It would have been interesting to see Princess Mary transform into Denmark’s Queen Mary with a lot of pomp and regalia, but it is not to be. There will be no “coronation” in Denmark when Queen Margrethe formally abdicates on January 14th. All of the Danish aristocrats will not have to dust off their tiaras and medals and attend some dreary coronation service full of medieval imagery. Instead, Denmark’s accession service sounds really straight-forward and simple, like a government bill signing or something.
Crown Prince Frederik will ascend the throne on 14 January, the day his mother became Queen 52 years ago. However, Frederik’s accession as King Frederik X, alongside his consort, Her Majesty Queen Mary, will not be marked by a formal coronation ceremony. So anyone looking forward to a profusion of pomp and pageantry similar to the British coronation in May, should pack away the bunting. This will be a much more sleek affair.
In a straightforward manner, Frederik’s accession will be announced from Copenhagen’s Christiansborg Palace on the day. The facts behind the slimline approach to coronation are nothing to do with a lack of interest in celebrating future-King Frederik – the monarchy remains notably popular in Denmark. Instead, it is merely a matter of constitutional small-print.
The first coronation in Denmark took place in 1170, with Canute VI’s acceptance of the top job. However, the ceremony has gradually evolved along with Denmark’s constitutional arrangements. While Denmark was an elective monarchy, in the years until 1660, it saw full celebration of coronations with all the pageantry to match. Once Denmark became a hereditary monarchy in 1660, the pomp was pared back – leaving a lower-key approach in which the king and queen were anointed but no crowning took place. By 1849, Denmark had become a constitutional monarchy, abolishing the anointing practice – now, all that remains of the ceremony is a straightforward announcement.
Since the accession is taking place after an abdication, rather than a death, none of the formal arrangements around mourning will feature, nor any hint of mourning dress.
In case you’re wondering about the staging, my guess is that it will be similar to Margrethe’s accession – the new King Frederik and Queen Mary will appear on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace with Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and Frederiksen will do the announcement. I would imagine Mary and Frederik will then bring out their four children and there will probably be a big family wave from the balcony. That’s just my assumption. While I respect the fact that the accession is streamlined and more modern, it does feel almost too simple? Like, someone should have a sword and the king should have to make some kind of public pledge of service to his people?
Also: Mary’s hairdresser of 23 years has stepped down! All of this drama and now Mary has to find a new hairdresser??
Photos courtesy of Cover Images, Backgrid.
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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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- Queen Margrethe II celebrates her 83rd birthday at Christian VII Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen, Denmark Featuring: Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark with Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent, Princess Josephine Where: Copenhagen, Denmark When: 16 Apr 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Confirmation of Count Henrik at the Danish Church in Paris Featuring: Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark with Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine Where: Paris, France When: 18 May 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Prince Christian of Denmark gala dinner to celebrate his 18th birthday at Christiansborg Palace Featuring: Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Prince Christian Where: Copenhagen, Denmark When: 15 Oct 2023 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
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- Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark attending a state banquet at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen, Monday November 6, 2023. The Spanish royal couple is on a three-day state visit to Denmark. Photo by Stefan Lindblom/Stella Pictures/ABACAPRESS.COM Featuring: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark Where: Copenhagen, Denmark When: 06 Nov 2023 Credit: Stefan Lindblom/Stella Pictures/Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- Crown Princess Mary of Denmark attending a state banquet at Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen, Monday November 6, 2023. The Spanish royal couple is on a three-day state visit to Denmark. Photo by Stefan Lindblom/Stella Pictures/ABACAPRESS.COM Featuring: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark Where: Copenhagen, Denmark When: 06 Nov 2023 Credit: Stefan Lindblom/Stella Pictures/Abaca Press/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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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**
The UK is the only European monarchy that still has a coronation.
Though other countries still have big ceremonies. In the Netherlands they call it an inauguration because the crown stays on a pillow and isn’t put on the head, but there were still many royals who came to watch.
