40 years ago on this day, January 14th, King Frederik IX of Denmark passed away from an illness. His eldest daughter and heir, 31 year old Crown Princess Margrethe, became Queen Margrethe II, head of a monarchy with over 1,000 years of history.
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Today, Her Majesty, her family, and the rest of Denmark celebrated her ruby jubilee. It began with the Queen and her two younger sisters, Princess Benedikte and Anne-Marie, the former Queen of Greece, laying wreaths at the tombs of their parents – King Frederik and Queen Ingrid – at Roskilde Cathedral.
The Queen’s husband, Prince Henrik, her two sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, and daughter in law, Crown Princess Mary were also there. Princess Marie is out on maternity leave.
The royal family then boarded a train back to Copenhagen where they were picked up by a horse drawn golden carriage that drove them through the city. Large cheering crowds were there to greet and honor their Queen, affectionately known as Daisy.
At City Hall, reception took place, attended by King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia of Sweden, Norway’s King Harald V and Queen Sonja, the former Greek royals, and Icelandic President Olafur Ragnar Grimsson.
During the reception, Her Majesty received a gift from Copenhagen’s mayor and told him the city will have a “special place in her heart” always.
See more photos at SN.dk here
Afterward, Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik stood on the balcony where about 5,000 cheered for her below.
A recent poll shows nearly 80 percent of Danes approve of the monarchy, making it perhaps the most popular in Europe. When the Queen took over the institution, it was a lot less popular.
Margrethe has been able to “modernize an ageing monarchy and adapt it to the evolving society,” explained Lars Hovbakke Soerensen, a historian at the University of Copenhagen.
In the evening, a gala concert was held with the Danish royals dressed up. The concert included ballet and music conducted by Markus Lethinen.
Tomorrow, Queen Margrethe will hold her 500th state council meeting with the cabinet, plus attend a church service and banquet.
Sources: Sky News, AP, Deutsche Presse Agentur
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