The historic abdication announcement made this Sunday, December 31, by the queen Margaret II of Denmark In his New Year's Eve speech he has shaken this Nordic country, which is torn between surprise and recognition of an extremely popular monarch.
The photo of Margaret II, who will abandon the throne after 52 years on January 14 in favor of her first-born son Frederick, occupies the front pages of the Danish media on this first day of the year, with headlines that allude to her retirement from the head of state. and laudatory editorials towards the living sovereign with the longest active time.
“Today all Danes are in shock,” writes the conservative Jyllands-Posten, while the tabloid Ekstra Bladet talks about “sensation”: Since Denmark became a hereditary monarchy in 1660, no king or queen had abdicatedand Margaret II had always assured that her work was “for life.”
In the speech, which left the announcement for last, the queen herself alluded to her age (83 years) and a recent complicated back operation to justify a retirement that no one expected, but which occurs a few months after his grandson Christian, Federico's eldest son, turned 18.
According to the public channel DR and the semi-private channel TV2, the prime minister herself, Mette Frederiksen, has had to rewrite her New Year's speech, which suggests that she was not informed well in advance. “Abdicates at a time when no other European royal house enjoys greater support and respect among its population,” reads the news published by politics, the main Danish newspaper.
The liberal Berlingske speaks of a “brave” decision by someone who has known how to “create a modern and intelligent monarchy, relevant and loved by the majority of Danes”, in contrast to those of other European countries. 70% of his compatriots support the monarchy, and 84% have a positive image of the queen and Prince Frederick, according to a recent DR survey.
“Thank you for an invaluable work in the service of Denmark,” wrote former Prime Minister and current Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen on the social network X (formerly Twitter), where Danish political leaders mostly thanked the queen for her role.
Possible influence on the other Scandinavian monarchies
The abdication of Margaret II has been echoed in neighboring Sweden and Norway, where there is speculation that the unexpected announcement could have repercussions on their monarchies, led respectively by Charles XVI Gustav (77) and Harald V (86).
As confirmed to Swedish public television SVT by the spokesperson for the Royal Family of that country, Margareta Thorgren, Margaret II personally informed Charles XVI Gustav of her decision. before making it public.
The ascension to the throne of Frederick X In two weeks it will also become Queen Princess Mary Donaldson, a fact that has also been widely highlighted by the press in Australia, his country of origin.
Barely 24 hours after the announcement, Margaret II reappears in public this Monday to celebrate, accompanied by the rest of the royal family, the traditional New Year's reception at Amalienborg Palace for members of the Government and representatives of official Denmark.
Who is Frederick X, the new king of Denmark: from the photos with Genevieve to the forgiveness of Mary Donaldson, the new queen
Prince Frederick will become king on January 14 after his mother's abdication. The heir and new head of state inaugurates a new stage in the history of the country, in which there has never been an abdication since Denmark became a hereditary monarchy in 1660. Furthermore, Frederick's questionable behavior becomes even more relevant because, in addition to being head of state, he will be the supreme authority of the Danish People's Church and of course Commander-in-Chief of the Danish Armed Forces.
Born on May 26, 1966, the result of the marriage of Margaret II and the French nobleman Henri Laborde de Monpezat, his hobbies are known, some of them as plausible as traveling or extreme sports. Others not so much. Because there is no doubt that the future King really likes women. The new Monarch, who will be in two weeks, has had affairs with actresses and models, and his mother has never approved of his relationships. In 1992, he was arrested by the police when he was drunk, along with his girlfriend at the time, and driving under the influence of alcohol. This incident caused a great scandal in Denmark and even the Danish Parliament called for Frederick's resignation as heir to the throne.
Federico met Mary Donaldson at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Years later, Frederick met his wife, Mary Donaldson, at the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games. After a four-year courtship, Queen Margaret gave her approval for their marriage and they were married in Copenhagen Cathedral. They have had four children.
But after Federico got married he was caught red-handed kissing another woman during a night out in Copenhagen. In 2017, the Danish press accused the prince of having been unfaithful to Mary with a luxury prostitute and having paid her thousands of euros to silence her.
Photos with Genoveva Casanova
For Spaniards, the previous controversies were not as high-profile as the scandal that broke out last November, after his relationship with the Mexican model Genoveva Casanova came to light. The prince traveled to Madrid and walked with the Mexican woman, had dinner with her on the terrace and spent the night at her house. The ex of Cayetano Martínez de Irujo never admitted having a relationship other than friendship with Mary Donaldson's husband. However, the evidence of the images disseminated in Spain by the magazine Lecturas unleashed a colossal media tsunami, which has not yet ceased. Genoveva Casanova has not reappeared in public since days after the images were released.
There has been speculation about a possible crisis matrimonial con Mary Donaldson, who was surprised by the report during the state visit of the kings of Spain to Denmark. During the meetings, in which Mr. Felipe and Mrs. Letizia tried to appear normal, expressions from the Australian woman were seen that conveyed more meaning than any statement, since none was produced.
Afterwards, the prince and his wife spent days apart, But days ago we saw them together again, with their children, posing to display family unity. Federico and Mary reappeared on Christmas Eve to attend the traditional mass celebrated in the cathedral of Arhus. In the image you can see complicity and family unity, and they silence the rumors of a bad relationship. Whether Frederick's alleged sin is forgiven or not, the future of the Danish monarchy seems to be more important than the feelings of the one who is going to be queen consort of Denmark. Does it sound familiar to you?