Denmark turns a page in its history on Sunday when Queen Margrethe abdicates and her son becomes King Frederik X, with more than 100,000 Danes expected to turn out for the unprecedented event.
The hugely popular chain-smoking Queen Margrethe II, 83, will leave her residence at Copenhagen’s Amalienborg Palace shortly after 1:30 pm (1230 GMT) for a short carriage ride to Christiansborg Palace, the seat of government and parliament.
There, at a Council of State at 2:00 pm, she will sign a declaration of abdication ending her 52-year reign, only the second time a Danish sovereign has stepped down, the last one Erik III almost nine centuries ago in 1146.
Her 55-year-old son Frederik — who will also attend the Council of State along with his Australian-born wife Mary and their eldest child, 18-year-old Prince Christian — automatically becomes king and head of state upon Margrethe’s abdication.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen will then proclaim him King Frederik X on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace.