Margrethe II abdicates Danish throne

Queen Margrethe will hand over the throne of Europe’s oldest continuous monarchy to her son, who becomes King Frederik X


April 16, 1940: Margrethe Alexandrine Thorhildur Ingrid born one week after Nazi invasion of Denmark, eldest child of future King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid of Sweden
 
1953: Becomes heir presumptive after constitution amended to allow female succession
 
1959: Graduates from school in Copenhagen, later studies archaeology at Cambridge and political science at Aarhus University, Sorbonne and London School of Economics
 
1967: Marries Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat – French diplomat who becomes Prince Henrik. They have two sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim

Jan 14, 1972: Becomes first female sovereign of Denmark since Margrethe I, who ruled Scandinavian kingdoms from 1375-1412
 
2018: Prince Henrik dies
 
2022: Margrethe celebrates Golden Jubilee – 50-year reign
 
Jan 14, 2024: Margrethe, 83, world’s only reigning queen and Europe’s longest serving current monarch, abdicates throne
  

Sources: Kongehuset.dk, University of Cambridge 
Picture: Getty Images 
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