On New Year's morning 1972, her mother called to say that her father, the Danish king, was not well.

The night before, Princess Margrethe had seen his New Year's speech on television and thought his speech was as good as ever.

When, after her mother's phone call, she first stood in for her father when receiving guests and later visited him at his bedside, there were not too many concerns in Copenhagen.

His condition didn't seem that serious, a little fever, maybe a little influenza.

"Long live Queen Margrethe II!"

Matthias Wysuwa

Political correspondent for northern Germany and Scandinavia based in Hamburg.

  • Follow I follow

Frederik IX was 72 years old, Margrethe was 31. In the next few days, however, the king got worse, he was hospitalized, and Margrethe visited him every day.

In a recent book about her years leading up to the coronation, she tells of the beeping EKG monitor in the dying king's room.

Her mother began to prepare everything at court.

Margrethe was looking for a motto for her reign.

On January 14 her father died and Margrethe was crowned Queen of Denmark.

"King Frederic IX.

is dead,” was exclaimed.

"Long live Queen Margrethe II!"

Big celebration will be made up for in the summer

It's been 50 years and the kingdom of Denmark is celebrating.

A little at least, the corona pandemic is dominating the country and the number of infections is higher than ever.

The big celebrations should therefore only take place late in the summer.

At 81 and after 50 years on the throne, Margrethe II is as popular as ever in the kingdom.

The country has rapidly transformed into a modern welfare state.

She has seen nine prime ministers come and go.

An extraordinary queen who, even if she didn't hit the right note, knew how to cushion it in an amazingly direct and self-ironic way.

And the Danes don't seem to hold anything against her anyway.

Neither does her love for cigarettes.

After all, the Queen has not smoked in public for many years.

"God's help, people's love, Denmark's strength" was Margrethe II's motto. She also remembered her father and his "With God for Denmark". The royal family had long been popular – at least since Frederik's father, King Christian X, stayed with the family and rode through the streets of Copenhagen during the German occupation of Denmark. Margrethe was able to become queen because the laws on succession to the throne were amended in the 1950s and as the eldest daughter she was now allowed to follow her father. As he was known for his love of music, so was his daughter for her love of art and her many interests, from painting to designing theater and film costumes to translating books.

The New Year's speeches by the head of the kingdom are a lovingly cultivated ritual of the Danes on New Year's Eve. Margrethe had already married her husband, the former French diplomat Prince Henrik, before she ascended the throne. He died in 2018. The fact that it was not always easy for him to arrive in his role and in Denmark in general also concerned the Queen. The marriage produced two sons, and the 53-year-old Crown Prince Frederik is also very popular with the Danes. When the Queen was on a state visit to Germany in autumn 2021, he was allowed to accompany her. The fact that the Queen could abdicate in his favor is not up for debate.

On Friday, the day of her jubilee, the Queen met the government in the morning and was celebrated in Parliament.

But because the anniversary of her accession to the throne always commemorates the day of her father's death, Margrethe II traveled to Roskilde Cathedral with her sons Frederik and Joachim.

There lies Frederik IX.

to bury.

And his daughter the queen laid a wreath.