Queen Margrethe II was, for more than half a century, head of state, supreme authority in the Church of the Danish People, and commander-in-chief of the Danish Armed Forces. Fifty-two years of reign that ended on January 14, 2024, when the sovereign abdicated in favor of her son Frederik X.
However, the monarch still performs the duties of head of state when neither her son nor her grandson Christian can do so. That is precisely what is happening at this moment, as shown by the official website of the Danish Royal House.
After consulting the calendar published on the aforementioned official website, it is now Queen Margrethe II who is in charge of the head of state of her country. She will remain so until this Sunday, June 1, when Frederik of Denmark will once again resume his position.
Queen Margrethe II acts as regent until this Sunday, June 1
It is worth noting that if, in a situation like this, the queen could not serve, it would be Prince Joachim and Princess Benedikte, the monarch's sister, who could assume her duties.
If there is something that has drawn attention these days, it is the decoration that the current king has bestowed upon his nephews, the eldest sons of his brother Joachim. The Danish sovereign, in a way going against the order issued by his mother, honored Nikolai and Felix on the very day he turned fifty-seven years old.
The young men, twenty-five and twenty-two years old, received the Grand Cross of the Order of Dannebrog and allowed themselves to be photographed with their uncle to immortalize the moment. What they did not do was go out to greet the Danes from the balcony, as is tradition on the king's birthday. They did not appear because, despite being the sons of the monarch's brother, they do not belong to the Royal Family.
In September 2022, Queen Margrethe of Denmark surprised everyone by announcing a historic decision. Prince Joachim's four children would no longer hold the titles of princes and princess. Nikolai, Felix, Henrik, and Athena then became recognized as counts and countess of Monpezat, with the style of excellence instead of royal highness.
Queen Margrethe abdicated in favor of her son in January 2024
Beyond the decisions that Queen Margrethe made before abdicating, the question about her resignation is still hanging in the air. At eighty-three years old, many believe that her advanced age may have influenced the decision. In fact, at the time she announced her abdication, the monarch spoke about the complicated back surgery she underwent in February 2023.
Finally, the queen stepped aside in favor of her eldest son, which doesn't prevent her from acting as regent on occasions like the current one. Even so, the truth is that she now tends to play a mainly ceremonial role. Proof of this is her recent appearance on the balcony with her son.
Another activity that the queen enjoys is the visual arts. In fact, the mother of Frederik X has designed costumes and worked on the set design of numerous plays and films. These activities show that her great passion is art, to which she can now devote much more time.