The Danish royal palace has already announced the new titles for Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary once Queen Margrethe abdicates on January 14th. Fred will go by King Frederik X (formerly Frederik Twitter!). Mary will be Her Majesty Queen Mary, and collectively they will be the King and Queen of Denmark. Surprisingly – to me – Margrethe won’t have a title change, and she’ll still go by Her Majesty Queen Margrethe. I would have thought they would change it up, like Queen Emeritus Margrethe or Former Queen Marg. I don’t know. Fred and Mary’s eldest son will now go by His Royal Highness Crown Prince Christian. I assume Fred and Mary’s other children will simply retain their HRHs and prince/princess titles. Meanwhile, Danish republicans are trying to gin up some support for their cause, a cause of making Frederik run for office.
Denmark’s long-marginalised republican movement has launched a recruitment drive in the hope that the recent surprise abdication of the highly popular Queen Margrethe will give it a fresh lease of life. The past half-century has not been kind to the dwindling minority of Danes who believe their country would be better off under an elected head of state.
When Margrethe first ascended the throne in 1972 polls suggested only 45 per cent of the population supported the monarchy after 25 years of rapid and sweeping social changes under her father, Frederik IX. But as Margrethe, 83, prepares to resign on January 14 that number is now 85 per cent. Her personal approval ratings are also among the highest enjoyed by any monarch in the world.
Denmark’s main republican group hopes her departure will finally give it an opening as her successors, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, develop a style and a role of their own.
Republik Now, founded in 2010, has announced a “not my king” campaign that will paint the monarchy as a profligate and unjust institution, drawing in part on discomfort at the lavish spectacle of King Charles’s coronation last May.
“There are a few republicans in Denmark,” said Mads Rundstrom, the organisation’s chairman. “We are working to increase the number significantly. People claim the Danish monarchy is popular, but the same thing was said about the Dutch and British monarchs. Support for both has now fallen to about 50 per cent… I’m sure we will see support for the [Danish] monarchy decline. Margrethe sustained support for the monarchy [but] Frederik will find that much harder to do.”
That may prove to be a misplaced hope. Surveys since Charles’s accession have indicated that at least 60 per cent of Britons would prefer to retain the monarchy. This proportion has essentially stabilised following a gentle decline over the course of the 2010s. Similarly, there is little evidence that the popularity of the monarchy in Denmark will abruptly drop after Margrethe abdicates. A snap poll this week for Danmarks Radio, the national public broadcaster, put Frederik and Mary’s respective approval ratings at 84 and 85 per cent.
However, Rundstrom argued that if Frederik genuinely was that popular then it would do him no harm to obtain a public mandate at the ballot box.
“We would encourage him to take part in a free, fair and democratic election,” Rundstrom said. “It is crucial that any person who wishes to take on this role [as head of state] should respect the democratic process and consult the Danish people. Without this necessary dialogue it is hard to deem a candidate suitable for public service.”
At a technical level, I would sort of be fine with kings and queens if they were elected or there was some kind of democratic process or general referendum. There’s so much ceremonial bullsh-t that goes along with being head of state – some countries can elect a president to deal with that stuff, or maybe countries can just elect a king. Imagine if one every ten years, there was just a general referendum in which people had to vote yes or no on “should we keep the monarchy?” Anyway, I was surprised by just how popular Margrethe was and is and how much Danes seem to love their monarchy. I’m sure that will change once Fred X is on the throne though.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.