But it’s not a coronation.
The last coronation was in 1840. After the absolutist monarch where the monarchy IS the state, there most likely was no desire for any kind of Royal accession pomp. Having the elected PM proclaim the new Monarch has an important symbolic value that puts the Monarch in his/her place, which is NOT in any kind of governing capacity.
Uk does it to flex their muscles and Uk crown is bigger than these countries (in terms of country they still have).
UK is larger – until Scotland and NO leave. Per capital GDP in Denmark is 25% higher than UK. Denmark is a much richer country in every way.
Even though a British monarch doesn’t need a coronation to be sovereign, the flexibility of the British constitution more or less requires the new king/queen to be crowned so that they can govern “properly”.
I mean, that is absolutely what they want people to believe, but it misses the fact that Chuck was governing for a significant period of time before his coronation, same with his mother after her father died. They can obviously govern without a coronation, the “properly” part is in question, as ever.
Like I said, the king can function without coronation. But it is thought as part of a constitution.
Well good for them why waste money on a new hat party. Maybe they saw the absolute wasteful con-a-nation in the Uk and thought no we don’t want that. We will just do the minimum and a new King will be named and crowned without all the fanfare and move forward.
The Danes haven’t had a coronation since 1849. The others European’s don’t have coronations either. Unlike the British the others have sought to modernise. There shouldn’t be any royal families anyway.
@Amy Bee, each country has their own political and social reality. You can’t just impose a set of rules to fit them all. The coronation is now essentially a part of the UK’s constitution. And @Susan Collins, there really is no need to stir up this comparing narrative between Denmark and the UK. Like another comment has said, Denmark hasn’t crowned their king or queen since the 19th century. It shouldn’t become a news worthing reporting that Denmark will not have a coronation. This is just a given reality.
@Take it on.
But it is so fun to climb on your high horse and sit in judgement of others. Who cares about nuance! /s
Take it on, does the coronation as the brf did it have to happen that way? Could they simply do the anointing and crowning and that’s it?
Yeah, no one is going to dethrone Charles if he went the way of the Danes. Nor will it cause a constitutional crisis. The people and government would breathe a sigh of relief not to waste hundreds of millions on the ridiculous coronation.
Just ask a junior doctor or a school teacher.
@ArtHistorian – what you said 1000%
@Saucy&Sassy, actually no, tradition stipulates that a coronation service will have the people’s recognition, the swearing of oath, the anointing, the investiture & crowning, and the prayer.
Smart move!
Good
Honestly, I respect that their ascension ceremony is so simple. If anything, this week the Danish royal family has shown just how stuffy, archaic and soap opera-esque the BRF is.
Thank god it’s simple, the cheating scandal has put a damper on the whole coronation 😏
swaz, it sounds that the affair is only dampening to the other countries, not Denmark. No worries.
I agree, this is how it should be done, especially in times of economic crisis and war!
They had elected monarchs until 1660? That’s interesting. It’s like they’ve gone backwards.
Now the recent comment from the Danish republican guy about having a vote makes even more sense.
Technically, it was an elective monarchy until 1660 but it was a mere formality for centuries as it was generally the first born son who succeeded if he was still alive when the King died. Also it was only the highest nobles that elected the King. What was significant was that Rigsrådet (a sort of private council) made the new King sign a Håndfæstning that limited the King’s powers via a vis the mobility. When Frederik III became King he was forced to sign sn extremely restrictive one because certain corrupt nobles wanted to keep their power. One of the was his BiL who was draining the State finances and the betrayed Denmark to the Swedish invasion forces.
The nobles fled when the Swedish King invaded and looted the country. But the King and Queen stayed in Copenhagen during the Swedish Siege where the common people and the Royal Guard defended the city. After the war the King exploited the cowardice of the nobles to create a hereditary AND absolutist (the last bit is very important) in alliance with the wealthy merchant class to undermine the power of the old feudal nobility. Instead, the new regime created a new class of nobility based on their role as civil servants within the absolutist government. That meant a new social mobility for especially talented commoners.
