Crown Prince Christian is the 'main focus' of Mary of Denmark, says body language expert, describing how the new queen 'surrounds' her children up close during historic abdication ceremony

The eldest son of Princess Mary of Denmark looked dashing and suitably confident as he stepped out for the Danish royal abdication today.

The royal family will now name Crown Prince Christian, 18, as heir apparent. Now he is heir to the throne, after the transfer of power from his grandmother to his father.

This follows Queen Margrethe II signing her historic abdication after 52 years as monarch, with Danish broadcaster DR reporting: that her last words before leaving the Council of State were: 'God save the King', like Christiansborg Castle.

The Crown Prince, 18, today wore a formal navy blue suit for the historic occasion, which he paired with a white shirt and a dark suit.

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

The transfer of power started with a procession of cars, containing a number of members of the royal family, traveling from Amalienborg.

Meanwhile, Margrethe II followed in a carriage, waving to the delighted crowds as she departed from Christian IX's palace.

Both passed Frederiksgade, Bredgade, Kongens Nytorv, Holmens Canal and Prince Jørgen's Courtyard along the way.

At Christiansborg Palace, Margrethe, Frederik and Christian all participated in a Council of State, together with the government and the secretary of the Council of State.

Here Her Majesty the Queen will sign a declaration of her abdication.

Margrethe then returned to Amalienborg, while Frederik and Mary held a formal reception for special guests.

The couple will appear on the balcony at Christiansborg Palace at 3pm Danish time. The Prime Minister then proclaimed the king's enthronement.

After this, the newly crowned monarch planned to speak and conclude with the motto.

This speech would be followed by an honorary cannon salute from the Sixtus Battery – a heritage site in Holmen, Copenhagen – and the Royal Standard will then be lowered at the Palace of Christian IX (Margrethe's house) and raised again at the Palace of Frederick VIII, where the new King and Queen are based.

Frederik and Mary take a carriage from Christiansborg Palace back to Amalienborg, which will be escorted by a mounted squadron.

There will also be a transfer of the royal colors at 5 p.m from the palace of Christian IX to the palace of Frederick VIII.

Princess Mary, Frederik's brother Joachim and Princess Benedkeek can take over as head of state if Christian is too busy, but he will certainly have to take on more official duties.

Christian is often referred to as 'Europe's most eligible bachelor' and his new title will only further elevate that status.

This is where the succession to the throne will take place, as Her Majesty The Queen will sign a declaration of her abdication.

Margrethe will then return to Amalienborg, while Frederik and Mary will hold a formal reception for specially invited guests.

While he smiled at times, the new King Frederik looked overwhelmed and very emotional, body language expert Adrianne Carter told FEMAIL.

She added, “His eyes are red like tears are very close. He wipes away tears to gain emotional control.

'As the Prime Minister speaks, he looks happy and more composed than when he signed the document.

'When the king starts to give his speech, we see him a lot more relaxed and collected. We see many genuine smiles from him as we read.”

The body language expert also spoke about his wife – the new Queen Mary – and how she performed at the historic event.

According to Adrianne, “When Mary came along [Frederik] we initially saw quite a distance between the two of them.

“As they held hands, he came closer, which she accepted.”

According to the body language expert, this can be significant because 'a literal distance can often mean a distance in a relationship'.

She further described the video: “When the kids join them, they all start living together.

“Mary includes her children and that is her main focus.

'The king pulls Mary to him as the children leave the balcony and she is the first to drive away.

'He is genuinely happy and very emotional during the balcony period.'

Europe's longest-reigning monarch, 83 years old, announced in a dramatic New Year's Eve speech that she will step down on January 14.

In fairytale-like picturesque scenes, thousands, many cheering and waving flags, braved freezing temperatures, high winds, snow and sleet on Thursday to cheer the popular queen along the route for what will be her last public appearance as monarch.

The monarch will hand the throne to her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, in the first resignation in Europe's oldest ruling monarchy in almost 900 years.

It comes following reports that Prince Joachim, Frederik's younger brother, will attend the event solo to support his sibling, according to Hello!.

His wife, Princess Marie, and their two children, Count Henrik, 14, and Countess Athena of Monpezat, 11, will remain in Washington DC, where the family now lives after Joachim became Attaché for the Defense Industry at the Embassy of Denmark.

A palace spokesman said: “Prince Joachim will be there, but the children will go to school, there is no special reason,” before adding that Queen Margrethe's youngest son will leave Denmark the next day to return to his home in the US.

Tensions first arose in the Danish royal family after the monarch decided to strip four of her grandchildren of their HRH titles in 2022. She subsequently apologized for the timing of the announcement, but stood by the measure.

Joachim had spoken out against his mother's decision in the days that followed – claiming that his two children, Counts Nikolai, 24, and Felix, 21 – born from his first marriage to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg – and Henrik and Athena , 'damaged thereby'.

Months later, the sixth in line to the throne admitted there was a 'lack of communication' within the royal family in the run-up to the shock announcement.

Joachim told local news channel BT: 'There is a lot to work on. Communication was what was missing. Now we have met and we are on the right track.'

Shortly after his children were stripped of his titles, Joachim claimed he was given only five days' notice before the news was made public.

After the queen's announcement, Joachim spoke to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet outside the Danish embassy in Paris, where he lived with his French-born wife Princess Marie and his two youngest children, and said his four children were “hurt” by the their grandmother's decision. .

'I was given five days' notice to tell them. In May I was presented with a plan that broadly stated that this would happen when the children each turned 25. Now I only had five days to tell them. Athena will turn eleven years old in January,” he clarified at the time.

Speaking to BT, Joachim and his second wife Marie also admitted that their relationship with Prince Frederik and Princess Mary is 'complicated'.

Meanwhile, Joachim's ex-wife Alexandra said her sons, Nikolai and Felix, felt they had been “left out” of the institution and the decision had come as a bolt from the blue.