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- Copenhagen, DENMARK – Danish Prince Frederik’s Aussie-born wife shines as the royal family turns out for the annual New Year’s dinner a day after reigning Queen Margrethe abdicated ‘to put her wayward son on the throne and save his marriage. Princess Benedikte of Denmark and the entire Danish Royal family attended the annual New Year’s dinner and table for the government, the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, representatives of official Denmark, and the Court at Christian VII’s Palace at Amalienborg, Copenhagen, Denmark. Pictured: Crown Princess Mary BACKGRID USA 1 JANUARY 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Copenhagen, DENMARK – Danish Prince Frederik’s Aussie-born wife shines as the royal family turns out for the annual New Year’s dinner a day after reigning Queen Margrethe abdicated ‘to put her wayward son on the throne and save his marriage. Princess Benedikte of Denmark and the entire Danish Royal family attended the annual New Year’s dinner and table for the government, the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, representatives of official Denmark, and the Court at Christian VII’s Palace at Amalienborg, Copenhagen, Denmark. Pictured: Crown Princess Mary, Crown Prince Frederik BACKGRID USA 1 JANUARY 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Copenhagen, DENMARK – Danish Prince Frederik’s Aussie-born wife shines as the royal family turns out for the annual New Year’s dinner a day after reigning Queen Margrethe abdicated ‘to put her wayward son on the throne and save his marriage. Princess Benedikte of Denmark and the entire Danish Royal family attended the annual New Year’s dinner and table for the government, the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, representatives of official Denmark, and the Court at Christian VII’s Palace at Amalienborg, Copenhagen, Denmark. Pictured: Crown Princess Mary, Crown Prince Frederik BACKGRID USA 1 JANUARY 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Copenhagen, DENMARK – Danish Prince Frederik’s Aussie-born wife shines as the royal family turns out for the annual New Year’s dinner a day after reigning Queen Margrethe abdicated ‘to put her wayward son on the throne and save his marriage. Princess Benedikte of Denmark and the entire Danish Royal family attended the annual New Year’s dinner and table for the government, the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, representatives of official Denmark, and the Court at Christian VII’s Palace at Amalienborg, Copenhagen, Denmark. Pictured: Crown Princess Mary, Crown Prince Frederik BACKGRID USA 1 JANUARY 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Copenhagen, DENMARK – Danish Prince Frederik’s Aussie-born wife shines as the royal family turns out for the annual New Year’s dinner a day after reigning Queen Margrethe abdicated ‘to put her wayward son on the throne and save his marriage. Princess Benedikte of Denmark and the entire Danish Royal family attended the annual New Year’s dinner and table for the government, the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, representatives of official Denmark, and the Court at Christian VII’s Palace at Amalienborg, Copenhagen, Denmark. Pictured: Crown Princess Mary, Crown Prince Frederik BACKGRID USA 1 JANUARY 2024 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- New Year’s Eve dinner and banquet for the government at Amalienborg Palace Featuring: Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark Where: Copenhagen, Denmark When: 01 Jan 2024 Credit: Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark attending the annual New Year’s dinner and table for the government, the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, representatives of official Denmark and the Court at Christian VII’s Palace at Amalienborg, Copenhagen, Denmark. Featuring: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik Where: Copenhagen, Denmark When: 01 Jan 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Queen Margrethe II of Denmark attending the annual New Year’s dinner and table for the government, the Speaker of the Danish Parliament, representatives of official Denmark and the Court at Christian VII’s Palace at Amalienborg, Copenhagen, Denmark. Featuring: Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Where: Copenhagen, Denmark When: 01 Jan 2024 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
“Surveys since Charles’s accession have indicated that at least 60 per cent of Britons would prefer to retain the monarchy. ” Is this true? Anyway, from what I read, the popularity of monarchy in Danmark is due to the personalities involved and their work. Am I wrong?
I’d love to know the demographics of that sample and the actual questions asked.
“We surveyed 47 people over the age of 75 in the south east of England and asked them if they endorsed the destruction of a centuries old institution that represents the glory of Great Britain.”
I love your summary of the likely survey methods.
You are spot on with this. Sample demographics matter. No one I know likes Charlie, no one wants the monarchy. I stand corrected.. my neighbour, an 80 yo woman says she loves Kate and she has a good heart, she can tell! 😛
I think this is exactly what their surveys look like!
❤️
Not true.
“60 per cent of Britons would prefer to retain the monarchy”
Just because people may want to retain the monarchy does NOT mean they want to retain the House of Glücksburg.
Dane here🙋♀️😊
I would say that the Danish monarchy is generally well liked throughout the country, based on the conversations I have had with a lot of people these last few days. There are objectors of course, but they are not as loud or insistent as I percieve the British anti-monachists to be…
The Danish royals are well liked because they work. Mary has several causes, like anti-bullying, children’s welfare (supported by the Mary-foundation), research into heart-conditions (her mom died of heart complications), science in general and more. Frederiks causes include promotion of the benefits of physical health (created annual royal-run event), he was (rather politically) a member of the international Olympic committee, he has several military causes (he completed training for the Danish naval elite squad) and was a part of the Sirius patrol. And Margrethe is mega artistic and designs costumes and settings for ballets and films aside from her royal work. And these examples are just off the top of my head.
