME QUEEN 

Meanwhile, his spouse Crown Princess Mary – who’s highly regarded with the Danish public on account of her dedication to royal responsibility and dedication to studying the language – will change into Queen Consort. 

She can be set to change into the nation’s first Australian-born queen.

The couple, who met in a bar in 2000 throughout the Olympics in Sydney, share 4 kids, who every occupy the subsequent areas within the line of succession.

PRINCE CHRISTIAN WILL BECOME CROWN PRINCE 

Their son Prince Christian will change into the subsequent in line to the Danish throne at simply 18.

His title will change to Crown Prince Christian as he would be the inheritor obvious. 

He might should act as head of state when his father is overseas. 

Princess Mary, Frederik’s brother Joachim, and Princess Benedikte are in a position to take over as head of state ought to Christian be too busy – nevertheless he will definitely be required to tackle extra official duties. 

Christian is sometimes called the ‘most eligible bachelor in Europe’ and his new title will solely elevate that standing much more.