Moment as Danish partygoers gasp in shock at the surprise abdication of Queen Margrethe II after 52 years on the throne, as her announcement interrupts their New Year’s Eve celebrations
New Year’s Eve celebrations took an unexpected turn in Denmark this year when the country’s longest-serving monarch, Queen Margrethe II, announced her decision to abdicate during her annual speech.
Shock reverberated around the world when the 83-year-old monarch, famous for her chain-smoking and flamboyant sense of style, announced her plans, but it was the people she rules who were most affected by the news.
Margrethe, who came to the throne in 1972, is the longest-serving monarch in Europe after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
Unsurprisingly, Danes were surprised by the news, with many taking to social media to express their surprise.
Many took to TikTok to share their live reactions to Margrethe’s speech, and jaws were wide open.
One social media user wondered: ‘Is this called the King’s New Year’s Speech?’ as he looked shocked after listening to the speech
During the speech, Margrethe said that her successful back surgery, which she underwent in February, helped shape her decision.
“The operation obviously gave rise to reflection on the future – whether it was time to pass the responsibility to the next generation,” she said in her speech.
“I’ve decided this is the right time. On January 14, 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark.
“I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik.”
It was those words that left Denmark in a state of bewilderment.
Moments later, clips emerged on social media showing the Danes’ shocked reactions to Queen Margrethe’s decision.
In a after, one surprised individual wondered, “Is this called the King’s New Year’s Speech?” while a confused group of young people sat around the television in shock.
Elsewhere, a party She paused to listen to the Queen’s speech, but there were quick glitches as Margrethe shared her plans.
For some, the news came as a pleasant surprise, and one user can be seen with a smile on her face
The people of Denmark took to TikTok to share their thoughts on the surprising news, and many had mixed feelings
The news of Crown Prince Frederick as the ‘new king’ was welcomed by some New Year’s Eve revelers
The video, captioned: “The moment everyone found out Denmark is getting a new king,” was accompanied by screams and someone exclaiming: “Oh my God.”
Another user shared his friend’s response to the abdication of the beloved queen, and she seemed to be in a state of shock.
Meanwhile, one TikTok user shared their response with a heartbroken emoji. They wrote: ‘Our beautiful queen, thank you for everything.’
Another apparently cried over the situation, writing: ‘I will miss her #queenmargrethe.’
One elsewhere Posted a live reaction to the news that reads: ‘Not ready to have a king.’
A social media user shared her sadness at the thought of Queen Margrethe II no longer sitting on the throne, appearing to cry at one point
A New Year’s Eve party paused to listen to the Queen’s speech, but they were disappointed by the news
Another user agreed with that sentiment, sharing her reaction to the news, saying, “We don’t want a king.”
The user in shock, she held her hand tightly to her mouth and added in writing, “We have lost our queen here.”
Feelings of sadness were common, and another wrote, “The saddest news,” with a clip of her friend nearly in tears from the news.
However, it was not only negative emotions that swept Denmark, but also feelings of joy at the celebration of the new king.
One TikTok user shared her live response to Margrethe’s speech, which was accompanied by joyful exclamations.
“We have lost our queen,” one social media user wrote, appearing shocked
One user took to TikTok to share his thoughts on Margrethe’s decision, explaining his feelings with a heartbroken emoji
It comes after the timing of Margrethe’s decision raised questions as it followed closely on the heels of Frederik’s controversial headlines depicting him on a night out in Madrid with a Mexican socialite, sparking rumors of an alleged ‘affair’.
Speculation is mounting that the decision has been made to keep Frederick’s wife of 19 years, Princess Mary, who is extremely popular with the public.
Princess Mary, who will become the country’s first Australian-born queen in weeks, has won over the Danish public with her dedication to royal duty and her command of the language.
Her husband is also equally popular, having changed his public image from a rebellious, loose and party animal to a family man during his youth.
However, their relationship came under scrutiny last year when Frederik was spotted on a night out with Mexican reality star Genoveva Casanova in October.
While the Royal Family declined to comment on photos of the couple together, Genoveva issued a public statement denying any form of romantic relationship and called the rumors “malicious.”
And in 2022, Margrethe stripped her youngest son Prince Joachim’s children, Athena, 11, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Prince Nikolai, 23, of their prince and princess titles.
Margrethe said at the time that she hoped the move would allow the siblings to “shape their own lives without being limited by the special considerations and duties” that a formal connection to the Danish royal family entails.
She said she thought it was better for her to take action rather than leave the burden to Frederick as future king.