It is also MUCH more normal to ridicule the Danish royals in the Danish press, than it appears to be in GB for the British royals. As a result, the Danish royals appears more down to earth and less stuffy than the British ones…
Reading back, I sound like a total royalist. I am not, I don’t really care if we abolish the monarchy. But considering how comical I find the BRF, I guess I am pretty happy with the ones Denmark has😅
From what I can gather from my friends in the UK, it would probably be true. It’s not that they like the monarchy (though they respected Queen Elizabeth but don’t feel that way about Charles) it’s just that they don’t know what the alternative would be and they hate their PM’s most of the time and wouldn’t want some showboating head of state like Blair, Bush or Trump. It’s a sort of devil they know type of thing.
I also think there are some people though that like the Britishness or whiteness of the British Royal Family and those traditions and would be worried about having someone who wasn’t white or Christian as their head of state, sort of like the MAGA bunch here in the US.
As a citizen of a country (Germany) that has a federal president and, in my opinion, one of the best federal constitutions, I simply cannot understand what is going on in the minds of the Danes.
Although we are neighbors and many Danes speak German and we have a lot in common, it is incomprehensible to me how one can think so anti-democratically.
Sam, I’m a US citizen living in the NLs and married to a Dutchie. I completely understand your perspective (and share it). My husband was more small r republican, but recent events have actually changed his views on the monarchy. His perspective is that given that the Dutch government has no long term policy and it’s scarily to the right at the moment, it’s not a bad idea to have someone who is interested in the NLs business interests long term. For him, Willem Alexander can represent the country in ways the Geert Wilders cannot. My husband actually met him years ago and was surprised that WA came across as astute and intelligent (his reputation was “Prince Pils”). Given that the royals need to study to obtain at least a master’s degree, have a background in law and diplomacy, at least (I am a small r republican myself) the royals are properly educated and trained for their jobs here.
Many Dutchies living in Florida. The ones I have meet really like Willem Alexander and really really like his wife, Máxima, and daughter, Catharina-Amalia.
The European monarchies sound much more progressive generally than the British monarchy. And with right wing populism (related to the migrant crisis) sweeping the world, elections have become scary things, especially here in the US where the anti-democratic Electoral College picks the president. I still think monarchy is an anarchic vestige of feudalism and should be abolished. But I can certainly see where your husband is coming from, ML.
@ML
I can understand where your husband is coming from, too.
And so that the government cannot simply do what it wants without any possibility of doing anything about it (as in England), there is the Federal President. He is head of state, i.e. something like Willem Alexander, only elected and not allowed to do everything, like a monarch. The Federal President has the “power” to dismiss the Chancellor (set by the Bundestag (Federal Parliament)). That is why monarchies are so dangerous for democracy, because they do not offer this democratic security. Even if it feels like it (that is also the goal, otherwise no one would be in favor of a monarchy). England, and the fuss that has gone on there in recent years, is the best example.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/17/britain-monarchy-end-royal-jubilee
This is a very informative article from The Guardian.
That should be anachronistic vestige of feudalism. I was having a brain fart apparently. 😏
“… NLs business interests long term“
That, right there, is the problem: the equating of a nation’s interests with its business interests.
I agree that monarchies are a vestige of feudalism, inequality, what have you, and it would be a great idea if we moved away from declaring certain people worthy to serve as heads of state due to being born!
Sam, I read that article around the time I flew to see my Dad after he had been hospitalized with brain cancer. Excellent article, though it brought back bittersweet memories.
Bisynaptic, I realize how that sounds all sorts of wrong, though it was not what I had in mind when I wrote it! For example, after Hurricane Katrina, Louisiana sent a delegation to the NLs to investigate how to protect against flooding in the future. One of WA’s areas of expertise is water, and it’s something that the NLs is very good at. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4607452.stm
He gave a speech at the UN in water management in NY last year: https://www.royal-house.nl/documents/speeches/2023/03/22/speech-by-his-majesty-king-willem-alexander-at-the-opening-of-the-un-2023-water-conference-in-new-york
This is more what I was aiming for with business.
I get that attitude. I live in the us and am apathetic about a monarchy as it doesn’t affect me.
