Queen Margrethe II abdication LIVE: British royals Charles and Camilla send ‘very best…

You can watch the Danish Queen Margrethe abdication and the proclamation of her son Crown Prince Frederik below.

Royal commentator Victoria Arbiter said the scenes in Denmark were ‘incredibly moving’ as King Frederik and Queen Mary were greeted by ‘deafening’ crowds.

She wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), that by abdicating, his mother had ensured Frederik’s reign was not associated with the sadness that comes with the death of a former monarch.

More well-wishes and messages of congratulations to King Frederik have poured in from across Europe.

The King and Queen of Spain passed along their ‘greatest personal affection and best wishes for the people Denmark’, as has the president of Estonia who welcomed a ‘new chapter in our enduring friendship’.

King Frederik, Queen Mary and their children were all smiles as they were driven back to the Amalienborg Palace after the ceremony.

The new monarch and his wife were seen waving at people who were lining the roads, as was their youngest daughter, Princess Josephine.

Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams said Queen Margrethe did ‘so well’ in her role today as thousands came onto the streets to welcome her successor.

Earlier in the day he told GB News that her decision to abdicate would ‘rejuvenate the institution’ of the monarchy in Denmark and it was an opportunity to ‘celebrate her 52-year reign’.

In a speech made from the balcony of the Christiansborg Palace, King Frederik said he hoped to repay the trust put in him by others.

Speaking to the cheering crowds below, he said: ‘My hope is to become a unifying king of tomorrow. It is a task I have approached all my life.”

‘I want to return the trust I meet. I need trust from my beloved wife, you and that which is greater than us.

‘I face the future with the certainty that I am not alone.’

He ended his speech by revealing his royal motto: ‘United, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark’.

His mother’s motto had been: ‘God’s help, the love of The People. Denmark’s strength.’

The Dutch Royal Family have passed along their congratulations to Queen Margrethe and her successor King Frederik today.

In a statement put out on social media, King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima and Princess Beatrix said: ‘Today, after 52 years, Denmark has a new head of state.

‘It is with warmth and affection that we honour Queen Margrethe for her unconditional commitment and extraordinary dedication to her country.

‘We look forward to meeting King Frederik X and Queen Mary in their new roles and will continue to cherish the deep friendship between the Netherlands and Denmark.’

This is the moment King Frederik and Queen Mary kissed in front of cheering crowds on the balcony of Christiansborg Castle.

People watching the broadcast of today’s festivities from home might have spotted some members of the crowd holding signs saying ‘Justice for Pingo’.

This isn’t a cry for help for someone locked up for a crime they didn’t commit, but rather an affectionate joke aimed at the new King.

During his adulthood Frederik has undertaken numerous military courses, including in Denmark’s Navy, where he has reached the rank of Rear Admiral.

He earned the nickname ‘Pingo’ when he completed a Navy scuba diving course after his wetsuit filled up with water, forcing him to waddle like a penguin.

Stunning photos have shown thousands of people packed onto the streets of Copenhagen today to witness the historic abdication of Queen Margrethe and the ascension of her eldest son Frederik to the throne.

The Danish Royal House yesterday posted a musical tribute to Queen Margrethe on the eve of her abdication.

The video, set to Cyndi Lauper’s Girls Just Want to Have Fun, shows special moments from the monarch’s reign.

It includes clips from her meetings with the late Queen Elizabeth II, Pope John Paul II and former US president Bill Clinton.

It also showcased her outgoing personality which has made her so popular in Denmark and abroad.

King Frederik was all smiles as he kissed his wife Queen Mary in front of the crowds at the Christiansborg Palace this afternoon.

His Majesty was also joined by his children Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine on the balcony, where they waved to the people below.

King Frederik has been joined on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace by his wife Queen Mary, wearing an all-white dress.

They were later joined by their four children.

The Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has proclaimed the King three times from the balacony at Christiansborg Palace.

The new monarch was seen wiping away tears as he spoke to the crowd who cheered for the new monarch.

The King and Queen have sent their ‘very best wishes’ to King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark on the day of their accession to the throne.

Charles wrote a message, shared by Buckingham Palace, in which he also paid tribute to ‘the many years of service’ of Queen Margrethe II.

Buckingham Palace said Charles has written privately to the 83-year-old, who stepped down on this afternoon following a 52-year reign.

Queen Margrethe signed her formal abdication at a meeting with the Danish government at Christiansborg Palace, in Copenhagen, making way for Frederik, 55, and his Australian-born wife Mary, 51, who is the daughter of Scottish immigrants.

