King Frederik X and Queen Maria of Denmark celebrate their new reign with a kiss.
Shortly after Queen Margrethe signed her abdication statement on Sunday, making her son the new monarch, the country’s prime minister proclaimed Frederik king on the balcony of Christiansborg Castle.
After the announcement and a short speech by King Frederik, his wife and their four children joined him on the balcony to wave to the crowd.
At one point, King Frederik and Queen Mary shared a kiss, much to the delight of those gathered below.
King Frederik appeared emotional during his exit to the balcony, wiping away tears in places. When Queen Mary joined her husband, she held his hands tightly.
King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark appear as rulers for the first time on January 14, 2024.
JONATHAN NACKSTRAND/AFP via Getty
Queen Margrethe of Denmark officially abdicates, making her son King Frederik
The united front between King Frederik, 55, and Queen Mary, 51, comes after rumors of infidelity hit the headlines. In November 2023, reports surfaced that Frederik was having an affair with Mexican socialite Geneveva Casanova after they were photographed together during his private trip to Madrid. Casanova has denied allegations of a romantic relationship with the royal family.
However, some have questioned whether Queen Margrethe’s sudden abdication – Danish monarchs usually rule until their death – was a move to strengthen the marriage between her son and daughter-in-law.
“It is possible that the Queen took this action because she would be terrified of the marriage breaking up and the royal family losing Mary. That would cause big problems. The Queen has always viewed Mary as of immense value,” said longtime author and royal commentator Phil Dampier The Telegraph.
“It just seems an incredible coincidence that she made this unexpected announcement just months after stories of the heir to the throne’s alleged affair broke,” Dampier continued. “In two weeks, the prince and princess will be presented together as king and queen and they will have to get on with it. The Queen may think that they will iron out their differences and that will save their marriage.”
King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark make their first appearance as monarchs with children on January 14, 2024.
Sean Gallup/Getty
Although there have been famous Queen Marys in the past, this one will have the distinct first place as the only queen consort ever born in Australia.
Born Mary Donaldson, the new Danish queen was an Australian advertising executive before a chance encounter changed her life. She found herself chatting with Prince Frederik, although he introduced himself simply as “Fred”, at the Slip Inn in Sydney’s Darling Harbor in September 2000. The pub was full of people from all over the world who were in town for the Olympics.
“Something clicked,” Crown Princess Mary said in a 2005 interview. “It wasn’t fireworks in the sky or anything like that, but there was a sense of excitement.”
Soon into their conversation, Mary learned that she was talking to the Crown Prince of Denmark, the heir to the 1,000-year-old Danish throne.
“The first time we met, we shook hands,” she said of their introduction. “I didn’t know he was a Danish prince. Half an hour later someone came up to me and said, ‘Do you know who these people are?’ ”
Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark in June 2023.
MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty
Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter to receive the latest news on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!
For a year, the couple met through a long-distance relationship that flew under the radar of the media.
“She came to know and love Frederik as the man he was, not as the heir to the throne,” Mary’s friend Chris Meehan later told the book’s authors Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark.
In 2002, Mary moved to Copenhagen, converted to a Lutheran church and learned Danish, a notoriously difficult language to master. The couple announced their engagement in 2003 and married the following year in Copenhagen Cathedral.
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education