Queen Elizabeth II of Denmark The streets of Copenhagen turned into a sea of red-and-white flags this weekend as he bid farewell to Margrethe.
Following her surprise announcement of abdication on New Year’s Eve, the 83-year-old Queen will hand over her powers on Sunday to Crown Prince Frederik, 55, a former party boy and veteran of the Danish equivalent of the Navy Seals.
Unlike the coronation of Charles III, this will be a low-key affair, with no formal ceremony and no crown or scepter in sight.
Instead, II. The Queen, who became Europe’s longest-reigning monarch after Elizabeth’s death, will sign the declaration of abdication at Christiansborg Palace, followed an hour later at 3pm by the royal proclamation announcing the accession of King Frederik X from the balcony. throne.
Despite the lack of pomp and ceremony, excitement levels are high in Copenhagen; hotels are sold out, restaurants are fully booked, and tens of thousands of people are flocking to the city for a weekend of royal festivities.
The royal family remains hugely popular in Denmark; a recent poll shows that 82 percent of people expect the new monarch to perform “well” or “very well” in his new role.
Danish newspapers noted with slight annoyance that the Queen was referred to as the “ashtray queen” in the British press due to her fondness for unfiltered cigarettes. On the advice of doctors, she gave up this habit at the beginning of this year.
Braving sub-zero temperatures, large crowds of Danes gathered in Kongens Nytorv (King’s New Square) to perform a farewell concert for the Queen, filling their health with glasses of champagne and cans of Carlsberg.
“They are down to earth,” said Søren Mortenssen, 35, one of the royal couple who was waiting for the concert to start with his friend Nicolai Parelius, 27. “They are really good guys. In the monarchy as an institution, no one is against the people.”
“We actually bartended for them once,” Mr. Parelius added. “They are relaxed and good people. They arrived and ordered their own drinks. “They’re very good at making people who might be uncomfortable with the royal family feel comfortable.”
The Queen, who ascended to the throne in 1972, stunned Denmark with her speech announcing her abdication fifty years later, citing health problems. “I will leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik,” she said live on television.
His successor is known in Denmark by the nickname “Pingo” due to a training incident during his Frogman (Danish Navy Seal) days where his diving suit filled with water and he had to waddle like a penguin.
He is married to Crown Princess Mary, 51, an Australian-born former advertising executive whom he met at the Slip Inn in Sydney during the 2000 Olympic Games.
At the time, the Crown Prince reportedly had no idea she was a member of the Danish royal family, introducing himself as “Fred”, but they soon began a long-distance relationship that required him to make several secret visits to Australia.
They married in Copenhagen Cathedral in 2004 and have four children: Prince Christian (18), Princess Isabella (16), Prince Vincent (13) and Princess Josephine (also 13).
Even some republicans, such as event planner Stine, attended the Queen’s farewell concert; but he didn’t stand out much at the back of the crowd.
The 40-year-old said the royal family had concerns about the cost to Danish taxpayers but admired how the Queen spoke openly about the social issues facing Denmark.
“I very much hope that the new King will continue on this path and speak out for refugees and the environment in Denmark,” he said. “I think it is very important that Denmark does not lose its sense of inclusivity and regains its reputation for being socially oriented.”
On Saturday, hundreds of Danes packed the square outside Amalienborg palace, where the Queen resides, for a final changing of the guard ceremony.
As bicycle taxi drivers slowed and stopped, spectators watched with silent solemnity as the Danish Royal Guard marched through the inner courtyard of the palace in ostentatious fur hats, black tunics and white sashes.
“It was a huge surprise,” doctor Susanne Hosbond, 50, said of the moment the Queen announced her abdication. “Everyone I knew said it was a complete shock what happened, but after a few hours people realized everything was fine; because now is the time for the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince. [Crown Princess] Mary will take over.
“She was the mother of the nation during Covid,” said Ms Hosbond’s sister Louise, 41, a nurse. “He stood up and made us comply with the rules on national television; he had canceled his 80th birthday celebrations.”
A few doors down from the palace, at a street kiosk called Copenhagen Vibes, owner Kenn Jensen is offering for sale various portraits of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess at a time when interest in royal memorabilia is on the rise.
“He’s done an excellent job and he’s got big shoes to follow after his mother, but he can do it his own way,” she said confidently of the new King. “He’s a man of the people, still goes to concerts and is a former Navy SEAL. “You can meet him on the streets and this is very pleasing.”
“And [Crown] “Princess Mary,” he added, “she is the babysitter for the children, she goes to the schools and they have so much fun when she visits. She could have stood back and been his wife, but from day one she wanted to be part of the people; she is so sweet she.”