In his letter to Frederik and Mary, Charles wrote: ‘My wife joins me in writing to convey our very best wishes on the day of your accession to the throne of the Kingdom of Denmark.

‘I pay tribute to the many years of service of your mother, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II, and remember fondly the frequent visits between our countries, including our visit to Copenhagen and Elsinore in 2012. and the wider world.

“I pay tribute to the many years of service of your mother, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II, and remember fondly the frequent visits between our countries, including our visit to Copenhagen and Elsinore in 2012.

‘I was delighted that Your Majesties were able to attend our coronation last year and I much look forward to future opportunities to celebrate the close connection that unites our countries and our families.’

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed his gift to the first-ever Aussie-born Queen.

The leader said a $10,000 donation will be made by the federal government to help save the Tasmanian devil from extinction in honour of King Frederik X and Queen Maray.

The endowment will be made to Wildcare Tasmania to help support the conservation of the species, according to local media reports.

The Prime Minister said: ‘The story of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark is one Australians have followed closely and hold dear to their hearts.

‘Australia and Denmark’s close ties go beyond this union, with our nations sharing a commitment to democratic values, human rights, action on climate change and liberal trade.

‘On behalf of all Australians, I wish Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark the very best.’

Queen Mary was born in Hobart, Tasmania and met the King in Sydney.

After signing her abdication, the former monarch was seen leaving Christiansborg Palace in a limousine instead of a horse drawn carriage.

As she is no longer monarch, the new King and Queen will instead take the carriage through Copenhagen.

Wearing a magenta outfit, Margrethe signed her abdication during a meeting with the Danish Cabinet,

The document was presented to her as she sat at a massive table covered in red cloth around which royals and members of the Danish government were seated.

After signing it, the ‘tearful’ Queen rose and gestured to her son to take her place, and she said ‘God save the king’ as she left the room.

Royal fans have paid tribute to Queen Margrethe as she abdicated from the throne, with many noting the out-going monarch was tearful as she left the with the Danish Cabinet at the Christiansborg Palace.

One wrote: ‘Oh my heart as Queen Margrethe leaves the room in tears!’

Another said: ‘As Crown Prince Frederik sat down with tears in his eyes to sign the papers, Queen Margrethe seemed to break down and turned and left the room.’

A third added: ‘Queen Margrethe leaving the room in tears after Fred sits on the chair.’

Royal journalists are reporting that Queen Margrethe left the room ‘in tears’ following her abdication.

She was seen holding a walking stick, as she left the state meeting, with her son King Frederix X and the now Crown Prince Christian sitting at the head of the table.

Danish journalist Thomas Laurizen captures the historic moment that King Frederik becomes Denmark’s new monarch.

King Frederik X has taken the throne following the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe II, Danish broadcaster DR has reported.

Video footage showed the monarch of 52-years signing the abdication document.

Margrethe, 83, is the first Danish monarch to voluntarily relinquish the throne in nearly 900 years since King Erik III Lam stepped down to enter a monastery in 1146.

She signed her abdication during a meeting with the Danish Cabinet at the Christiansborg Palace.

The document was presented to her as she sat at a massive table covered in red cloth around which royals and members of the Danish government were seated.

Frederik, 55, was present in the room. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will next proclaim him king on the balcony of the palace before thousands of people.

Frederik’s 18-year-old son, Christian, who becomes Denmark’s crown prince and heir to the throne, was also in attendance.

Hundreds of thousands are on the streets of chilly Copenhagen this afternoon as they wait to welcome Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary.

Wearing huge coats, bobble hats and some even in ski gear, Danes braced the 3 degree weather to try and get a glimpse of the royal occasion.

Thousands cheered in the grey city as the royals passed through.

• Queen Margrethe has arrvied at Christiansborg Palace
• She is joined by Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary and their son Prince Christian
• While at the palace Queen Margrethe will sign her abdication where a state council meeting will be held
• Meanwhile hundreds of thousands of Danish people and Aussies a like have gathered outside on the streets of Copenhagen
• Following the meeting, Frederik will rclaimed from the balcony by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen

There were loud cheers from the crowd as Queen Margrethe arrived at Christiansborg Palace by horse-drawn carriage.

Pepole on the packed streets surrounding the square were seen waving Danish flags as they clapped for the outgoing monarch.

A livebroadcast from regional channel DR1 showed the Crown Prince and his wife Princess Mary, being driven from the streets of Copenhagen.

