Denmark welcomes new King following formal abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II, after 52 years on throne
14 January 2024, 14:02 | Updated: 14 January 2024, 15:24
Frederik X is officially the new King of Denmark following the formal abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II, who spent 52 years on the throne.
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Tens of thousands of Danes took to the streets in Copenhagen to witness the historic succession.
The proclamation also means the King's Australian-born wife, Mary Donaldson, is now Queen Consort.
It comes two weeks after Margrethe, who spent more than five decades on the throne, announced she would be stepping down on New Year's Eve - the first abdication in Denmark in more than 900 years.
Her abdication has shaken up the royal family in Denmark, bringing younger members of the family into the spotlight.
Crown Prince Christian, 18, is the eldest son of the King and Queen Consort, and while being at school, is now next in line to the throne.
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Earlier this afternoon, Margrethe signed the instrument of abdication, which formally meant the crown had been passed to her son.
Her last words before leaving the state council were: "God save the King."
The Danish royal family had hoped for the abdication to be low-key, with the ceremony not being classed as a Coronation as it was in the UK last year.
But tens of thousands of Danes have taken to the streets to show their support for the abdicating monarch and their new King.
