CELEBRITY

Who are Queen Margrethe II’s Siblings?

Published

9 months ago

January 1, 2024

The longest-serving female head of state in history is Queen Margrethe II, who was born on April 16, 1940. She was born into the House of Glücksburg, and in 1953, a constitutional amendment that permitted women to inherit the kingdom made her the presumed heir to her father.

Since only men could become kings of Denmark at the time of her birth, it was expected that her uncle, Prince Knud, would become king at some point.

The process of changing the constitution began in 1947, with the popularity of Frederik and his daughters and the more prominent role of women in Danish life starting the complicated process. The new Act of Succession permitted female succession to the throne of Denmark, according to male-preference cognatic primogeniture. In 2009, the law of succession was modified into absolute primogeniture.

On her eighteenth birthday, Margrethe was given a seat in the Council of State and chaired the meetings in the absence of the King. In 1960, she traveled to the United States with the princesses of Sweden and Norway, meeting celebrities such as Dean Martin, Jerry Lewis, and Elvis Presley. Margrethe succeeded her father on 14 January 1972 and has received 42 official state visits and undertaken 55 foreign state visits. In her annual New Year’s Eve address, she announced her decision to abdicate the throne in favor of her son, Crown Prince Frederik, on 14 January 2024. During her reign, Queen Margrethe II has engaged in numerous state visits and undertaken foreign visits herself, contributing to the enduring high support for the monarchy in Denmark, currently standing at around 82%. In her annual New Year’s Eve address in 2023, she announced her decision to abdicate the throne in favor of her son, Crown Prince Frederik, on 14 January 2024, marking the 52nd anniversary of her accession.