Danish abdication day timeline: What will happen for Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik
Queen Margrethe will officially abdicate on Sunday 14 January, meaning that her son, Crown Prince Frederik, will become King of Denmark on the very same day.
There will be no formal coronation service for the new monarch. The last coronation took place in 1840 for King Christian VIII.
Instead, Frederik's accession will be announced from Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on the day.
The Danish royal palace has now confirmed what will happen on the historic day.
Here's a timeline of everything that will happen on 14 January.
DANISH ABDICATION
Queen Margrethe is so elegant in satin supported by Crown Princess Mary for final appearance as queen Queen Margrethe is so elegant in satin supported by Crown Princess Mary for final appearance as queen
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At 2pm local time, Queen Margrethe II will formally abdicate at the Council of State. It will be the first time such an event has occurred in nearly 900 years.
At 3pm local time, Crown Prince Frederik will be proclaimed His Majesty King Frederik X from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Castle. His wife, Mary, will become Her Majesty Queen Mary, while the couple's eldest son, Prince Christian, will assume the title of Crown Prince of Denmark.
Then at 5pm local time, there will be the transfer of the royal flags from Christian IX's Palace to Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg, where Frederik and Mary reside.
The Danish royal palace has confirmed that Margrethe will still be known as Her Majesty Queen Margrethe.
The queen announced her shock abdication during her New Year's address.
Margrethe said: "In February this year I underwent extensive back surgery. It went well, thanks to the skilled healthcare staff who took care of me. Of course, the operation also gave rise to thinking about the future - whether the time had come to leave 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."
Queen Margrethe has hosted her last New Year's receptions at Christiansborg palace over the last two days, where she delivered a moving speech. Watch below…
