Denmark: Program for the succession of the throne

The Danish Royal Court has today, 8 january 2024, published a more detailed program* for the Accession Day on 14 January 2024, when Crown Prince Frederik succeeds to the throne following the abdication of Queen Margrethe II, and the following days:

Programme for the succession of the throne

On 14 January 2024, Her Majesty The Queen steps down as Queen of Denmark and entrusts the throne to His Royal Highness The Crown Prince. The following official events mark the succession of the throne.

Sunday 14 January 

13:35 The Crown Prince Couple leave from Amalienborg

The Crown Prince Couple and HRH Prince Christian ride in a motor car from Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg to Christiansborg Palace. 

Route: Frederiksgade, Bredgade, Kongens Nytorv, Holmens Canal, Prince Jørgen’s Courtyard (link to map of the route)

13:37 HM The Queen rides in a carriage from Amalienborg

HM The Queen rides in a carriage from Christian IX’s Palace, Amalienborg to Christiansborg Palace, escorted by the Guard Hussar Regiment.

Route: Frederiksgade, Bredgade, Kongens Nytorv, Holmens Canal, Prince Jørgen’s Courtyard (link to map of the route)

14:00 Council of State at Christiansborg Palace

HM The Queen, HRH The Crown Prince and HRH Prince Christian participate together with the Government and the Council of State secretary in the Council of State.

The succession of the throne takes place during the Council of State meeting at the moment when HM The Queen has signed a declaration of her abdication.

14:15 HM Queen Margrethe’s departure from Christiansborg Palace

HM Queen Margrethe rides in a motor car to Christian IX’s Palace, Amalienborg.

Route: Prince Jørgen’s Courtyard, Holmens Bridge, Holmens Canal, Kongens Nytorv, Bredgade, St. Annæ Square, Amaliegade, Amalienborg (link to map of the route)

14:30 TM The King and Queen hold a levee for specially invited persons 

15:00 Proclamation from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace

His Majesty King Frederik X steps out on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace, after which the Prime Minister proclaims His Majesty’s accession to the throne. 

The King speaks and concludes with the motto.

15:10 Honorary cannon salute from the Sixtus Battery 

After the proclamation, 3 x 27 shots are fired from the Sixtus Battery on Holmen, Copenhagen, in salute.

15:10 The royal standard is lowered and reraised at Amalienborg

After the proclamation, the royal standard is lowered at Christian IX’s Palace and reraised at Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg.

15:30 The King and Queen ride in a carriage from Christiansborg Palace

After the proclamation, The King and Queen ride in a carriage, escorted by the Guard Hussar Regiment’s mounted squadron, from Christiansborg Palace to Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg. 

Route: Prince Jørgen’s Courtyard, Holmens Bridge, Holmens Canal, Kongens Nytorv, Bredgade, St. Annæ Square, Amaliegade, Amalienborg (link to map of the route)

17:00 Transfer of the royal colours 

Transfer of the royal colours from Christian IX’s Palace to Frederik VIII’s Palace, Amalienborg.

Monday, 15 January

10:00 Reception in the Danish Parliament

The Royal Family participates in the Danish Parliament’s celebration of the succession of the throne. During a meeting in the Chamber, the Speaker of the Parliament and the Prime Minister will deliver a speech, and in that connection, the Prime Minister offers a verbal announcement from The King to the Danish Parliament. Afterwards, The Royal Family takes part in a reception in the former Upper Chamber.

Sunday, 21 January

14:00 Celebratory church service at Aarhus Cathedral

The Royal Family participates in a celebratory church service at Aarhus Cathedral. In connection with the succession of the throne, a celebratory service is held at Aarhus Cathedral with representatives of official Denmark and representatives from the City of Aarhus. The service is led by Royal Chaplain-in-Ordinary and Bishop of the Diocese of Aarhus Henrik Wigh-Poulsen.

*The court has chosen to write "programme", while I prefer "program" ...  I keep the spelling "programme" when quoting, of course!

Denmark: Agenda of Accession Day announced

The Danish Royal Court announced today the agenda of 14 January 2024 when Queen Margrethe II will abdicate the throne and be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik.

Yesterday we were informed that Crown Prince Frederik will succeed to the throne as King Frederik X the very second the queen has signed the declaration of abdication in the Council of State.

