Royally sealed with a kiss.
King Frederik X ascended the Danish throne Jan. 14 to succeeded his mother, Queen Margrethe II, who abdicated after 52 years. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen proclaimed Frederick the new King of Denmark on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, where he was joined by his wife Queen Mary and their four children—Crown Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 16, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, 13.
The new monarch, 55, and his Australian-born wife, 51, were seen kissing and waving to the estimated 100,000 people, who sang the national anthem. Frederik addressed the crowd, telling them, per multiple outlets, “My hope is to become a unifying king of tomorrow. It is a task I have approached all my life.”
The king continued, “I want to return the trust I meet. I need trust from my beloved wife, you and that which is greater than us.”
Queen Margrethe, who keeps her title of queen, is the first Danish monarch in nearly 900 years to relinquish the crown voluntarily. The 83-year-old made a surprising announcement on New Year’s Eve when she said that she planned to step down on Jan. 14 after 52 years on the throne. She said her February 2023 back surgery led her to consider the future of the Danish monarchy.