When Margaret II acceded to the throne of Denmark in 1972, she was received with skepticism by the then prime minister, the historic social democrat Otto Jens Krag. “Collaborating with a new queen may be more complicated,” Krag wrote in his diary. “Plus, she’s politically savvy, which isn’t necessarily an advantage.”
After announcing her abdication on New Year’s Eve, the best proof of the extraordinary success of Margaret’s reign has been the tribute paid to her in her New Year’s message by the current prime minister, also a social democrat. Mette Frederiksen: “I myself was not born a monarchist. I became a monarchist thanks to the queen. We have been blessed in our lives with a wise and well-informed head of state. To our queen, thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
Margarita, 83 years old, thus gives her son Federico, 55, a crown that registers maximum popularity. According to the most recent surveys, around 75% of the population supports the monarchy constitutional as a form of government, while more than 80% have a positive opinion of the future king. Despite even such notorious scandals as his mysterious Madrid getaway with the Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova.
Frederiksen also praised the heir: “The queen has said it in her own way: ‘I have complete confidence in my son’. I should add that the rest of us have it too. Because we know our future king. The elders have seen him grow. Those of the same age have grown up with him: studying, doing military service, going to concerts, playing sports and starting the same family at the same time. He is an especially close man.”
Starting January 14, the prince will succeed his mother and become Frederick X.