Prince Frederik was seen wearing his ceremonial outfit while Princess Mary opted for a white dress.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary – along with their son Prince Christian – are making their way to Christiansborg Castle.

A procession of cars set off with the royals setting off in a 1958 Rolls-Royce from Amalienborg.

Margrethe II followed in a carriage, smiling and waving at delighted crowds as she left from Christian IX’s Palace.

Both will pass through Frederiksgade, Bredgade, Kongens Nytorv, Holmens Canal and Prince Jørgen’s Courtyard on the way.

Queen Margrethe’s abdication has kicked off as Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary – along with their son Prince Christian – have begun to make their way to Christiansborg Castle.

A live broadcast from regional channel DR1 shows soldiers marching up and down the streets as excited crowds have lined up, donning plastic crowds, Danish flag and various regalia to celebrate the low-key ceremony.

Photos from the event also show security making checks at the balcony of Christiansborg Castle, with only hours to go before Queen Margrethe II’s abdication – which she announced on New Year’s Eve.

Stable keepers have also been readying the horses in the royal stables of Christiansborg Palace this morning.

And earlier today, soldiers from the Danish Guard Hussar regiment appeared to be practicing for today’s events.

Margrethe left her residence for the Christiansborg Palace in a horse-drawn coach escorted by members of the Hussar Regiment in blue uniforms with red jackets on horses. There she is set to formally sign her abdication.

Her son Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, also left for the palace in a limousine. Later the royal standard will be lowered on Margrethe’s home and raised on the building where Frederik and Mary live.

Queen Margrethe has begun her final journey as monarch through the streets of Copenhagen.

The outgoing monarch left her royal residence at the Amalienborg Palace surrounded by security as she heads towards Christiansborg Palace.

Surrounded by security and the Horse Guards, crowds of Danes cheered and waved as she passed through.

The Honour guard is preparing outside Amalienborg Palace Square, as the future King and Queen are expected to leave the royal residence at any moment.

Queen Margrethe will follow shortly after in a horse-drawn coach and head for teh Christiansborg Palace.

Crowds are growing on Christiansborg Castle Square as excited members of the public wait to see the arrival of the incoming King and Queen.

Danes and Aussies a like were seen flying their native flags, with Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary expected to arrive shortly.

Shortly the future King and Queen will leave their royal residence at Amalienborg Palace and travel through the city at Christiansborg Palace.

Their journey is expected to begin at 12.35pm GMT. MailOnline will bring you all the latest coverage of the historic event.

Prince Joachim will attend his mother’s abdication and his elder brother’s crowning today, but his wife and children will not be in tow.

It follows a royal row after Queen Magrethe removed the prince and princess titles, as well as His/Her royal highness, from her youngest sons four children: Nikolai, 24, Felix, 21, Henrik, 14, and Athena, 11.

A palace spokesperson said: ‘Prince Joachim will be there, but the children go to school, there is no special reason.’

The spokesperson added that Queen Margrethe’s youngest son will leave Denmark the following day to return to his home in the US.

Prince Joachim, who is now a defence industry attaché at the Embassy of Denmark in Washington DC, travelled from the US to Copenhagen to attend the abdication today.

However, he is without his wife Marie and their two children Henrick and Athena.

Joachim’s children from his first marriage, Nikolai and Felix, are also not expected to attend.

Royal photograph Mark Stewart has paid tribute to Queen Margrethe ahead of her abdication.

Writing on X, he said: ‘Denmark is preparing for an historic day. After 52 years Queen Margrethe, 83, is abdicating.

‘She will sign the document of abdication at 2pm. It has been a pleasure and a honour to photograph this most colourful of monarchs for over 35 years.’

As from today, home for the former Mary Donaldson, 51, will be the breathtaking Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen with its huge retinue of guardsmen, servants and courtiers.

How very different from the life of her ancestor Marion Horne, newly widowed at 40 and living a hand-to-mouth existence in a shabby two-up, two-down fisherman’s cottage on the east coast of Scotland.

Like almost no other queen in history, Mary’s story is truly one of rags riches – for as we can now reveal, she descends from a pauper.

Excitement is building throughout Denmark, with thousands of people crowding onto the streets of Copenhagen – many wearing their plastic and cardboard crowns.

People began gathering outside parliament early tgus nirbubg, with many swarming the streets of Copenhagen’s main shopping street, the Pedestrian Stroeget, which was decorated with red and white Danish flags, and several shops had hung up photos of the Queen and king-to-be.

City buses are adorned with smaller replicas of the Danish flag as is customary during royal events.

