Danish troops rehearse on the streets of Copenhagen ahead of the royal succession ceremony for Crown Prince Frederik as he ascends the throne following the shock abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe

Danish troops have taken to the streets of Copenhagen to rehearse for the succession of Prince Frederik of Denmark.

The historic event, which follows Queen Margrethe's shock abdication on New Year's Eve, is an exciting event for the nation but will be a much more stripped-down transfer of power compared to King Charles's ornate coronation in May.

Danish troops descended on the country's capital to prepare for the monumental event, which will take place on Sunday.

Soldiers braved the snowy conditions to prepare for the event, with horses taking to the streets to see if they responded properly.

“It's a big part of Denmark and it's a very important job to do… everything has to be perfect,” said one soldier.

The streets were filled with the sound of traditional trumpets as soldiers on horseback rode through the streets.

Elsewhere, soldiers conducted last-minute uniform checks to ensure each member was equipped with the correct items.

The day starts around 1.35pm, with Frederik, 55, and Mary, 51, leaving in a car from Amalienborg to Christiansborg Palace, together with their son HRH Prince Christian.

Shortly afterwards Margrethe will follow, leaving from the palace of Christian IX in a carriage.

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

At 2 p.m. there will be a Council of State at Christiansborg Palace, in which Margrethe, Frederik and Christian will participate together with the government and the secretary of the Council of State.

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.

The couple will appear on the balcony at Christiansborg Palace at 3 p.m. The Prime Minister will then announce the King's accession to the throne.

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

It will 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.

This is in response to messages Prince Joachim, Frederik's younger brother, will only attend the event to support his sibling 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.

Speak with BTJoachim 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.

The Royal House released a further statement, saying: 'As the Queen stated yesterday, the decision has been a long time coming.

'We understand that there are many emotions at stake at the moment, but we hope that the Queen's wish to make the Royal House future-proof will be respected.'