According to today's press release, the Council of State will take place at Christiansborg Palace on 2 p.m. on Sunday 14 January 2024. The proclamation of King Frederik X from the balcony at Christiansborg Palace will take place at 3 p.m., while the transfer of the royal banners from Christian IX's Palace to Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg will start at 5 p.m. Christian IX's Palace is used as Queen Margrethe II's winter residence, while Frederik VIII's Palace is the current Crown Prince couple's private residence.

It goes without saying that it will be the first time a Danish monarch is being proclaimed by a female prime minister. Mette Frederiksen, who has served as Prime Minister since 2019, is the second female Prime Minister of Denmark, the first was Helle Thorning-Schmidt from 2011 to 2015. When Margrethe II was proclaimed as Denmark's new monarch on 14 January 1972, Jens Otto Krag was the prime minister.

When Queen Margrethe II abdicates the throne it also means that all the monarchs of Europe will be male, something we have not experienced since King William IV's of the United Kingdom's death in 1837. But as you all know, the future of monarchical Europe will have a great female influence, as Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden all have female heir apparents, while Norway's Princess Ingrid Alexandra is 2nd in line. And of course the second in line to the Swedish throne is Princess Estelle, the eldest daughter of Crown Princess Victoria.

Correction: Obviously I didn't look into the question of when we last time experienced that Europe had no female sovereigns thoroughly enough. The correct answer seems to be 25 February 1730, the day before Empress Anna of Russia's accession. Se the blog The Genealogy Corner 15 January 2024 for more details.

Updated on 31 January 2024 at 08:50 (correction paragraph added).

Denmark: Background on succession to the throne

When the Danish Royal Court in the early evening of 31 December 2023 announced that Queen Margrethe II had decided to abdicate on 14 January 2024, it promised that it's website www.kongehuset.dk was going to «be updated regularly with information regarding the succession of the throne». Since then four articles/press statements have been published, and I made links to three of them in my article on Queen Margrethe's abdication plans yesterday.

Today, 3 January 2024, the Danish Royal court has published an article called «Background on succession to the throne», which addresses at least one of the questions I asked yesterday:

Background on succession to the throne

Since the 1600s, the Danish monarchy has been a so-called hereditary monarchy, in which the Crown is inherited upon the death of the sovereign.

The Act on Succession to the Throne of the Kingdom of Denmark from 1953 thus stipulates that the Danish throne is inherited within the descendants of Christian 10. and Queen Alexandrine.

Until 1953, only male descendants of the king were able to inherit the throne. That was changed in 1953, when, following a referendum, it was determined that female descendants should also be able to inherit the throne, but in such a way, however, that male descendants should have precedence.

It was the amendment of the rules for succession in 1953 that prepared the way for HM The Queen to be able to assume the throne after the death of her father, Frederik 9., on 14 January 1972.

With the most recent amendment of the Act of Succession in 2009, equality in the succession to the throne was implemented. This means that the throne is now inherited by the sovereign’s oldest child – regardless of gender.

In Denmark, the tradition up to the present has been that the succession to the throne takes place upon the death of the sovereign, as was the case most recently in 1972. In these instances, the succession occurs the moment the sovereign dies.

The upcoming succession to the throne will be different. This time, the succession will first take place during the meeting of the Council of State at the moment The Queen has signed a declaration of her abdication. 

HRH The Crown Prince will thus arrive at Christiansborg Palace as a crown prince and leave it as King. Likewise, HRH The Crown Princess will arrive as a crown princess and depart as Queen. HRH Prince Christian will leave Christiansborg Palace as Crown Prince (heir to the throne). 

Upon the succession to the throne, the new sovereign takes charge of all of the functions which, according to the constitution, are incumbent on the head of state.

From this article we learn that the relevant Danish authorities believe that the abdication will come into force during the meeting of the Council of State the very second the queen has signed a declaration of her abdication. I don't know enough about Danish constitutional law to oppose this view, but it would be interesting to know more about what the view is based on, legally speaking. To me it would be more logic if the said declaration of abdication came into force the second it was announced in Lovtidende (the Danish Legal Gazette) and/or added to the Protocol. Again, as I also wrote yesterday, I hope we are going to get more details on the legal procedure before the Council of State takes place.

Denmark: Queen Margrethe II to abdicate on 14 January 2024

On Sunday 31 December 2023, Queen Margrethe II announced in her televised new year's speech that she had decided to abdicate on 14 January 2024.

The relevant part of the speech said:

Tonight, I would like to express a very special thank you. Thank you for the warmth and devotion which I and my family have received throughout many, many years. 

