On Sunday, a new page in the history of Denmark opens with the accession to the throne of Frederik X, who becomes king after abdicating his mother, after which the prime minister proclaims him sovereign in front of tens of thousands of people, writes France. Presse.

Shortly after 1:30 p.m. (2:30 p.m. in Romania), the very popular 83-year-old Margrethe II will travel by carriage from Amalienborg Palace, where she lives, to Christiansborg Castle to the Council of State, where she will sign her act. abdication, the first in 900 years for a Scandinavian kingdom and ending a reign of more than half a century.

She will then leave – freed from her role as monarch and head of state – a council attended by the government, the new king, his wife and their eldest son Christian, the new crown prince.

“This balcony is for proclaiming the king”

Frederick X will then be introduced to his people by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on the balcony of Christiansborg.

“That’s what this balcony is for – to proclaim the king as prime minister,” historian Lars Hovbakke Sørensen told AFP with satisfaction.

“The last time, in 1972, there were more than 10,000 people at the market, and this time we expect more” in this kingdom of almost 6 million residents.

It is impossible to estimate exactly how many spectators will gather in the hope of catching a glimpse of the royal family, police said, but hotels have been taken by storm and it is virtually impossible to get to Copenhagen by public transport this weekend.

“Many, many people will participate. I think there will be more than 100,000 people there,” Peter Dahl, a police officer in Copenhagen, estimated, adding that police would come from all over the country to help.

The protocol of this day broadly reflects the Danish tradition of succession to the throne. No foreign dignitaries are invited, and a sovereign who does not wear a crown literally does not sit on a throne.

• Read also Vikings, longevity record and an uncrowned king: 5 interesting facts about the Danish monarchy

“So this day is really symbolic”

52 years ago, on January 14, 1972, Margrethe II became Queen upon the death of her father, Frederick IX, and abdicated on the anniversary of his accession to the throne.

“So this day is really symbolic,” said Cecily Nielsen, royal correspondent for public broadcaster DR, who said Queen Margrethe was in perfect control of her exit.

The announcement of his retirement during his traditional televised wish on December 31 came as a surprise – his family had been told just three days before. In 2023, the Queen underwent major back surgery.

More than 80% of people support her decision, and the sovereign will retain his title and will still be able to represent the royal house at official ceremonies.

Experts believe that not acceding to the throne until she “falls off it”, as she has publicly stated in the past, will allow her eldest son, 55, whose responsibilities have increased in recent years, to develop into the role of monarch.

h2. The new King Frederik is popular in Denmark

“She believes that the crown prince is quite ready to take power. And maybe she wants to avoid a situation like in Britain, where Prince Charles became King Charles at the age of 70,” says Hovbakke Sørensen.

Frederik, crown prince since the age of three, enjoys his own popularity and will impose his style on the Danish monarchy, which dates back to the Viking kings of the 10th century.

“Queen Margrethe II is a woman of her time, and Frederick also lives in his time. He understood that he could not copy it, and managed to create his own image, his own connection with the Danes,” says historian Bo Lidegaard.

“We will have a different type of monarch (…) with a much more informal way of communicating with people when he travels around the country,” adds his colleague Lars Hovbakke Sørensen.

In Denmark, the monarch’s role as head of state is primarily representative and ceremonial. However, he promulgates laws and officially directs the formation of the government, which he meets at regular intervals.