Queen Margrethe II has always been a focal point of the Danish royal family, even after she abdicated.
From her distinguished style, to her long reign, she has been an impactful royal.
Here’s what you need to know about Denmark’s former ruler, Queen Margrethe II.
How old is Queen Margrethe of Denmark?
Queen Margrethe, Margrethe Alexandrine Porhildur Ingrid, is 85 years old, born on April 16, 1940. She was born at Frederik VIII’s Palace, in her parents’ residence at Amalienborg, as the daughter of Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid (born Princess of Sweden).
For her 85th birthday, she was greeted by many supporters outside Fredensborg Palace, alongside her family.
Along with Queen Mary, King Frederick, and their children, she was also joined by her two sisters, two of her grandchildren from her second son, Prince Joachim, Count Felix, and Count Nikolai of Monpezat.
They all then went inside, where the King and Queen hosted a luncheon. Afterwards, the former ruler also enjoyed a private birthday dinner, where members of the court and dignitaries also attended.
How long was Queen Margrethe’s reign?
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was Queen for 52 years, making her Denmark’s longest-serving monarch. She rose to the throne in 1972 after the death of her father, King Frederik IX, who died of complications from pneumonia. She ascended to the throne when she was just 31 years old.
She was married to Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark (he previously held the title of Henri Marie Jean Andre, Count of Laborde de Monpezat) for 50 years, until his passing in 2018.
On top of being Denmark’s longest-serving monarch, she also became Europe’s longest-serving head of state and only female-serving head of state after the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022. However, Queen Margarethe abdicated from the throne on January 14, 2024.
She was the first royal to abdicate the Danish throne in almost 900 years.
Why did the Queen of Denmark abdicate?
The reason behind the Queen of Denmark’s abdication can be narrowed down to age and health issues.
During her televised speech announcing her abdication, she said: “One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past…” In early 2023, Queen Margrethe underwent extensive surgery on her back, and this has been revealed to also play a part in her decision to abdicate.
“The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future — whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation,” she said at the time.
How tall is Queen Margrethe of Denmark?
Queen Margrethe is surprisingly tall, measuring at a height of 1.82m. Her sons are also quite tall, with Crown Prince Frederik standing at 1.83m and Prince Joachim at 1.88m.
How many sisters does Queen Margrethe of Denmark have?
Queen Margrethe has two siblings: Princess Benedikte of Denmark, 80, and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, 78.
All siblings are daughters of both Frederik IX of Denmark and Ingrid of Sweden, however, Princess Anne-Marie married Konstantin II in 1964, making her the Queen of Greece.
How is Queen Margrethe related to Queen Elizabeth?
The late Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margrethe were both good friends and distantly related… they are third cousins to be exact!
Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margrethe are great-great-granddaughters of Queen Victoria of England and King Christian IX of Denmark.