In two weeks time I have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Such an amount will leave its mark on anybody – also on me! The time takes its toll, and the number of “ailments” increases. One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past. 

In February this year I underwent extensive back surgery. Everything went well, thanks to the competent health personnel, who took care of me. Inevitably, the operation gave cause to thoughts about the future – whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation. 

I have decided that now is the right time. On 14th January, 2024 – 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father – I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I will hand over the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik. 

Tonight, I first and foremost would like to express my thanks. Thank you for the overwhelming warmth and support which I have received during all these years. Thank you to the changing governments with whom the collaboration always has been rewarding, and thank you to The Parliament, who have always vested their confidence in me. 

Thank you to the many, many people who on special occasions and in everyday life have embraced me and my family with kind words and thoughts, turning the years into a string of pearls. 

The support and assistance which I have received throughout the years, have been crucial to the success of my task. It is my hope that the new King and Queen will be met with the same trust and devotion which have fallen to my lot. 

They deserve it! Denmark deserves it!

The Royal Court followed by the issuing the following press statement:

Her Majesty the Queen has tonight, in her New Year's Address, announced that Her Majesty will step down as Queen of Denmark on 14th January, 2024 and will hand over the throne to HRH the Crown Prince. 

The Danish Royal Court’s website www.kongehuset.dk will be updated regularly with information regarding the succession of the throne.

On 1 January 2024 the court gave some historical details on the subject of abdication, and today we learned that there will be changes in the Royal House of Denmark's leadership in connection with the change of monarch. The current Chief of the Court of TRH The Crown Prince and The Crown Princess, Christian Schønau, will assume the position of Lord Chamberlain of The Royal House of Denmark on 14 January, replacing Kim Kristensen, who has served as Lord Chamberlain since 2021.

We were all very surprised by the abdication news, as the queen on several occasions in the past has ruled out the possibility. Her ailing health made her to change her mind. So on 14 January 2024, on the day 52 years since she succeeded to the throne of Denmark after the death of her father, King Frederik IX, Queen Margrethe II will formally abdicate and be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, b. 1968, who will reign under the name Frederik X. His wife, the current Crown Princess Mary, b. 1972, becomes Queen and Prince Christian, b. 2005, becomes Crown Prince. Queen Margrethe will after her abdication continue to be styled Majesty, cf. the press statement from the Prime Minister's Office and of the royal court, but will not be formally titled Her Majesty The Queen anylonger, but «only» HM Queen Margrethe.

The possibility to abdicate the throne, even if it is regulated in the Act of Succession section 6, is not a tradition in Denmark, and we have to go back to 1146 to find the last time someone voluntarily gave up the throne. King Erik III Lam, who decided to become a munk, was allegedly of poor health and died later the same year. Christian II (1481–1559) was deposed in 1523 and was thus the last monarch of Denmark not to have died while reigning.

We will surely learn more about how the abdication is carried out legally in due time. One thing is to announce your intention to abdicate, another is how this intention become law. The Act of Succession Section 6 only says that «The provisions of Sections 2-5 shall apply correspondingly in the case of the abdication of a King.» I gather that Queen Margrethe II in the Council of State on 14 January 2024 will give a written and signed declaration of abdication and that this will be added to the Protocol. While abdication has been unheard of in modern Denmark, we have examples of royal members who have renounced their rights to the throne – Prince Carl in 1905 when he became King of Norway, and Princess Anne-Marie when she was to marry King Constantine II of the Hellenes in 1964. Both renunciations were added to the Protocol. As far as I understand, this is the same protocol that is called «Slegt Register over Fødselen i den Kongelige Familie» («Family Register of the Birth in the Royal Family») and is regulated by royal resolution of 25 February 1779. I have never seen the text of this resolution though, so it is possible that also customary law applies. Again, we will surely get more details soon. 

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark's 50th birthday celebrations

HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark celebrates his 50th birthday today, 26 May. The anniversary has been marked by several events and activities, including a «Royal Run», receptions, a gala banquet tonight and a birthday show tomorrow. The program in English can be found here.