So the story is a lot more complicated and nuanced that a backslide from an elective monarchy to a hereditary one. It is a story about the curbing of the might of the old feudal nobility – and that led to an overall weakening of the nobility over all and then developments in the 20th century led to the complete neutering of the nobility and the traditional class system.
this is a great synopsis. thank you!
Interesting. Thank you.
This is fascinating, thank you!
Yeah, I think making such a big deal (and spending so much money) on the coronation is a mistake. IMO Charles looked silly in all of that heavy regalia with his special anointing oil etc etc. it just demonstrates how empty the whole thing is. I don’t agree with TOB on much, but the big hat ceremony has gotta go.
@JAY sorry, but I always thought they should have just given him a quick spray of crisp and dry, then turned the nozzle on camzilla!! anointing sorted!
It was but as the press is so in bed with the royals the noise about it died down far too quickly once the event was over. People need to be reminded how much the royals cost us as they sit in their cold and damp homes.
@Jay – I think we should just wait and see as to whether TOB will not bother with a conanation. This is the guy who said he wanted to do away with all the bowing and scraping along with not calling him sir. Yet, he and his wife expected Meghan to curtsey to them and there are countless photographs/videos of people curtseying/bowing to them. If William and his wife were truly serious about people being less formal around them they would phone ahead and TELL their hosts to address them by their first names and under no circumstances are they to bow/curtsey. William was born to be king and his whole upbringing has been centred around making it a grand occassion. It may not be as lavish as Charles but, I truly believe William will have a conanation. It must also be remembered that Kate didn’t marry him just to sign a piece of paper. She wants the whole world to see her wearing a crown. She had her dress rehearsal with the Claire’s Accessory tiara and is now chomping at the bit to be photographed wearing the real thing!
It’s kind of hilarious that Chuck, the “environmental warrior”, flew in representatives from monarchies all over the world, while the Danish succession has zero footprint, except for the tree that gave the paper it will be written on. Oh, the irony.
I am certain Willnot will do the same. Mr. Earthshot, indeed.
@Jay, It’s a constitutional thing. University College London’s legal faculty has dedicated a whole webpage writing these sort of thing: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/constitution-unit/research-areas/monarchy-church-and-state. It’s very serious business.
Damn, katey kins is going to be sooooo disappointed, no new dress, no new tiara, no new wandering wombat on her head, and no simpering at Frederick!
At least they are not going to waste tax payers money on a big hat party, unlike the UK who spent millions on a tax dodger getting his big hat 7 MONTHS after he started in the job (what a joke). Mary, I only have a very few words of advice for you, stay away from keen and her wigs, you don’t need them or her. Stay as commited to your good causes as you are and PULEEEZE no pye charts or notebooks! Leave those to British barbie.
Historic question – was it THAT King Canute crowned in 1170 or have there been a few?
Otherwise this seems very sensible, if you’re going to have an otherwise unnecessary institution, don’t blow extra millions on (more) unnecessary stuff.
There have been several King Canutes here. Or as we call the: Knud. I cannot remember them all.
Fun fact: the early medieval period in Denmark was quite bloody for King’s. Lots of regicide going on. Read up on the Bloodfeast of Roskilde, one of the more notorious killing of King’s since it happened during a formal parley. Another one was killed in a church.
Ooh thank you! All I know about Roskilde is the festival as my boyfriend’s BFF married a Danish lady and now lives in Copenhagen so they’ve been a few times.
Ok wow. That was a wild ride!
If anyone else fancies delving into a bit of Danish history as suggested by @ArtHistorian here’s a link I found:
https://thepostgradchronicles.org/2017/12/02/a-traitors-banquet-the-blood-feast-of-roskilde/
It includes a handy diagram and this gem – “If you are mainly here for the murder and treachery, I won’t be offended if you skip this section”
Erik 5. Klipping was the last Danish King that was murdered, in 1286. The murder is still unsolved but they really really wanted him dead because he was stabbed 56 times!
