Frederik X is king of Denmark – the queen abdicates

Congratulations, Frederik!

At 2.15 pm Queen Margrethe had signed her abdication.

Shortly afterwards, the King of Denmark gave his first, tearful, speech.

Which ended with a royal kiss.

The change of throne in Denmark is celebrated with a massive folk festival where red and white light up the gray overcast Sunday.

In advance, it was expected that 150,000 people would gather on the streets of Copenhagen.

Queen Margrethe had a grand final journey as queen. She rode in her great-grandfather’s gold wedding carriage from 1892, which was pulled by six white horses.

At 2 pm she arrived at Christianborg Castle in a sea of ​​Danish flags.

“God Save the King”

Once inside, she signed her abdication and handed over the throne to her son Frederick X – literally, as she also rose from her chair at the short end of the conference table and handed over the seat to the new king.

– God save the king, said the queen before she left the meeting.

Now not only is Frederik X king – his wife is now Queen Mary. Denmark also has a new crown prince: King Fredrik’s eldest son Christian.

When Queen Margrethe left the meeting room, the crown prince was quickly there and gave his grandmother her cane.

At 3 p.m., the castle square in front of Christianborg Castle was packed with people, and it was time for the next historic moment.

Folkhavet cheered when King Fredrik X came out on the balcony – and he had to wipe a tear from his eye several times.

He was then joined by Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, who according to royal tradition called out that Fredrik X is the new king of Denmark – in three directions.

After that, the king received a nine-fold cheer from the entire square.

It will be the king’s language of choice

King Frederik was visibly moved as he held his fal. He paid tribute to his mother Queen Margrethe who reigned for 52 years.

– Like few, my mother has managed to become one with her kingdom. My hope is to become the unifying king of tomorrow, said King Frederik.

– It is a task that I have approached throughout my life. A responsibility I take on with pride and great joy.

The king also presented his election language, which translated into Swedish is: United, engaged, for the Kingdom of Denmark.

Then the entire royal family gathered on the balcony: Queen Mary, Crown Prince Christian and his siblings Isabella, Vincent and Josephine.

The people’s jubilation did not want to end, and the royal family had to go out on the balcony again. There, the country’s new king and queen offered an encore in the form of a kiss.