EYNTK about Denmarks new monarch
It’s been a historical month for Denmark, as the nation bid farewell to their Queen of over 50 years.
Queen Margarethe II made a surprise announcement on New Year’s Eve, explaining that she wanted to pass the crown down the line of succession in a bid to modernise Europe’s longest-reigning monarchy.
And earlier this week, the 83-year-old officially stepped away from the throne, handing her duties over to her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, who officially got an upgrade to King Frederik X.
But what can we expect from the new monarch? We’ve got the lowdown on the monarch who previously held another, somewhat less esteemed title of ‘the party Prince’...
Who is Denmark’s new King?
King Frederik X ascended to the Danish throne on 14 January 2024, and unlike our monarch, King Charles III, Frederik did not have a formal, lavish coronation.
The 55-year-old, who is fluent is English, French, German and Danish, was named after his grandfather, King Frederik IX. While he was always destined for the throne, his suitability for such an esteemed role was often questioned in his younger years.
Nicknamed ‘the party Prince’ for his love of rock music, festivals and concerts (and in some ways comparable to our very own Prince Harry), the royal rebel insisted he wanted to be known for more than his princehood.
“I don't want to lock myself in a fortress,” he’s said previously. “I want to be myself, a human being.”
After studying political science at the University of Aarhus, as well as a few years abroad at Harvard University, King Frederik X was considered to mature.
Not dissimilar to our own royal family, King Frederik served in the Danish armed forces in the 80s. His military career began in 1986 in the Queen's Life Guard Regiment of the Danish army, before being a platoon commander.
In the 1990s, he completed training for the Royal Navy Frogman Corps, and went onto further study and leadership training at the Royal Danish Defence College.
He now has the rank of major general in both the army and air force, as well as the rank of rear admiral in the navy.
MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN / Contributor//Getty Images
In more recent years, he has stepped up to more royal responsibilities after Queen Margrethe II’s periods of ill-health.
The former Danish monarch had back surgery early last year – which saw her ponder about abdication.
Does King Frederik have children?
After travelling to Sydney, Australia for the 2000 Olympic Games, keen sportsman Frederik met his future wife, Mary Donaldson, at a pub. Introducing himself as Fred, he did not tell Mary, who worked in advertising at the time, that he was the heir to the Danish throne.
The pair had a long-distance relationship before marrying in 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral.
Samir Hussein / Contributor//Getty Images
Now Frederik has ascended to the throne, Mary will take the title of Queen, making her the first-ever Australian born royal.
The couple share four children - 18-year-old Prince Christian, 16-year-old Princess Isabella, and 12-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
What will Frederik X be like as King?
Considered to be a hugely modernising force for the Danish monarchy, Frederik is a patron of the Red Cross and Save The Children. He also is on the board of his charity foundation that he shares with his wife Mary.
His eldest son and heir to the throne, Prince Christian, will be expected to step up to royal duties when he is 21. For now, however, the new King is keen for Christian to just “enjoy being young”.
Much like King Charles III, King Frederik X is a keen environmentalist, having spoken publicly about his interest into scientific research, climate change and sustainability.
But following in the footsteps of his mother, King Frederik’s role will be mostly ceremonial, previously saying in 2022 he will “will guide the ship” in the same way Queen Margarethe did when she took to the throne.
Wiping away tears as he first addressed the nation as King, Frederik told crowds of well-wishers: “My hope is to become a unifying king of tomorrow. It's a task I've been waiting for all my life.
“I'm going to need all the support I can get. From my beloved wife, from my family, from you and from that which is bigger than us. I face the future with the knowledge that I am not standing alone.
“United, bound, to the Kingdom of Denmark.”
What has the British royal family had to say about King Frederik X?
After he ascended to the throne, King Charles issued a statement to King Frederik X.
WPA Pool//Getty Images
“I look forward to working with you on ensuring that the enduring bond between our countries, and our families, remains strong, and to working together with you on issues which matter so much for our countries and the wider world,” he wrote in a statement issued on the official Royal Family website.
As well as wishing Queen Margarethe II well, the King added: “I much look forward to future opportunities to celebrate the close connection that unites our countries and our families.”
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Kimberley Bond is a Features Writer at Cosmopolitan. After gaining her MA in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield in 2016, Kimberley first started her career as a showbiz and culture writer, where she interviewed A-Listers (and Z-Listers) on red carpets, at awards ceremonies and at parties. After the pandemic put a hold on the showbiz circuit, Kimberley turned to features and has written for a number of publications including The Independent, The Telegraph, Evening Standard, Stylist and Glamour amongst countless others. She’s still a complete celebrity gossip hound, and when she’s not scrolling through the sidebar of shame you can find her on X, LinkedIn or in the gym where’s trying and failing to get an arse like JLo.
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