A historic date for Denmark: on January 14, 2024, Prince Frederick and Princess Mary will become the new kings of the country, following the abdication of Queen Margrethe, who reigned for 52 years and was the second longest reigning monarch in the world after Queen Elizabeth II.
The ceremony will be simple and discreet, without the pomp that characterized the coronation of King Charles III in the United Kingdom in May 2023.
The institutional act will take place in Parliament, where the King will be proclaimed before political and social representatives.
This is not a coronation per se, but a model similar to the one used in Spain when Felipe VI ascended the throne.
Will King Felipe and King Charles III be present at Frederick’s proclamation?
The proclamation of King Frederick of Denmark will not be attended by other royal houses, official sources have confirmed.
Although this is an unprecedented event for nine centuries, as Denmark has not had an abdication since 1146, no guests from other monarchies, even the closest, are expected to attend.
The Swedish royal house has announced that no member of the royal family will attend the event.
Nor will there be any representation from Buckingham, which has already announced that no Windsor will be present on the big day.
It should be recalled that Frederick and Mary were invited to the coronation of Charles III in London, but the Danish ceremony will have nothing to do with the British one.
How will King Frederick’s proclamation be?
The proclamation of Frederick as King of Denmark will have an unprecedented protocol due to the presence of his mother, Queen Margrethe, who will abdicate in his favor.
The ceremony will take place at Christianborg Palace, where Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will announce the change of monarch from the balcony after the Council of State.
Unlike when Margrethe ascended the throne in 1972 after the death of her father, Frederick IX, this time the outgoing Queen will arrive at the palace in a carriage and sign the declaration of abdication, which will make the transition effective.
She will then retire to Amalienborg, while Frederick and Mary of Denmark, accompanied by Prince Christian, will give a royal welcome to the country’s most important institutional representatives.