by The streets of Copenhagen were transformed into a sea of red and white flags this weekend as Denmark bid a fond farewell to Queen Margaret II.
After a surprise announcement on New Year’s Eve that she would abdicate the throne, the Queen, 83, will transfer power on Sunday to Crown Prince Frederik, 55, a bearded former party animal and veteran of the Danish equivalent of the Navy Seals.
Unlike the Coronation of Charles III, it will be a discreet event, with no formal ceremony and no crown or scepter in sight.
Instead, the Queen, who after the death of Elizabeth II became Europe’s longest-reigning living monarch, will sign a declaration of abdication at Christiansborg Palace, followed an hour later by a royal proclamation at 3 p.m. :00 hours from the balcony announcing the accession of King Frederick X to the throne. throne.
Despite the absence of pomp and ceremony, excitement levels are high in Copenhagen, with hotels sold out, restaurants packed and tens of thousands of people flocking to the city for a weekend of royal festivities.
The royal family remains very popular in Denmark, with a recent survey showing that 82 percent of people expect the new monarch to do “well” or “very well” in his new role.
Danish newspapers noted, with a hint of irritation, that the Queen has been dubbed the “ashtray queen” in the British press because of her penchant for unfiltered cigarettes. She kicked the habit earlier this year on the advice of doctors.
Large crowds of Danes braved sub-zero temperatures to gather at Kongens Nytorv (The New King’s Square) for a farewell concert for the Queen, raising glasses of champagne and cans of Carlsberg to her health.
“They are down to earth,” Søren Mortenssen, 35, said of the incoming royal couple as he waited for the concert to begin with his friend Nicolai Parelius, 27. “They are really good guys… although there are people who are against the monarchy as an institution, no one is against the people who inhabit it.”
“In fact, we once served as waiters for them,” Parelius added. “They are relaxed and good people. They walked over and ordered their own drinks. “They are very good at making people who might feel uncomfortable with royalty feel comfortable.”
The Queen, who ascended the throne in 1972, surprised Denmark with the speech announcing her abdication after five decades, citing health problems. “I will leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik,” she declared live on television.
His successor is known by his nickname “Pingo” in Denmark due to a training incident in his Frogman (Danish Navy Seal) days when his wetsuit filled with water and he had to walk like a penguin.
He is married to Crown Princess Mary, 51, an Australian-born former advertising executive whom he met at Sydney’s Slip Inn during the 2000 Olympics.
At the time she reportedly had no idea he was Danish royalty, and the Crown Prince introduced himself as “Fred,” but they soon embarked on a long-distance relationship that required him to make several discreet visits to Australia.
They married in Copenhagen Cathedral in 2004 and have four children: Prince Christian, 18, Princess Elizabeth, 16, Prince Vincent, 13, and Princess Josephine, also 13.
Even some Republicans attended the Queen’s farewell concert, such as Stine, an event organiser, although she kept a low profile behind the crowd.
The 40-year-old said she was concerned about the royal family’s cost to Danish taxpayers, but added that she admired the Queen for speaking out about the social issues facing Denmark.
“I very much hope that the new King will continue on that path, that he will speak out in favor of refugees in Denmark and the environment,” he said. “I think it is very important that Denmark does not lose its sense of inclusion and regains its reputation for being socially oriented.”
On Saturday, hundreds of Danes packed the square in front of Amalienborg Palace, where the Queen resided, for a final changing of the guard ceremony.
Spectators solemnly watched the midday in silence, as taxi riders stopped, to witness the Danish Royal Guard march through the inner courtyard of the palace in fur hats, black robes and white sashes.
“It was a big surprise,” Susanne Hosbond, a 50-year-old doctor, said of the moment the Queen announced her abdication. “Everyone I know said that what happened was a total shock, but after a few hours people understood that it was okay, because now is the time for the Crown Prince and [Crown Princess] Maria to take charge.”
“She was the mother of the nation during Covid,” said Hosbond’s sister, Louise, a 41-year-old nurse. “She stood up and got us to follow the guidelines of national television; she had canceled her own celebrations for her 80th birthday.”
A few doors from the palace, inside a street kiosk called Copenhagen Vibes, its owner, Kenn Jensen, has several portraits of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess for sale amid a surge in interest in royal memorabilia.
“She has done an excellent job and he has big shoes to fill in following his mother, but he can do it his way,” he said confidently of the new King. “He’s the man of the people, he still goes to concerts and he’s a former Navy Seals. You can find it on the streets and that is comforting.”
“AND [Crown] “Princess Mary,” he added, “is the caretaker of the children, she goes to the schools and they have a lot of fun when she visits them. She could have taken a step back and been his wife, but from day one she wanted to be part of the people: she is very sweet.”