The royal guards’ music band made their daily parade through Copenhagen but wore red jackets, instead of their usual black, to mark major events.

It has long been reported that Princess Mary, then wroking as a marketing manager at an advertisement company, first met Frederik in a packed city pub in Sydney 23 years ago.

The 51-year-old Australian-born royal supposedly had no idea the handsome European tourist she had been chatting to for hours was actually the future king of Denmark.

But in a resurfaced interview, Amber Petty, who was a bridesmaid at their wedding in 2004, revealed the pair actually met at an ‘exclusive private dinner party’ at the Slip Inn and the whole thing was ‘organised’.

Speaking to Channel Seven breakfast show Sunrise in 2021, Petty said the event was attended by a group of royals who were visiting Australia for the 2000 Summer Olympics.

‘I’m sorry to break everybody’s hearts, but it’s not always about randomly bumping into princes in pubs,’ she said on the program.

‘It wasn’t just a random meeting… it was an organised small dinner during the Olympics and Mary happened to be invited and most of the guests happened to be royals.’

Amongst the thousands of Danes on the streets of Copenhagen this morning were a number of Australians who have moved abroad to the country – as well as some who had flown in for the occasion.

Aussies were out in force, clutching on to their native flag, as they look to welcome Princess Mary, who was born in Sydney and later moved to Denmark after meeting Crown Prince Frederik.

Brisbane biomedical science graduate Ebony Wilson, 25, and her grandmother Judy Langtree who bought a last-minute plane ticket for Copenhagen to be part of Danish royal succession.

‘We can relate more to that because she’s from a middle-class background, and we are too,’ said Judy.

Meanwhile, Australian expat Leon Fischer and his Danish-born wife Susan headed out into the cold to welcome the new King and Queen.

‘I think it’s good that she’s not from royalty and has a normal Australian background.

‘Abdication has become more common because people are becoming older and older,’ Lars Hovbakke Sorsen, a Danish historian and lecturer. ‘Therefore, we have more old monarchs in Europe and thus older crown princes and crown princesses.

As Queen Margarthe steps aside, here is a look at some other European sovereigns who have handed over their thrones to their younger and more energetic heirs in recent years:

Emperor Akihito abdicated in 2019 at the age of 85, citing age and declining health in his decision to hand over the throne to his son, Emperor Naruhito. It was Japan’s first abdication in two centuries.

Akihito had devoted his three-decades long reign to making amends for a war fought in his father’s name while taking the aloof monarchy closer to the people. His era was the first in Japan’s modern history without war.

Juan Carlos I, now 86, abdicated in disgrace in 2014. He had once been so popular that many Spaniards would say that they were ‘not monarchists, but Juan Carlists’.

But his relations with the Spanish public began to crack in 2012, when the former patron of the World Wide Fund for Nature injured himself on an elephant hunting trip in Botswana while his subjects back home were living through a full-blown economic crisis.

Juan Carlos left Spain in August 2020 amid investigations into his involvement in alleged financial wrongdoings. Spanish prosecutors had to shelve their case after concluding that the alleged misconduct, involving millions of euros in undeclared accounts, happened when Juan Carlos had legal immunity as king.

Felipe renounced his inheritance from Juan Carlos and stripped him of his state-provided subsidy in 2020 in a groundbreaking move to distance himself from his father.

Beatrix of the Netherlands

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands may have started a trend toward royals retiring when she announced her abdication in 2013, shortly before turning 75 and after a 33-year reign.

In explaining her decision to hand over the throne to her son, King Willem-Alexander, she said she believed it was time to pass responsibility to a new generation.

Beatrix was quickly followed in her abdication by her Belgian counterpart, King Albert II, and not long after that by Spain’s Juan Carlos.

Abdication is the norm at the egalitarian House of Orange. Beatrix’s mother – Juliana – and her mother’s mother – Wilhelmina – all stood down and eased into retirement.

Three months after Beatrix’s abdication, King Albert II decided to hand over the throne his son, Philippe. At 79, Albert said his age and health no longer allowed him to fulfil all of his duties.

The move in 2013 ended nearly two decades of steady reign over a country divided between northern Dutch-speaking Flanders and French-speaking southern Wallonia.

He was the first king to voluntarily abdicate since Belgium gained its independence in 1830.

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK WILL BECOME KING

Frederick, 55, formerly known as Crown Prince Frederick – is set to become His Majesty King Frederick X.

Her Majesty The Queen will continue to be known as Her Majesty and bear the title HM Queen Margrethe.

