Queen MargretheII of Denmark is carrying the torch for Europe’s female royals.
AfterQueen ElizabethIIdied at age 96on Sept. 8, Queen Margrethe, 82, of Denmark has become Europe’s only ruling female monarch.
Having reigned for more than 50 years since her father King Frederick IX died in 1972, she’s now also the longest-serving current head of state. (Queen Elizabethserved as monarch for 70 years — a record in the U.K.)
Queen Margrethe became the first woman allowed to inherit the throne in her country after the 1953 Act of Succession “gave women the right of succession to the Danish Throne… however only secondarily,” according toDenmark’s official website.
The Act of Succession was amended again in 2009, “when full equality in the succession to the throne was introduced,” per Denmark’s website. “That means the regent’s oldest child — regardless of gender — inherits the throne (so-called primogeniture).”
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark celebrated the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne on Sept. 10, 2022 at her Golden Jubilee, where she honored the late Queen Elizabeth II with a moment of silence.IDA MARIE ODGAARD/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty
Europe has severalwomen in line for a throne, including Sweden’s CrownPrincess Victoria, 45, the eldest child ofKing Carl XVI Gustaf and his wife Queen Silvia.
Queen Margrethe recentlyled a moment of silence in honorofQueen Elizabethduring her own Golden Jubilee last weekend, when she celebrated her 50-year reign at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen. In addition to the 60 seconds of silence, Margrethe scaled back a majority of the weekend’s festivities out of respect for Elizabeth.
Along with her sonFrederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Margrethe was in attendance atQueen Elizabeth’sstate funeralon Monday, which culminated in thethird and final processionof the day at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
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The Queen’s coffintraveled to Westminster Hallin a solemn procession on Wednesday, and it has since beenlying-in-statefor mourners to pay their respects. More than 2,000 people from around the world gathered Monday at Westminster Abbeyfor the Queen’s funeralbefore she was laid to rest at Windsor Castle.
source: people.com
