Danish New Year’s Banquet 2024

The Danish Royal Family joined Queen Margrethe II for her final annual New Year’s Court (Nytårskur) and Banquet hosted at Christian VII’s Palace, Amalienborg in Copenhagen on January 1st. Two more New Year’s Levees will be held later this week, ahead of Queen Margrethe’s Abdication on January 14th.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Royal Watcher (@the_royal_watcher)

Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and Princess Benedikte joined Queen Margrethe II as she hosted her final New Year’s Reception and Banquet for the Government, top Civil Servants and the Royal Court at Christian VII’s Palace, Amalienborg.

The Royal Family were pictured arriving at the Palace and reviewing the Guard but the Banquet remained a private event with no photographs released except of the decorations.

Queen Margrethe repeated her pink gown the Pearl Poiré Tiara and Khedive of Egypt Parure, the Collar and Star of the Order of the Elephant and the Badge of the Order of the Dannebrog.

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark wore Uniform with his medals, the Collar and Star of the Order of the Elephant and Neck Badge of the Order of the Dannebrog. Crown Princess Mary wore her velvet gown with the Danish Ruby Parure, the Collar and Star of the Order of the Elephant and Queen Margrethe’s Royal Family Order.

Prince Joachim wore Uniform with his medals, the Collar and Star of the Order of the Elephant and Neck Badge of the Order of the Dannebrog. Princess Marie wore Princess Dagmar’s Diamond Floral Tiara, her Sapphire Earrings, the Collar and Star of the Order of the Elephant and the Badge of the Order of the Dannebrog.

Princess Benedikte wore the Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Fringe Tiara, Queen Alexandrine’s Diamond Sautoir the Collar and Star of the Order of the Elephant and the Badge of the Order of the Dannebrog.

In her annual New Year’s Speech, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has announced that she is abdicating the Danish Throne after a Reign of 52 years, and will be succeeded by Crown Prince Frederik, who will become King Frederik X

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by The Royal Watcher (@the_royal_watcher)

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced that she will be abdicating the Danish Throne on January 14th, following a Reign of 52 years.

A very special thank you must be heard from me tonight. Thank you for all the warmth and affection that I and my family have received over many, many years.

In 14 days I will have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Such a long time does not pass without a trace for any human being – not even me! Time wears on, and the “diseases” increase. You no longer cope with the same things as you once could.

„In 14 days I will have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Such long time does not pass without a trace for any human being - not even me! Time goes on, and the "diseases" increase. You no longer cope with the same things as you once could. In February this year I underwent… pic.twitter.com/aDqP0LqC0p
— ChristinZ (@ChristinsQueens) December 31, 2023

In February this year I underwent extensive back surgery. It went well, thanks to the skilled healthcare staff who took care of me. Of course, the operation also gave rise to thinking about the future – whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation.

I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 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.

Following a State Council on the 14th, the Prime Minister will proclaim the new King at Christiansborg Palace.

After the change of throne, the Queen will continue to be titled as Her Majesty.”

Crown Prince Frederik will become King Frederik X on January 14th, along side Queen Mary.

The eldest daughter of King Frederik IX of Denmark and Princess Ingrid of Sweden, Queen Margrethe II was born just a week after Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany. She is the elder sister of Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and Queen Anne Marie of Greece as well as the first cousin of King Carl Gustaf of Sweden and the Haga Princesses. In 1953, her father, by then King Frederick XI, altered the constitution to allow women to succeed to the throne and appointed her Heiress Presumptive, after a referendum. In 1967, then Crown Princess Margrethe married French Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat. The couple had two children, now Crown Prince Frederick and Prince Joachim . In January 1972, she succeeded her father as Queen of Denmark. She has many ceremonial duties as the Danish Head of State, as well as supreme authority of the Church of Denmark and Commander-in-Chief of the Danish Defence Forces, and celebrated her Golden Jubilee in 2022. Queen Margrethe is also an accomplished artist and designer, often designing many of her own outfits as well as costumes for theatre productions, most recently for ‘Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction’.