But I understand the appeal too. In the us we don’t have much that unifies us and we’re incredibly diverse. And incredibly divided. It could have been the flag that’s was a unifier but that’s been politicized. Having a person above party to represent all Americans and not a political party would be nice. So I get it.
Deutsche Bank and Volkswagen-Porsche-Audi are both quasi-german government entities. Both companies were found guilty of countless illegal actions. Deutsche Bank is the #1 most-troubled bank in the European Economic Union. Volkswagen used cars are worthless, as are the securities based on their loans. The german taxpayers are paying for those billions of losses. Deutsche Bank is trading at 10% of its peak and Volkswagen is 25% at a time of soaring stock market values. Nobody admires Germany.
LOLing @ Fred X formerly Twitter.
Queen Margrethe did the right thing not changing her title after 50 years. I googled “Prince Charles age” the other day because King Charles still doesn’t compute. I’ll always remember the tweet after the QEII died when there was a question whether Charles would adopt a regnal name; “the only King name Charles should consider adopting is King Prince Charles”
😂
I wonder how much of the popularity is based on Margrethe herself and how much is based on the monarchy. Like I think in the UK, we are still seeing a residual affection for the monarchy because of QEII, but I think that is starting to fade away. It’s very different when you have a large section of the population that only knew one monarch.
I do think her abdication is a smart move in that regard, because Frederik takes the throne while still fairly young. It doesn’t have the air of…..well, the heir….just waiting around for his mother to die.
That’s what I was thinking, familiarity and being built into the framework of society goes a long way, she may not have reigned as long as Elizabeth but there are still a lot of Danes who will only remember her as queen.
They may avoid some of the unnecessary issues that the Brits have brought on themselves (cash scandals, racism, cost, relationship with the press, etc.) but his attitude to being royal is clearly quite different to his mother’s.
Correct becks. Also many here thinks that their popularity is genuine which is not . The queen daisy, fed and mary are treated in press as the same way as camila, chuck and late queen. The danish media never cover Fred cheating, Mary spending etc. They are popular because the media said so. If danish media started covering drf the way Sussex or Spain royal. They will be at rock bottom. Daisy also made deal with the press about Fred. If there they genuinely popular why not be transparent. Why danish media is behaving the same way as british , where both the media doesn’t cover heir (now one king) cheating scandal. Also denmark is increasing anti immigration and very much racist country.
Being utterly non-royalist American I had no clue so I looked it up and Denmark is the oldest ruling monarchy of Europe, which was surprising – maybe it’s their ingrained reluctance to let go of deeply rooted institutions. I’m not sure if the Danish monarchy was simultaneous to the conversion to Christianity but if not, it’s almost that old – which would make it VERY deeply rooted. Queen Margrethe’s resigning has the air of gracefulness – it’s what we expect a mother to do, but I guess QE2 would look at Charles and shake her head. 😂 She wasn’t wrong.
Actually monarchy generally predates christian conversion by a generation or more in Scandinavia and eastern europe. Also the monarchies started out elective rather then hereditary
The monarchies started out elective and not hereditary?? Did not know that. Ok, need to brush up on my history.
@Lauren – Thanks! I thought it was around the same time (monarchy and conversion in Denmark, not the rest of Scandinavia) but I was too lazy to check. I did remember that Denmark converted very early compared to the rest of Scandinavia but other than that, I’m like @Jais, I need to brush up on my history! The Danish monarchy seems so low-key that I was just really surprised it’s the oldest one in Europe.
Unless he keeps getting into cheating scandals i don’t think much will change in the popularity of the Danish monarchy. At least not in the first few decades. There might be a switch once it’s Christian’s turn.
Quick note for commenters, which is a common problem…a Dutch person refers to someone from the Netherlands.
A Dane or Danish person refers to someone from Denmark.
The person commenting about the Dutch monarchy is making a parallel though, not mixing up the two countries. I dont see anyone else talking about the Dutch?
I don’t like that Margarethe isn’t changing her title. One of the biggest no-no Felipe did was not pushing back when his parents kept their titles. At the beginning of his reign, it seemed that Sofia was still playing the “I’m QUEEN” while pushing Leti to the side. There was a really weird dynamic there for a while. If Daisy is no longer queen, then she should get a new title. Queen Emeritus or something. The Dutch did it correctly with having Max&Wax as Queen/King and Bea as Princess (though, I would have given her higher title than Princess.)