This has nothing to do with any Knut, but since we are talking about danish royals, I’ll divert a bit. I watched a norwegian comedian’s “stand-up” about the Norwegian kings this christmas. Since Norway was a part if Denmark the list included several danish kings. I quipped when he said one king (Christian Vll) was so known for his extensive masturbation it was mentioned in the encyclopedia.
Many think Game of thrones and Lord of the rings are to far fetched when it comes to intrigues and bloodbaths, but many of the plots are quite close to what’s happened throughout history.
Sometimes history is stranger and wilder than fiction!
Regarding Christian VII, he was clearly mentally ill and unable to rule. Other people ruled for him after Struensee was executed. First, the Chancellor Ove Høegh-Guldberg. He fell after a coup by the 16-year old Crown Prince (later Frederik VI) who then ruled, first as regent for his father and later as anointed King. Christian VII was married to George III’s sister Caroline Mathilde and her fate is quite sad. There’s a movie about it: A Royal Affair with Mads Mikkelsen as a more handsome version of the doctor Struensee who came to rule Denmark for a while and had an affair with the Queen. He eventually lost his head.
I googled the king after I saw the comedian, and thought of that film @Arthistorian. I remember thinking “I’m glad I live at the time I do, and that I’m not a royal” when I saw it years ago.
@Couch Potato,
I think it pretty much sucked for most people to live in pre-modern times, and even in the 18th and 19th centuries.
If I could time travel I would visit the Exposition Universelle in Paris in 1900 – just to see all the art nouveau architecture and design on display.
My deepest condolences to CPM on the loss of her hairdresser. My long-time stylist moved just before COVID and I still haven’t found anyone I like enough to become a regular.
I do want to see Mary in a tiara because I think the Danish have some of the most gorgeous tiaras and Mary wears them really well. Alas, I do not make the tiara rules, lol.
This seems so streamlined and simple – very modern compared to the British coronation, the pictures of Charles in his robes and his too heavy crown, etc. And I agree that having this after an abdication instead of a death changes the vibe too. Like QEII reportedly always spent her accession day in reflection bc it marked the day her father died, and we saw that from Charles this year. But if it had just been after an abdication? then the two events are separate and you can mourn your parent without it being connected to your new role as monarch.
(I’m not saying QEII’s father should have abdicated at that time, just pointing out how the death and accession were always connected for her.)
There are some really spectacular royal tiaras in Denmark. I’m fortunate to have seen several of them in person. The most exquisite are Mary’s ruby-diamond tiara and Daisy’s Perle Poire Tiara.
The Danes have a lot of tiara events – formal receptions, state dinners – so Mary will get a chance to wear her new finery, to be sure.
No significant birthdays or anniversaries for a little while – Margrethe did enjoy throwing grand parties.
I guess I’ll be the outlier here and say Darn it! While I respect the Danish tradition of bringing in a new monarch, I was really wanting to see Mary in a lovely gown and crown! A young (ish) vibrant couple all gussied up and lots of ceremony (even if I couldn’t understand a word). After the Clown-anation is England, I was really looking forward to seeing a coronation done right. Darn it!
They wear all their finery and tiaras at parties – but NEVER at any events specifically related to the constitutional aspects of the monarchy, like the accession of a new Monarch, the Opening of Parliament, etc. They are not the top Dogs at these events, the PM is.
Watch the Dutch version of a coronation, I think technically an inauguration, from 2013. Maxima wore a tiara, they sat on the thrones, rode carriages, and the king wore an ermine robe, but no crown.
I’m pretty sure they will be some kind of public pledge of service but this looks like the last Spanish coronation. I wonder how it will be done in Sweden as well because there seemed to be a lot more pomp over there, this one might be closer to the British coronation.
