Having traveled a few hours to Copenhagen by train just for this occasion, I found a vantage point outside Christiansborg Palace, hoping to catch a glimpse of the new king and queen. She even wrote a poem.
Something is building deep inside me, a special kind of pride.
A new king takes the throne with an Australian baby beside him.
Proof that fairy tales are real and dreams come true.
Mary, Queen Mary, we are so proud of you.
Just like Faith, Jorja Carey, a 17-year-old Australian exchange student, arrived early to witness the date with her host family. After 12 months in regional Denmark, she will return home to Armidale, New South Wales, on Monday.
“I wouldn't have missed this for the world,” she said. “Mary is a fantastic role model for the girls here and that is something I think we as Australians should all be proud of.”
With the full royal package on hand – stage coach, guards in bearskin hats and a vintage Rolls Royce – the chain-smoking 83-year-old Queen Margrethe II left her Amalienborg residence shortly after 1.30pm for the short carriage ride to the castle Christiansborg. The seat of government and parliament.
There, in the Council of State at 2 p.m., she, surrounded by her son, grandson and government officials, signed a declaration of abdication, ending her 52-year rule with the stroke of a pen. It was only the second time a Danish monarch had stepped down, the last – Eric III – having done so nearly 900 years ago in 1146.
Royal fans are waiting to see the new King and Queen.credit: Getty Images
Afterwards, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that Frederik, 55, who had become royal when she left the chamber, had become king.
The Prime Minister said: “The Crown Prince, who will now be our guardian, is a king we know, a king we care about and a king we trust.”
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The cheers for the new king were deafening at times as he emerged from the balcony of the castle, the seat of the Danish parliament and a familiar landmark to fans of Scandinavian political drama. the castle. A sea of Danes waved red and white flags and sang their national anthem together.
Royal succession is usually driven by death. But this was different – with the outgoing queen playing the starring role. The mood was cheerful and upbeat. The transfer of power from one era to another. The new king is shedding tears.
Cheers rose when Mary – whose popularity in her adopted country is only as popular as the outgoing queen – joined him, followed by their children.
If there's proof that fairy tales aren't always perfect stories, it's that the couple has been plagued by rumors of an affair for two months.
Suggestions of infidelity emerged after Spanish media published photos of then-Prince Frederik with Mexican philanthropist, model and TV personality Genoveva Casanova during a private trip to Madrid in October. Casanova denied allegations of a romance between her and Frederic, describing them as “completely untrue.”
The Danish media have gone to great lengths to ignore these allegations, but some signs have appeared in the popular press. Everyone knows the claims. But they stress that this is not something Danes feel comfortable talking about publicly.
King Frederick X and Queen Mary arrive in Amalienborg after their proclamation.credit: GT
Thus we see the interaction of the couple. First with their children, then eventually with each other. Lovingly. Clench your hands and raise them in the air. For several minutes, they received a continuous round of applause. But when they first left the balcony, something was missing.
To cry even more, the royal couple appeared on the balcony again. Encouraged by the crowd and a feeling of joy spread among the thousands gathered in the castle square, the new king and queen accepted. They both smiled happily.
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Was everything forgiven or was it all a beating? Either way, the couple came full circle to close out the day with a kiss, bringing back memories of their wedding, where crowds also clamored to embrace.
Frederick noted, among other things, that as king he would bear this responsibility with respect, pride and great joy.
“I hope to become a unified king of tomorrow,” he said.
“I need all the support I can get from my beloved wife, my family, from you and from our greatest.”
The nation wishes him well but knows that his successes will go back to his wife.
Then-Crown Prince Frederick kissed his bride, Mary Donaldson, on the balcony of Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, in May 2004.credit: Julian Andrews.
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