Queen Margrethe hosts a gala banquet at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen tonight, with guests from both Denmark and abroad. The main guests are (I have mainly used the court's own list, with some changes):

The Royal Family

• HM Queen Margrethe of Denmark
• HRH Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark
• HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
• HRH Prince Joachim of Denmark
• HRH Princess Marie of Denmark
• HH Prince Nikolai of Denmark
• HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark [, Princess of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg] 
• HSH Prins Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg 
• HSH Princess Alexandra of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
• HM King Constantine of the Hellenes
• HM Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes
• HRH Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece
• HRH Crown Princess Marie-Chantal of Greece
• HRH Prince Philippos of Greece
• HRH Princess Theodora of Greece
• HRH Princess Maria-Olympia of Greece
• HRH Prince Constantine-Alexios of Greece

Foreign heads of state and royal dignitaries

• HM King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden
• HM Queen Silvia of Sweden
• HRH Crown Prince Victoria of Sweden
• HRH Prince Daniel of Sweden
• HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway
• HRH Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway
• HM King Philippe of the Belgians
• HM Queen Mathilde of the Belgians
• HM King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands
• HM Queen Máxima of the Netherlands
• HRH Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg
• HRH Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg
• HSH Hereditary Prince Alois of Liechtenstein
• HRH Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein
• H.E. Guðni Th. Jóhannesson, President of Iceland
• Eliza Jean Reid

Other family members

• HE Count Ingolf of Rosenborg
• Countess Sussie of Rosenborg
• HE Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg
• Guillaume Bardin
• Guillaume Bardin
• Patricia Bailey

**

Other royals

• HRH Prince Charles of Bourbon-Two Sicilies
• HRH Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies

Other guests include members of the Government, Folketinget (the Parliament), official representatives of Greenland and Faroe Islands, members of the court and staff and many others. For a full list go here.

Updated on Sunday 27 May 2018 at 20:00 (minor typo corrected).

Denmark: Prince Henrik transferred to Fredensborg Palace

The Danish Royal Court announced today that Prince Henrik, the spouse of Queen Margrethe, has been released from Rigshospitalet and transferred to Fredensborg Palace, where he wishes to spend the final days of his life together with his family. His condition remains serious, the announcement said..

Prince Henrik was admitted to hospital on 28 January after a vaction in Egypt. It was later revealed that the doctors had found a benign tumor in his left lung. He also suffered from a lung infection. Last Friday the court announced that Prince Henrik's condition had seriously deteriorated and that Crown Prince Frederik's stay in South Korea in connection with the Olympic Games had been cut short and that he was on his way back to Denmark.

Prince Henrik had several stays in hospital last year. In September 2017 it was announced that he suffered from dementia.

Denmark: Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine!

The christening of the Danish Crown Prince couple's twins, who were born on 8 January 2011, took place at Holmens Kirke (Church) in Copenhagen today, 14 April 2011. In connection with the baptismal ceremony lead by the Chaplain Royal, Bishop Erik Normann Svendsen, the names of the prince and the princess were finally revealed:

• Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander
• Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda

The name Josephine was perhaps not so surprising, but I don't think anyone had expected the prince to get the name Vincent. The names Mindik and Ivalo stem from Greenland.

Prince Vincent's sponsors: Mr. John Stuart Donaldson (brother of Crown Princess Mary), HRH The Prince of Asturias (Felipe of Spain, who was not present), HSH Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (son of Princess Benedikte and thus a first cousin to Crown Prince Frederik), Count Michael Ahlefeldt-Laurvig-Bille, Baroness Helle Reedtz-Thott and Lady-in-waiting Caroline Heering.

Princess Josephine's sponsors: HRH Princess Marie (wife of Prince Joachim), HRH Prince Charles of Bourbon-Two Sicilies, Duke of Calabria, Mrs. Patricia Bailey (sister of Crown Princess Mary), Count Bendt Wedell, Birgitte Handwerk and Josephine Rechner.

In attendance for the ceremony and the reception were among others HM Queen Margrethe II, HRH The Prince Consort (Prince Henrik), HRH Crown Prince Frederik, HRH Crown Princess Mary, HRH Prince Christian, HRH Princess Isabella, HRH Prince Joachim, HRH Princess Marie, HH Prince Nikolai, HH Prince Felix, HH Prince Henrik, HRH Princess Benedikte, HSH Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, HSH Hereditary Prince Gustav of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, his partner Carina Axelson, (former) HM Queen Anne-Marie of the Hellenes, TRH Prince Nikolaos and Princess Tatiana of Greece and Denmark as well as TRH The Duke and Duchess of Calabria (HRH Prince Charles and HRH Princess Camilla of Bourbon-Two Sicilies. See the Royal Court's website for the complete guest list.