CROWN PRINCESS MARY WILL BECOME QUEEN

Meanwhile, his wife Crown Princess Mary – who is very popular with the Danish public due to her dedication to royal duty and commitment to learning the language – will become Queen Consort.

She is also set to become the nation’s first Australian-born queen.

The couple, who met in a bar in 2000 during the Olympics in Sydney, share four children, who each occupy the next spaces in the line of succession.

PRINCE CHRISTIAN WILL BECOME CROWN PRINCE

Their son Prince Christian will become the next in line to the Danish throne at just 18.

His title will change to Crown Prince Christian as he will be the heir apparent.

He may have to act as head of state when his father is out of the country.

Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf has paid tribute to his cousin Queen Margrethe, who he calls ‘Daisy’, in a sweet montage posted to his Instagram.

The clip shows photos of the royal pair together at different functions over the years, including older images from their younger days.

For those of you just joining us, here is a recap of how the historic day in Denmark will unfold:

1:35PM (12:35PM GMT, 11:35PM AUS): Frederik, 55, and Mary, 51, set off in a  a 1958 Rolls-Royce from Amalienborg to Christiansborg Palace, along with their son HRH Prince Christian

1:37PM (12:37PM GMT, 11:37PM AUS): Margrethe will follow, leaving from Christian IX’s Palace in a carriage

2PM (1PM GMT, 12AM AUS): There will be a Council of State at Christiansborg Palace, which Margrethe, Frederik, and Christian will take part in together with the Government and the Council of State secretary

2:15PM (1:15PM GMT, 12:15AM AUS): Margrethe will then make her way back to Amalienborg

2:30PM (1:30PM GMT, 12:30AM AUS): Frederik and Mary will hold a formal reception for specially invited guests

3PM (2PM GMT, 1AM AUS): The couple will make a balcony appearance at Christiansborg Palace. The Prime Minister will then proclaim the King’s accession to the throne

3:10PM (2:10PM GMT, 1:10AM AUS): Frederik and Mary will take a carriage from Christiansborg Palace back to Amalienborg, which will be escorted by a mounted squadron

5PM (4PM GMT, 3AM AUS): There will also be a transfer of the royal colours from Christian IX’s Palace to Frederik VIII’s Palace

In September 2022, Queen Margrethe sparked a royal row when she made the decision to remove prince and princess, as well as His/Her Highness titles, from Nikolai, 24, Felix, 21, Henrik, 14, and Athena, 11, who are the children of her second son, Prince Joachim.

She made the decision so the children could ‘shape their own lives without being limited by the special considerations and dutities’ attached to the Danish Royal Family.

Prince Joachim, who is sixth in line to the throne, hit out as his mother a year later claiming the decision had ‘harmed his children.

Today, the Queen’s second son will attend her abdication, however, his children will stay in the Washington, in the United States, where the family is now based, after he took up a role as a defence industry attaché at the Embassy of Denmark.

His wife, Princess Marie, will also stay with the children, who have school.

Their four children no longer have royal titles:

Nikolai, 24, of Denmark: The Copenhagen Business School student and model regularly tops lists of the world’s most eligible bachelors. He lives in Denmark but has jetted around the world to walk for designers in Paris and London. Nikolai has also appeared on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia.

Felix, 21, of Denmark: Following in his brother’s footsteps, Prince Felix has also had success as a model and has starred in an advertising campaign for Georg Jensen. He had a short stint at the Royal Danish Military Academy but quit after two months because it ‘wasn’t for him’.

Henrik, 13, and Athena, 11, of Denmark: The youngest of Prince Joachim’s four children, Henrik and Athena are the product of his second marriage to Princess Marie.

Pictured: Felix, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Athena, Henrik and Nikolai

A statuesque, 6ft chain-smoker, with a penchant for brightly coloured raincoats and a remarkable sideline in the arts, she is one of the most admired — and flamboyant — of European monarchs.

Following the announcement of her abdication rumours swirled among her six million subjects over what could have prompted such a move from the 83-year-old who once claimed: ‘I cannot envisage [abdicating]. Unless I fall hopelessly ill.’

After more than half a century on the throne, Margrethe is the longest-sitting ruler in 1,200 years of the Danish monarchy.

As the country’s 54th sovereign (but only its second queen), her heritage stretches back more than 1,000 years to King Gorm the Old. With the passing of our late Queen, she also became the world’s longest-serving monarch.

So why would a ruler, sworn like Elizabeth II to duty above all, abdicate now?

Queen Margrethe, affectionately known as Daisy after the marguerite flower, has been congratulated by her cousin Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, who himself celebrated 50 years on the throne in September last year.

