Frederik X: Denmark has new King as Queen Margrethe II abdicates in historic moment for Europe’s oldest monarchy
Denmark has a new king following the historic abdication of the country’s longest-reigning monarch Queen Margrethe II.
Braving near freezing temperatures, thousands of people converged on central Copenhagen for the succession where the 83-year-old passed on the throne to her eldest son with the signing of a declaration in parliament.
King Frederik X is now the head of Europe’s oldest monarchy.
King Frederik X is proclaimed by Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen
The monarch and his wife, Queen Mary, are greeted by the crowds
The former crown prince, 55, was then formally proclaimed king by the country’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in the heart of the Danish capital.
In his first speech as king, Frederik told the large cheering crowds: “My hope is to become a unifying king of tomorrow.
“It is a task I have approached all my life.
“It is a task I take on with pride, respect and joy.”
The king, who at one point was seen to wipe away a tear, was then joined on the balcony by his Australian-born wife Mary, 51, who is now queen, their children Christian, 18, who is the heir to the throne, Princess Isabelle, 16, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, both 13.
Karen Holk Jeppesen, 31, a communications consultant who had travelled to Copenhagen for the royal occasion, said: “It’s very rare to witness a real historical moment that you know will be written about in the history books.”
Kasper Wiigh Larsen, 45, said: “It has really been worth it to stand here and wait all day.”
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Denmark’s king takes the throne
Unlike in the UK, there is no coronation ceremony in Denmark.
King Charles and Queen Camila have sent their “very best wishes” to the royal couple.
The King wrote: “I look forward to working with you on ensuring that the enduring bond between our countries, and our families, remains strong, and to working together with you on issues which matter so much for our countries and the wider world.”
He also paid tribute to “the many years of service” of Frederik’s mother.
The historic abdication saw the passing of the Danish throne
Margrethe stunned the nation of nearly six million on New Year’s Eve when she announced her decision to abdicate after 52 years as queen, becoming the first Danish sovereign in nearly 900 years to do so.
She cited health reasons having undergone major back surgery last February.
Danish royal expert Thomas Larsen said: “The queen has been here and she has been on the throne for more than 50 years. And she is an extremely respected and popular figure, so people hadn’t expected this and they were in shock.”
Read more:
Queen Margrethe’s reign in pictures
Who is the former ‘party prince’ and Denmark’s new monarch?
Thousands of Danes turned out for the occasion
The abdication comes 52 years to the day after Margrethe ascended the throne following the death of her father, King Frederik IX.
She will retain her title as queen.
The last time a Danish monarch voluntarily resigned was in 1146, when King Erik III Lam stepped down to enter a monastery.
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‘I will step down as Denmark’s queen’
Denmark’s monarchy traces its origins to 10th-century Viking king Gorm the Old, making it the oldest in Europe and one of the oldest in the world.
Today the royal family’s duties are largely ceremonial.
The new King and Queen will take the throne at a time of huge public support and enthusiasm for the monarchy.
“Super high-IQ revolutionaries” who are willing to work 80+ hours a week are being urged to join Elon Musk’s new cost-cutting department in Donald Trump’s incoming US government.
The X and Tesla owner will co-lead the Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) with former Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy.
And in a post on X, the official DOGE account put out a call to arms for people to sign up and help “dismantle government bureaucracy”.
The post said: “We are very grateful to the thousands of Americans who have expressed interest in helping us at DOGE.
“We don’t need more part-time idea generators.
“We need super high-IQ small-government revolutionaries willing to work 80+ hours per week on unglamorous cost-cutting.
“If that’s you, DM this account with your CV. Elon & Vivek will review the top 1% of applicants.”
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Elon Musk speaking at an event held at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate. Pic: AP Photo/Alex Brandon
In a reply to an interested party, Mr Musk suggested the lucky applicants would be working for free.
“Indeed, this will be tedious work, make lost of enemies & compensation is zero,” the world’s richest man wrote.
“What a great deal!”
When announcing the new department, President-elect Donald Trump said Mr Musk and Mr Ramaswamy “will pave the way for my administration to dismantle government bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure federal agencies”.
Mr Musk has previously made clear his desire to see cuts to “government waste” and in a post on his X platform suggested he could axe as many as three-quarters of the more than 400 federal departments in the US, writing: “99 is enough.”
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
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The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
At least 10 people have been killed after a fire broke out at a retirement home in northern Spain in the early hours of this morning, officials have said.
A further two people were seriously injured in the blaze at the residence in the town of Villafranca de Ebro in Zaragoza, according to the Spanish news website Diario Sur.
Two people remain in a critical condition following the blaze. Pic: AP
They remain in a critical condition, while several others received treatment for smoke inhalation.
Firefighters were alerted to the blaze at the residence – the Jardines de Villafranca – at 5am (4am UK time) on Friday.
Several residents were treated for smoke inhalation. Pic: AP
Those who were killed in the fire died from smoke inhalation, Spanish newspaper Heraldo reported.
The residence is home to 82 elderly residents.
Read more from Sky News:
Mass displacement in Gaza – people unsure where to go
Donald Trump picks vaccine sceptic as health secretary
Keep up with all the latest news from the UK and around the world by following Sky News
The blaze started in one of the rooms, Fernando Beltran, the national government’s top official in the region, told reporters.
All of the victims were elderly residents, he added.
Relatives wait for news outside the care home. Pic: AP
Fire crews, paramedics and police officers remain on site, said a spokesperson for the regional government of Aragon who confirmed the fatalities.
It took firefighters several hours to extinguish the blaze, they said.
The cause of the fire is unknown and is being investigated.
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