The updated line of succession to the Danish throne:

1. HRH Crown Prince Frederik (b. 1968)
2. HRH Prince Christian (b. 2005)
3. HRH Princess Isabella (b. 2007)
4. HRH Prince Vincent (b. 2011)
5. HRH Princess Josephine (b. 2011)
   
6. HRH Prince Joachim (b. 1969)
7. HH Prince Nikolai (b. 1999)
8. HH Prince Felix (b. 2002)
9. HH Prince Henrik (b. 2009)
10. HRH Princess Benedikte (b. 1944)
11. HH Princess Elisabeth (b. 1935)

See Peter Kurrild-Klitgaard's article Conditional Consent, Dynastic Rights and the Danish Law of Succession for a discussion on the rights of Princess Benedikte's children.

Denmark: Christening of royal twins 14 April 2011

The christening of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary's twins, who were born on 8 January 2011, will take place at Holmens kirke (church) in Copenhagen on Thursday 14 April 2011 at 15.30.

In accordance with tradition the names of the twins will be revealed at the same time. It is almost impossible to guess what the Crown Prince couple has decided. I have made a few comments on this earlier, and don't have much to add, other than that I still hope for traditional Danish royal names!

What we do know is that Princess Marie, the wife of Prince Joachim, will be one of the sponsors, and that about 300 guests have been invited to the ceremony and the reception at Amalienborg. The former bishop of Copenhagen, Erik Normann Svendsen, will conduct the baptismal ceremony.

The cermony will of course be broadcasted on Danish TV and the Norwegian TV channel NRK1.

Royal twins born in Denmark

In the morning of Saturday 8 January 2011 I followed the media updates from Denmark closely, and when the official announcement came from the Royal Court, I posted the news at among others the newsgroup alt.talk.royalty. Unfortunately I got no time to update my blog until now, which underlines my point about how difficult I sometime find it to write about news items.

Anyway, as I posted the news of the pregnancy in August, it would feel strange not to comment on the birth as well, even if it is a bit late. As I wrote in my two postings at alt.talk.royalty, Crown Princess Mary, née Donaldson, wife of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, gave birth to twins at Rigshospitalet in Denmark on Saturday 8 January 2011.

The first child, a boy, was born at 10.30, weighed 2674 grams and was 47 cm long. The second child, a girl, was born at 10.54, weighed 2554 grams and was 46 cm long.

In accordance with tradition, the names of the prince and princess will only be made public at the time of the christening.

The Crown Prince couple has two children from before - Prince Christian, born 15 October 2005, and Princess Isabella, born 21 April 2007. The royal twins have entered the line of succession to the Danish throne as no. 4 and 5 respectively.

Naturally the speculations over what names the Crown Prince couple will choose for their twins have started and will go on until the christening later in 2011!

It is difficult to say what we can expect. Personally I would love if the couple found traditional Danish royal names - go to An Online Gotha for examples - or at least names with Danish/Norse roots. It would be nice to see a Prince Flemming and a Princess Caroline-Mathilde, but as the newborn prince and princess are only 4th and 5th in the line of succession, their parents might feel less bound to follow the name traditions within the Danish royal house. I think it is safe to assume, however, that the boy will have Frederik as one of his given names, but not as his call name, while the name Margrethe might be reserved for a possible firstborn daughter of Prince Christian. All the Danish descendants of King Frederik IX have got four given names, so I think we can be quite certain that the Crown Prince couple will follow the same path. I will focus on the name in daily use, though.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary might be influenced by the most popular names in Denmark right now (even if they are not necessarily conscious about it). The Danish statistics agency, Danmarks Statistik, has made a survey of the most popular names as of 1 January 2010 (I am sure the list will be updated soon), and it contains some interesting names. Wouldn't it be fitting for a twin to be named Thomas? Then Charlotte would be an good choice for the princess. The signature Zwartendyk has made some interesting - and some more entertaining - suggestions at the newsgroup alt.talk.royalty. I doubt we will see a Prince Søren of Denmark, though. But of course Prince Erik and Princess Hedvig would work. Both names have Danish royal traditions, even.

Most people were surprised when the Crown Prince couple decided on Isabella for their second-born, and they might surprise us again with names that no-one has been thinking of. Crown Prince Fredrik joked at the press meeting after the twins' birth that the boy could get the name Elvis, as the twins share their birthday with the late rockstar Elvis Presley. I guess that is one of the few names which we can safely rule out...