Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II announces surprise abdication after 52 years on the throne in New Year’s Eve speech

THE Queen of Denmark today announced her plans to abdicate during her annual New Year's Eve speech.

Margrethe II, who is 83, is set to officially give up the throne on January 14.

She will have ruled as Denmark's monarch for 52 years by the time she steps down next month.

The Queen has two sons, Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, with her late husband, Prince Henrik.

In her New Year's Eve speech, the Queen said: "I have decided that now is the right time.

"On January 14, 2024, 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."

A Danish media correspondent told the announcement came as a "total surprise" and a "complete shocker".

"There was no indication in advance that she was going to announce this, so the nation is in shock," he said.

In February this year Margrethe had an operation on her back, and while it was successful, she said today: "The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future - whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation".

Margrethe is set to be followed by her eldest son, Prince Frederik, who is 55.

Frederik has been married to Australian Princess Mary, former marketing consultant, since 2004.

The pair, who met in a pub in Sydney in 2000, are known for their low-key lifestyle.

There has been reported speculation about Frederik and Mary's marriage, particularly in recent months.

But no claims about the details of the royal couple's relationship have been confirmed.

Just last year the Danish royal family was divided over a row about royal titles.

Queen Margrethe chose to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles.

She removed the titles from her youngest son, Prince Joachim's, children.

From January this year, Nikolai, Felix, Henrik, and Athena, were stripped of their His/Her Highness titles.

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

But Prince Joachin openly slammed the decision, claiming his children were harmed in the process.

Princess Marie, Joachim’s second wife and mother of Henrick and Athena, also said at the time: “There’s nothing modern about hurting children’s feelings.”

Frederik and Mary share four children, Christian, Isabella, Vincent and Josephine, who all retain their titles.

Margrethe's popularity also dropped in the wake of her decision to slim down the number of titled royals.

Since the death of Queen Elizabeth in 2022, Margrethe became the world's longest-serving current female head of state.

Elizabeth II's death also made her the world's only current Queen regnant - a female monarch with the same ranking as a King in her own right.

Born in 1940, Margrethe only became heir to Denmark's throne in 1953 when the laws were changed to allow women to inherit the crown.

She was crowned on January 14 1972 and in July this year became Denmark's longest-reigning monarch.

The Danish royal family, whose main residence is in Copenhagen, have an estimated net worth of $40million.

This roughly equates to around £32m.

The Amalienborg complex in Copenhagaen, their primary home, is made up of of four palaces built around an octagonal courtyard.

Queen Margrethe lives in Christian IX’s Palace, in the Amalienborg, during the winter, but in the summer she moves to Marselisborg Palace in the city of Aarhus.

She also has three private residences; Marselisborg Slot in Aarhus, Château de Caix in France, and a royal hunting lodge in Jutland.

Prince Joachim moved to Paris with his wife and two youngest children in 2019, as part of his role as the military attaché for the Danish Embassy.

Prince Frederik and his family also live in the Amalienborg.

The Danish royals are related to British royalty - as Margrethe is a descendant of Queen Victoria and King Christian IX of Denmark, making her a third cousin of Queen Elizabeth II.

She is also a relative of Prince Philip, who was born a Prince of Greece and Denmark, as he also shared ancestry with Queen Victoria and King Christian IX.