‘Your Majesty, dear Cousin Daisy! When you step down today from your high office as Queen of Denmark, I want to say a warm thank you for the good cooperation over the years,’ the Swedish king said on Instagram.

‘When you resign today from your high office as Queen of Denmark, I would like to express my warm thanks for good cooperation over the years.

‘You now enter a changed role, but the friendship between us remains intimate and constant.

‘As Denmark’s Queen, you have been a guarantor of the closeness and affection that today prevails between out countries and houses. For this I want to thank you in particular.

‘On this historic day, my family and I wish you all happiness and prosperity in the future’.

Danes have flocked to Copenhagen today to watch their Queen pass the throne to her first-born son Crown Prince Frederik.

Unlike in Britain there will be no coronation itself, however, the succession will begin around 1pm GMT, when Margrethe signs the declaration of her abdication.

This will take place during a meeting of the Council of State at parliament where the government, Frederik and his oldest son Christian, 18 years old and the new heir to the throne, will participate.

Excited crowds wrapped up warm as they crowded in to get a glimpse of the historic occasion.

‘The royal family means everything that is Danish. It’s fairytales and traditions,’ said onlooker Anna Karina Laursen, 59, a nod to the country’s famous fairytale writer Hans Christian Andersen.

‘I was in shock and started crying when the queen said on New Year’s Eve she would abdicate,’ said Karen Holk Jeppesen, 31, a communications consultant, standing in front of parliament where the new king will be proclaimed later today.

Jeppesen, who arrived in Copenhagen with her sister yesterday, said she booked a hotel in the capital the day after the queen’s announcement.

‘It’s very rare to witness a real historical moment that you know will be written about in the history books,’ she said.

Police are expecting huge crowds in the streets of the Danish capital

‘We’re expecting many, many people will come out,’ Copenhagen police official Peter Dahl said.

‘It’s impossible to say how many, but I think there will be more than 100,000 people,’ he said, adding that police reinforcements had been called in from across the country.

When Frederik and Mary of Denmark become King and Queen Consort later today, their lives will change irrevocably – as will the lives of their four children.

So far, the teen royals have grown up with relative normality.

They live far from the glare of publicity, attending state schools and staying close to the Australian side of the family, including their grandfather, Scottish-born maths professor, John Donaldson.

While the eldest child, soon-to-be Crown Prince Christian has already become more involved in the family business since his 18th birthday in October – celebrated with a gala dinner with his grandmother, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe – he is currently focused on finishing his education.

Younger siblings Princess Isabella, 16, and twins Vincent and Josephine, who recently celebrated their 13th birthday, are all concentrating on their schoolwork.

And while photographers have captured official family portraits at birthdays, official events and annual photo-calls at the royal family’s summer residence, Grasten Castle, private snaps reveal a close and ordinary family life.

Margrethe chose to abdicate exactly 52 years to the day after she took over from her father, Frederik IX.

‘There’s a lot of symbolism around this day,’ Cecilie Nielsen, royal correspondent for Danish public broadcaster DR, told AFP.

Aske Julius, a 27-year-old Copenhagen resident, said last night he hoped to get a good spot to see the proclamation of the new king.

‘More than half of the Danish population has never known anything else but the queen,” he said. “She’s really the embodiment of Denmark… the soul of the nation.’

Apart from the abdication, the protocol is largely similar to previous royal successions in Denmark.

No foreign dignitaries or royals are invited, and there is no coronation or throne for the new monarch.

Opinion polls show that more than 80 percent of Danes supported her decision to step down.

The outgoing monarch will retain her title of queen and may represent the royal family on occasion.

Queen Margrethe’s announcement comes two months after photographs emerged of Crown Prince Frederik enjoying a night out with Mexican socialite in Madrid, without his wife Princess Mary.

The Australian-born royal was later spotted in tears and shared a cryptic post about loneliness just weeks after the photographs emerged, sparking rumours of an alleged affair.

Royal experts previously told MailOnline the Queen’s decision to end her regin was a ‘shrewd’ bid to save the Danish monarchy and avert for the ‘disaster’ of his marraige.

Commentators said the monarch ‘deliberately’ dropped a ‘massive bombshell’ at the right time to secure the future of the Danish Royal Family, and its ‘greatest asset’, Crown Princess Mary, who is extremely popular in the country.

British royal author Phil Dampier, also an expert on European monarchies, told MailOnline: ‘I think Margrethe may have worried that their marriage was in trouble and therefore she had to act.