Honestly, that dynamic between the old queen and the new has always existed at a change of ruler. Tsarina Maria Feodorovna refused to hand over a lot of jewels to her daugher-in-law, Alexandra. When her brother-in-law King Edward VII died, she encouraged his widow (her sister) to do the same and not hand over Queen Victoria’s jewels to the new queen. And the Queen Mother actually hung onto a few pieces that belonged to the monarch. Queen Elizabeth II did not get them until after her mother’s death.
It wasn’t so much the jewels as the precedence and, in the case of Queen Alexandra, the refusal to leave Buckingham palace and Windsor. Then she remained at Sandringham until she died 14 years later. Both she and Marie insisted on precedence over the new consort as well and took the place next to the monarch.
A lot of the latest surge of popularity with the monarchs in the Scandinavian countries (one of them, my birth country), has largely to do with trying to make sense of the world and holding on to what we know to be true.
There is a surge in denying the republican push of the 70’s to forgo the royals.. they came back with a massive amount of money in marketing pushing their darling Next Gen like Princess Victoria of Sweden (a vapid idiot with a kind heart), Prince William (son of Diana, used to be handsome- however spectacularly that is failing because he is an absolutely horrible individual and there is no way of hiding that) etcetc
What people have glossed over is the crazy amount of wealth these families have amassed and still riding the public purse. They forget how (eg) in the UK if the monarchy wasn’t raking in the crazy money they are getting on sea rights (!!!) for wind farms and clean energy, we might actually get a decent energy bill that would allow people to feed their children.
The whole concept in this day and age is absolutely insane.
Give me a crazy amount of money and the no need to worry about food on the table and the environment dying in any shape of form (how to feed the kids, how to school them, how to keep ourselves alive) and I would be an amazingly pleasant person, smiling and cordial and warm like the queen of denmark.
@Olivia, I think you’re right on. To all: I deeply, truly believe if we push to defund the monarchy its a step in the right direction towards abolishment. At the very least, it’s a step towards reducing the cost of them as the benefits dwindle, creating more balance and fairness. Focusing on abolishment wastes time and effort, because that’s just too big a bite to swallow all at once. Focus on the money aspect, follow the money aspect, demand a REDUCTION in their ‘allowance’ and ‘earnings’ that more of Cornwall’s wealth (for example) stays w/in Cornwall, etc. More taxpayers money stays w/taxpayer if we defund them. Later, much later as we reduce the financial black hole to more of a pinpoint, we can talk about abolishment. Reducing their $$ will be a start to reducing their ‘power’ and definitely their ‘entitlement’.
Hear, hear.
Would love to see it. Listen, I’m obv here for the gossip and did love Mary’s velvet dress. But at the end of the day, hereditary rule and money aggregated towards one extra special family is incredibly icky. To say the least.
Great points.
“formerly Frederik Twitter!”
😆😆😆 D.E.A.D. over here
Leave it to Kaiser👏
I’m obsessed with that velvet dress Mary wore. It’s STUNNING. The fit was superb and I wonder how long it will take KM to copy-keen it.
Especially when compared to the … to my mind.. hideous red velvet dress that Camilla wore with all her rubies recently. With all her evening gowns it seems to be that when originally designed they are already planning how to change things up for rewears, so I suspect they keep extra fabric … very clever .
“When Margrethe first ascended the throne in 1972 polls suggested only 45 per cent of the population supported the monarchy after 25 years of rapid and sweeping social changes under her father, Frederik IX. But as Margrethe, 83, prepares to resign on January 14 that number is now 85 per cent. Her personal approval ratings are also among the highest enjoyed by any monarch in the world.”
—If Frederick is as good at running his monarchy as well as he has run his marriage, expect these numbers to crater, like with Charles. I expect it will take people a long time to understand that they’re much better off with a queen regnant, than with a king.
And, yes, elected monarchy is much better than hereditary monarchy.
I can’t help but be impressed with Margrethe. Stepping back for her Son and DIL and still being there to help keep stability is rather farseeing. The new K&Q are in their 50s with the next generation stepping up in a few years (after their education) to royal duties. Margrethe will be the stabilizing factor to keep the family and Monarchy together. She’s a smart cookie.
The most glaring difference between the Danish Monarchy and the British Monarchy to me is that when Philip died, the br family started to fall apart. It appears to me that the family dynamic is very different in the Danish Monarchy.