The Importance of Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II Abdicating Her Throne

On Jan 14th, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II abdicated her throne, marking 52 years since she initially claimed the title. The monarch announced her abdication in her annual New Year’s Eve Speech, broadcast on live TV. Passing the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederik, has people speculating whether they can expect a similar surprise elsewhere in the Nordic region.

Margrethe II is Denmark’s first monarch to abdicate in nearly 900 years. She stated that back surgery and other sicknesses left her unable to perform as many duties as before. “Abdication has become more common because people are becoming older and older,” said Lars Hovbakke Sørensen, a Danish historian and lecturer. Therefore, we have more old monarchs in Europe and older crown princes and crown princesses.”

Nordic sovereigns, including Margrethe, have traditionally warded off suggestions of stepping down to support their heirs. In 2012, she famously said, “I will remain on the throne till I drop.” The last Danish monarch to abdicate was Erik III in 1146.

Carl XVI Gustaf, the King of Sweden, also indicated that he intends to stay on the throne until his death. In 2014, he told the Swedish outlet Expression that retirement “doesn’t run” in their family. “At least not historically,” he clarified. “It is an old tradition of ours to not retire.”

Similarly, Harald V of Norway expressed his commitment to remaining on the throne despite being hospitalized several times recently. 

Mia Pinto, a Walt Whitman High School freshman, expressed her thoughts about the situation. “Unpredictable things have happened in history all the time. In my opinion, I wouldn’t be surprised if we see a Nordic king abdicating soon.”

Victoria, the Crown Princess of Sweden, is highly regarded and admired by Swedish people. Her overwhelming popularity has also made people question if the King will abdicate his throne in her favor. 

William Lidman, a 16-year-old student from Stockholm, affirmed Victoria’s increasing popularity. “She [Victoria] is a pretty big figure in Sweden, like Princess Kate in Britain. Swedes respect the King, but his popularity is decreasing. A lot of people think he should retire and pass his throne onto Victoria. She is our favorite royal, and there’s definitely public pressure on him to abdicate. But there’s really no way to know if that pressure will even affect him.”

In a 2017 survey, 29% of respondents said King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden should retire. As Princess Victoria has grown in popularity, that number is expected to have increased. Low approval ratings combined with Margrethe II’s abdication have led to people wondering what the future of the Swedish monarchy will look like.

“I think he should retire, and I hope he does,” Lidman added. “Princess Victoria is much more capable of doing the job.”

Article Written by Ninia Sopromadze of Walter Johnson High School