Queen Margaret of Denmark announced her abdication during her end-of-year speech. The monarch explained that her son, Crown Prince Frederik, will assume the throne in January. The decision was made after Margrethe successfully underwent back surgery in 2023.

"The surgery naturally 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 January 14, 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," she said in the end-of-year message broadcast on national television.

Queen Margrethe, 83, who assumed the throne in 1972, is the longest-serving monarch in Europe after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

Time is running out, and the ills are increasing. You can no longer overcome the same things as you once could.

Meanwhile, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked Queen Margrethe for her work and maintained that she represents the values of Denmark.

"On behalf of the entire population, I would like to extend my deepest thanks to Her Majesty The Queen for her lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the Kingdom." Frederiksen wrote in a statement posted on his Facebook account.