It will be interesting to see what form Fred’s accession will take since there haven’t been an abdication in about a millennial and we don’t do coronations anymore.
Sweden will basically have a daytime swearing-in for Swedish government/family where the monarch takes an oath to the country/constitution. The new monarch will IIRC sit on the Silver Throne and the historical crown will be displayed – as it is on “life occasions” such as baptism/wedding/funeral – but not put on someone’s head. Then the monarch and family will appear on the balcony. Pretty similar to Denmark’s in a lot of ways.
(If the monarch does not sit on the throne, this historical object WILL be in the room.)
Makes sense. They haven’t done coronations in about 200 years so why bother starting it up again?
It seems that at coronations, loyalty and service is pledged TO the monarch. That is the nature of the monarchy and nobility, and it’s historical. It really makes you think of what it means to live with a monarchy. I think if a Monarch actually pledged service to the people, that would be “revolutionary.” Does one want to pledge loyalty to a monarch or even “The Crown, OR to one’s country and its constitution? “The Crown” is unelected. Even in constitutional or parliamentary monarchies where the government is “elected” in some places the unelected monarchy still exerts an opaque and powerful influence.
I would have to check the wording but I’m pretty sure most if not all European monarchies, except the UK, have the monarch take an oath similar to that of US presidents. So the oath is about upholding the constitution/law and serving the people.
That depends where it is. They don’t in Denmark, mainly because they went from absolutism to constitutionalism. The King who agreed to this actually got surprised when he was not allowed to get his way in political matters after 1849. In 1920 Christian X was put firmly in his place when he fired the government and there were massive protests. He only managed to gain som measure of popularity during the Occupation in the 1940s.
The British monarchy is unique in the fact that the UK doesn’t have a written constitution and things rest on a weird amalgam of historical traditions, prevents and legislation. Examples are the King’s Consent and the fact that the Channel Islands exists in a weird space where the King appoints officials since they are his domain under some ancient precept of English King’s once being Dukes ofNormandy.
The UK Coronation is meant to involve the Monarch pledging service to the people. This is explicit in the national anthem : i.e. ‘,May he defend our laws and ever give us cause to sing with with heart and voice God Save the King’.
At the start of the ceremony the King declares “I do not come to be served but to serve”.
Those who pledge allegiance are the ranks of nobility whose purpose is to serve the Monarch. Historically this was important because potential threats and competing claims to the throne came from the nobility, many of whom would have family ties with the King. In the UK the King swears allegiance to the Church of England and is nominal Head of the Church.
The proposed oath of allegiance ‘from the people’ was a sign of confusion in those planning the ceremony, including Charles who would have been closely involved. It was nonsense but this was recognised too late. The order of service had already been printed. Instead of asking people watching at home to say the pledge, they were invited to pray for the King.
The whole thing was too much too soon.
The coronation is essentially a binding contract service. Some comments above said that the British monarch doesn’t pledge an oath. That is too obviously a lie. From his accession ceremony to coronation, Charles repeatedly and publicly swore several oaths about upholding constitution, law instruments, surrending Crown Estates’ revenue (mind not the ownership), the church’s governing, the Scottish church’s governing, his realms, etc.
The people pledging of allegiance is a new thing. In all the earlier ones, only the lords or their representative were required to take the oath at the coronation. Subjects were not required, since their allegiance was a given. And since now that the lords are mostly dealt away with (only a handful hereditary peers are sitting in parliament, and as the public saw at latest coronation, the peers presence and unique functions were greatly reduced; no coronation robes, no tiaras and coronets, and horse carriages were not allowed), the planning committe thought that it would be a great idea for the lords pledging to be replaced with a peoples’ pledging. But it is illogical and cumbersome and as you can see it created controversy. In fact, there really is no need for peoples pledging of their allegiance. Natural born’s Britons allegiance to the Crown is a birth duty, and naturalised Britons are required to taken an oath to the Crown to become British. These are the same as people born or naturalised in the republics. It is just how modern nation states work. No difference.