‘The Queen always thought Mary was a fantastic asset to the royal family and if she thought she might leave it would have been a disaster. She will now hope that Frederik and Mary patch up any differences and work together as the new King and Queen’.

Pictured: Married Frederik spotted with Mexican socialitie Genoveva Casanova in Ma

Hotels, rail and airline tickets have been fully booked since the queen dropped her bombshell abdication announcement in her annual televised New Year’s Eve address.

Rikke Holm Petersen, of tourist organisation Wonderful Copenhagen, told the Guardian that people started securing their stays as soon as Margrethe made her announcement on New Year’s Eve.

And one restaurant working along the procession’s route added that they’ve had to recruit more staff to meet the expected demand.

When Queen Margrethe became queen, following the death of her father, more than 10,000 people gathered on the square below Christianborg Palace.

Today police expect at least 10 times that in the streets of the capital.

‘It’s impossible to say how many but I think there will be more than 100,000 people,’ Copenhagen police official Peter Dahl said, adding that police reinforcements had been called in from across the country.

Queen Margrethe was the third cousin of Britain’s late Queen Elizabeth II. Both Queen’s descended from Queen Victoria.

Pictured: Queen Elizabeth, Queen Margrethe, Prince Phillip and Prince Henrik on the Buckingham Palace balcony in 1979. And the two Queen’s at the Natural History Museum in London in 2000.

The Danish royal family will be out in force today to mark the historic occasion, a long with leading lights of Danish society.

Not quite everyone will be there, however. Prince Joachim, Frederik’s younger brother, will attend the event to support his sibling – but he will do so without his wife, Princess Marie and their two children, Count Henrik, 14, and Countess Athena of Monpezat, 11.

The Danish palace has confirmed that the family will remain in Washington DC, where they live now that Joachim has become a defence industry attaché at the Embassy of Denmark.

It is a long way for the children to come, of course – and a school day, as the palace points out.

All the same, the arrangements are a reminder that the Danish royal family shares problems – and attempted solutions – with their counterparts on this side of the North Sea.

Prince Harry, another ‘spare’ in the line of succession, is likely to sympathise in particular.

Read more below about the similarities between the two ‘Spares’.

Queen Margrethe’s shock New Year’s Eve announcement was not the first time one of her decision’s sent ripples across the country.

In September 2022, the monarch decided to remove the prince and princess as well as ‘His/Her Highness’ titles from Nikolai, 24, Felix, 21, Henrik, 14, and Athena, 11, who are the children of her second son, Prince Joachim.

She said she hoped it would help ‘shape their own lives without being limited by the special considerations and duties’ that a formal affiliation with the Danish Royal Family involves.

Like her abdication, the stripping of her own grandchildren’s titles came as a major surprise and sparked a royal row.

Last year, Prince Joachim publicly spoke out against his mother’s decision in the days that followed – claiming that his children born from Joachim’s first marriage to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg – and Henrik and Athena had been ‘harmed’ in the process.

Months later, the sixth-in-line to the throne admitted that ‘communication was missing’ within the Royal Family in the lead-up to the shock announcement.

Pictured: Queen Margrethe with her son Prince Frederik of Denmark (left) and Prince Joachim of Denmark (right)

Trumpeters from the Danish Royal Horse Guard were spotted practicing in Copenhagen this morning as they prepare for the coronation of the future King Frederik and Queen Mary.

The service men and women were seen sat upon the white horses near to Christiansborg Palace this morning.

On January 4, Queen Margrethe rode in the so-called Gold Coach – pulled by six white horses – for the last time, following the conclusion of her final engagement ahead of her abdication.

Here is what the new Danish line of succession and the royal family’s titles will look like after Crown Prince Frederik takes the throne at 3pm today.

MONARCH: King Frederick X (previously Crown Prince Frederick)

Her Majesty The Queen will continue to be Her Majesty and bear the title HM Queen Margrethe.

CONSORT: Queen Mary (formerly Crown Princess Mary)

The Royal Couple will henceforth bear the title The King and The Queen of Denmark

1. Crown Prince Christian (previously Prince Christian)

Pictured: Queen Margrethe II of Denmark (C) and family members, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (5L), Princess Isabella of Denmark (3L), Princess Josephine of Denmark (L), Prince Vincent of Denmark, Prince Christian of Denmark, Count Henrik, Count Felix, Count Nikolai and Countess Athena wave to the crowd on the Queen’s 83rd birthday last April.

Princess Mary of Denmark is certainly bringing a breathe of fresh air into the monarchy.

