Denmark Queen Announces Surprise Abdication On Live TV After 52 Years

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II announced Sunday that she plans to abdicate after 52 years and hand over the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederik.

The queen, who is Europe's longest-reigning living monarch, announced during her New Year's speech that she would step down on January 14, which is the anniversary of her own accession to the throne at age 31 following the death of her father, King Frederik IX.

Queen Margrethe, 83, said the back surgery she underwent in early 2023 led to “thoughts about the future” and when to pass on the responsibilities of the crown to her son. “I have decided that now is the right time,” she said in her speech.