Queen Margrethe has just made history in Denmark.
Her Majesty, 83, has become the longest-reigning monarch in Danish history, surpassing the reign of King Christian IV, who ruled for approximately 51 years and six months.
Margrethe ascended the throne on 14 January 1972, following the death of her father, King Frederick IX.
The Danish royal court shared new photographs of the queen on board the Royal Ship Dannebrog to mark the historic occasion.
Margrethe, who is renowned for her fun sense of style, wore a nautical-themed dress complete with a red belt and matching nail polish.
Her Majesty also hosted a private dinner at Koldinghus Castle in Kolding before sailing on the ship to Gråsten Palace in Southern Jutland, where she will reside over the summer.
The queen is traditionally joined by members of her family at her summer home, including Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, and Prince Joachim and Princess Marie.
Queen Margrethe also has eight grandchildren: Frederik and Mary’s four children – Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, and Joachim and Marie’s kids, Count Henrik and Countess Athena. Joachim also has two sons from his previous marriage to Countess Athena of Monpezat – Count Nikolai and Count Felix.
As of 1 January, this year, Margrethe made the decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, meaning that Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena are now titled Count of Countess of Monpezat.
The queen’s controversial decision caused a major upset within the family at the time, with Margrethe later taking the unprecedented step of apologizing to Joachim and his children publicly.
Crown Prince Frederik and his eldest son, Prince Christian, who turns 18 in October, are Denmark’s future kings.
Who is Queen Margrethe?
Margrethe is the eldest child of the late King Frederick IX and the late Queen Ingrid. She became heir presumptive to the Danish throne when a constitutional amendment allowed women to inherit the throne.
On her accession to the throne, she became the first female monarch of Denmark, since Margrethe I, ruler of the Scandinavian kingdoms from 1376 to 1412.
She married Henrik de Laborde de Monpezat in 1967, who died at the age of 83 in 2018.
Following the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022, she is now the world’s longest-serving current female head of state, and the world’s only queen regnant.
Margrethe was unable to attend King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s coronation at Westminster Abbey in London in May, after undergoing back surgery earlier this year.