Lastly, MPs and ministers (privy counsellors) will also take additional oaths, just like any other public servants do.
Can someone tell me why Charles & Camilla were made such a fuss of at the Danish Church service?
They had a mini British coronation, it seemed most inappropriate to me.
Judy
So no tax problems with this? In England the inheritance is tax free only if monarch dies.
It probably would create tax problems, there were huge ones when Edward VIII abdicated.
Accession and Coronation are two separate things. Charles’s accession happened immediately after his mother’s death. There would have been some private legal formalities at this time. In the days following there were public legal formalities including the signing of documents and a speech to the nation.
The Dutch Abdication, Accession and Inauguration all took place on the same day.
The Inauguration ceremony involved robes and regalia and an oath:
The Oath :
‘I solemnly swear to the people of the Kingdom that I shall constantly preserve and uphold the Charter for the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Constitution. I swear that I shall defend and preserve the independence and the territory of the Kingdom to the best of my ability, that I shall protect the freedom and rights of all Dutch citizens and residents, and that I shall employ all means placed at my disposal by the law to preserve and promote prosperity, as is incumbent upon a good and faithful Sovereign. So help me God!
The Danish ceremonial may be similar.
Good decision, why waste money on a coronation that’s plagued with adultery and cheating scandals 🙄🙄🙄 so anticlimactic 😪😪😪
swaz, there are many posts above that explain why it is done differently in Denmark and this has been the case for a good long while.
I’m not sure how the affair has anything to do with what is REQUIRED in Denmark.
The sexual gossip has no bearing on what is going to happen. It isn’t even important in Denmark (regarding public opinion). However, it does seem to be important for British tabloids and internet puritans. That piece of gossip is between Mary and Fred, it really isn’t our business.
Prince Andrew is a special case because it is very likely that he has committed serious crimes – and he should be investigated.
Good! Keep it simple and don’t remind the peasants that you are taxing them so that one family can live in extravagant wealth and maintain inherited wealth.
Their private wealth isn’t vast. Most of the royal assets were nationalized with the abolition of absolutism (and the State coffers weren’t in a great condition after a national bankruptcy and an expensive war) and the prince who inherited after the childless Frederik VII (who was the last absolutist king) was virtually penniless. And then I do believe that they lost a significant amount of their wealth in a bank collapse in the 1920. They have some millions but there are far far richer people in Denmark.
I have to admit that the monies of the DRF isn’t at the top of my list. I am far more concerned about the way that our politicians set their own salaries and how many of the ministers get lifelong pensions for millions per person regardless of how short their tenure is. It kinda chafes when some ministers just have that job for a couple of years or even just months!
The royals cost us about 17 million dollars per year. This is about 9% of the entire budget of the yearly public finances.
Will Danish billionaires- and the other well-connecteds attend? Like Povlsen (ASOS +) owner?
I’m not surprised, it was my understanding that the only country to still do long, drawn out formal coronations in Europe was the UK. All the other modern monarchs have had the equivalent of a swearing-in ceremony similar to a Presidential inauguration, but very dressed down. I’m sure Mary will wear a nice outfit and the family will wave form a balcony along with Queen Emeritus (?) Margrethe. Probably for the best given Frederik’s recent cheating scandal. I do hope Mary is featured on this site more. I find her way more interesting than Kate and her fashion is miles higher.
usually, there isn’t a swearing in ceremony for a new Monarch – simply a public proclamation. They do have something to do with the wording as it is usually “The King/Queen is dead, Long live the King/Queen”. Obviously, they cannot do this here.
I’ve seen pictures of Margrethe’s balcony appearance at her accession. She was dressed in black from head-to-toe and she looked distraught after her father’s death. I am glad that this occasion won’t be so grim.