Frederik X Is Proclaimed New King of Denmark

Facts

• Denmark Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on Sunday proclaimed Frederik X king on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen after the country's longest-serving monarch, Queen Margrethe II, formally signed her abdication, ending her 52-year reign.¹
• Tens of thousands of people gathered on the streets of the Danish capital to watch King Frederik X succeed his 83-year-old mother, who on New Year's Eve became the first Danish monarch in over 800 years to abdicate voluntarily.²
• In a live address on Dec. 31, 2023, Margrethe announced she would step down and 'leave the responsibility to the next generation,' citing a back surgery she underwent last February.²
• Margrethe will keep her title as queen, while the king's wife, Princess Mary, will step into the role of queen consort of Denmark. Christian, the king's 18-year-old son, will become Denmark's crown prince and heir to the throne.³
• While the royal family's duties are largely ceremonial, Frederik and Mary have been modernizing the Danish monarchy and using their position to fight for global issues — including sustainability and the rights of girls and women — their priority.⁴
• According to surveys conducted after Margrethe declared her abdication, 82% of Danes expressed confidence in King Frederik X's ability to perform well in his new role, while 86% shared the same positive outlook about Mary.⁵

Sources: ¹The Guardian, ²BBC News, ³Time, ⁴Reuters and ⁵Al Jazeera.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The New York Times. Denmark is entering a new era. With high approval ratings, this down-to-earth king — who embraces environmental issues, sends his children to state schools, and shops, and dines in public like a commoner — will make one of Europe's oldest monarchies more accessible, popular, and relevant to its people.
• Narrative B, as provided by The Local Denmark. Denmark is a democracy. The monarchy doesn't fit, and this is the perfect time to consider getting rid of it. At the very least, the royals should be stripped of their constitutional powers, including the necessity for the king's signature on parliamentary acts.

Predictions