The Australian-born mother-of-four, 51, grew up in Tasmania, a world away from the opulence and extravagance of the Amalienborg Palace.

But her ‘common birth’, fashion sense, and displays of doting motherhood have drawn comparisons with another former outsider who has firmly secured her place in the Firm – the Princess of Wales.

Read more about the similarities between Princess Mary and Kate Middleton below!

The streets of the Danish capital are filling with excited members of the public, while red and white flags are flying from the city’s buildings.

Those hoping to catch a glimpse of the historic day gathered early with their fold out chairs and warm clothes at Christiansborg Castle Square, where Crown Prince Frederik will later succeed the throne.

Some were seen dressed up in royal costumes with crowns on their head, while others drapped the Danish flag over their shoulders.

Princess Mary, who married Crown Prince Frederik in 2004, is set to become the first Australian-born queen today.

The Aussie, who met the future monarch in a pub in Sydney 23 years ago, has since won over her adopted country by her dedication to royal duty and her fluency in the Danish language.

A recent poll 85 per cent of Danes have a positive opinion of the 51-year-old, who shares four children with the future King.

This is how the historic day will unfold as the Queen abdicates the throne:

1:35PM (12:35PM GMT, 11:35PM AUS): Frederik, 55, and Mary, 51, set off in a  a 1958 Rolls-Royce from Amalienborg to Christiansborg Palace, along with their son HRH Prince Christian

1:37PM (12:37PM GMT, 11:37PM AUS): Margrethe will follow, leaving from Christian IX’s Palace in a carriage

2PM (1PM GMT, 12AM AUS): There will be a Council of State at Christiansborg Palace, which Margrethe, Frederik, and Christian will take part in together with the Government and the Council of State secretary

2:15PM (1:15PM GMT, 12:15AM AUS): Margrethe will then make her way back to Amalienborg

2:30PM (1:30PM GMT, 12:30AM AUS): Frederik and Mary will hold a formal reception for specially invited guests

3PM (2PM GMT, 1AM AUS): The couple will make a balcony appearance at Christiansborg Palace. The Prime Minister will then proclaim the King’s accession to the throne

3:10PM (2:10PM GMT, 1:10AM AUS): Frederik and Mary will take a carriage from Christiansborg Palace back to Amalienborg, which will be escorted by a mounted squadron

5PM (4PM GMT, 3AM AUS): There will also be a transfer of the royal colours from Christian IX’s Palace to Frederik VIII’s Palace

Last night an emotional Queen Margrethe listened to members of the public sing to her in Copenhagen on the eve of her abdication.

Danish royalists have taken to the streets of Copenhagen this weekend, waving red and white flags in honour of their beloved monarch.

A video posted on X captured the public singing to Margrethe outside Amalienborg, Margrethe’s winter residence.

One of the windows to the palace was left wide open, so that she could hear those who came to sing to her.

The Queen, known for her chain-smoking and flamboyant style – was seen on the clip walking around her home and peering out at the crowd.

Since 1972 the outgoing Queen has managed to keep a some-what normal life, becoming known for her chain-smoking habits and being so ‘normal’ that has been spotted shopping in the supermarket.

The Monarch of many talents even was hired as a set designer in 2021 for a romantic fantasy novel by Out of Africa’s Karen Blixen, one of Denmark’s most internationally recognised female authors, for a Netflix film.

Last year the royal hit the headlines when she decided to remove royal titles from the four children of her son Prince Joachim.

Read more about the colourful life of Queen Margrethe below.

Today Queen Margrethe will become Denmark’s first monarch to abdicate in nearly 900 years, as she hands over the throne to Crown Prince Frederik.

Europe’s longest-reigning monarch had always maintained that she would not quit during her 52-year reign on the throne but following back surgery last year she was led to thoughts about the future.

‘Time takes its toll,’ she said, announcing her plans to abdicate in a New Year’s address that stunned the kingdom.

Thousands of people will gather in Copenhagen today to watch the historic moment.

The Queen will abdicate around 2pm local time – 1pm GMT – signing her abdication.

An hour later, her eldest son will proclaimed as King on the balcony of Christianborg Palace in the heart of the Danish capital.

Good morning and welcome to MailOnline’s liveblog covering the abdication of Queen Margrethe.

We will bring you all the key moments from today as Europe’s longest-reigning monarch steps aside making way for her son Crown Prince Frederik to become King of Denmark.

Follow along as the historic day unfolds, with the King’s accession to the throne being announced around 3pm GMT.