INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
she planned to become the first Danish monarch in nearly 900 years to voluntarily relinquish the throne.The succession was formalized the
moment Margrethe signed the declaration of her abdication during a meeting of the Council of State at parliament, the royal palace said
Denmark, one of the oldest monarchies in the world, does not have a coronation.The meeting was attended by government representatives,
Margrethe, Frederik, 55, his Australian-born wife Mary, 51, who is now queen, and their oldest son Christian, 18, who is the new heir to the
throne.About an hour after the signing, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen was due to proclaim the new king on the balcony of the parliament
and Frederik will give a short speech.In close to freezing temperatures, tens of thousands of people from all over Denmark converged on the
today because this is history being made in front of our eyes
I have been in the Royal Life Guards myself, standing guard at the royal palace
horse carriage back to their residence, Amalienborg, a royal complex built in the 1750s and located in central Copenhagen.The couple will
continue to reside with Margrethe, who will retain her title as queen, in Amalienborg albeit in their respective palaces in the octagonal
complex.ROYAL POWER COUPLE
Margrethe, who in the past had said she would remain on the throne for life, did not give an exact reason
aged 96.The new king and queen take the throne at a time of huge public support and enthusiasm for the monarchy
The most recent survey done after Margrethe announced she would abdicate indicated that 82% of Danes expect Frederik to do well or very well
in his new role, while 86% said the same about Mary.Source: Reuters--Agencies
