The 83-year-old queen, who ascended the throne in 1972, made the surprise announcement on live television during her traditional New Year's Eve speech.
Queen Margrethe II is Europe's longest-reigning monarch after Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022. In July, she became the longest-reigning monarch in Danish history.
Queen Margrethe of Denmark. Photo: Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard
Referring to the successful back surgery she underwent in February, she said: "The surgery naturally brought up thoughts about the future - whether it was time to hand over the responsibility to the next generation."
“I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 2024 – 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father – I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik,” she said.
Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked the Queen for her lifelong dedication to duty. Ms Frederiksen said many Danes had never known another monarch.
Born in 1940 to former Danish King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid, Margrethe enjoyed widespread support from the Danes throughout her life.
She was loved for her ingenuity and creativity, and was known for her love of archaeology. She became her father's heir in 1953 at the age of 31, after the constitution was amended to allow women to inherit the throne.
In 1967, she married French diplomat Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, who died in 2018. Their two sons were Crown Prince Frederik, who would become King Frederik X, and Prince Joachim.
Hoang Anh (according to Reuters)
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