Queen Margrethe 2nd of Denmark Abdication

[Enko]

I have just read the queens New Year speech (I am Danish living in the UK) and the queen will abdicate on the 14th January 52 years after her ascending the throne.

I am very moved. She is the only queen I remember of Denmark and currently the only reigning female Monarch. This will change as the next generations come through but not in Denmark where the next 2 are male.

Are there any shabby run down areas in Windsor?

Of course.

Eton is also known as Slough Grammar.

My dcs were at private school. Friends at a selective state.

Imo
Only difference we paid our fees, they didn’t pay as such but their house cost a lot more than ours did due to location. And they could get a mortgage for that!

As per my post yesterday about abdication for us... a spotlight is being shone on us...

It's an interesting article and worth a read. It touches on the House of Lords too. And certainly shows us as a country as out of touch...
Abdication also indicates a nation able to keep its institutions fit for purpose

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2024/jan/02/denmark-abdication-king-charles-prince-william-monarchy

I think that’s a completely uncontroversial article, assuming of course, one doesn’t think (as I do) that the monarchy should be abolished as an anachronistic keystone of hereditary power, which has no place in a modern democracy in 2024. But if you think it’s worth keeping in some less ridiculous form, the only reason for Charles reigning till he dies appears to be (1) he spent seventy odd years hanging around waiting for his mother to die and (2) William’s heir is too young.

not completely uncontroversial.

It would be very telling about how our country works if the government do try to rein the monarchy in as per Sweden. It could be as illuminating as the debacle after the brexit vote.
Of course, if we got rid of the monarchy we'd be GB not UK.

It’s a shit promotion when your mother has to die for it. The “top job” is not a fun one to get on day one (if ever, in my view) - and rushing round the four nations, being filmed closely for weeks, day in and day out publicly talking to hundreds of strangers, while grieving the death of a beloved parent is a particularly hideous way to get your new job.

That alone gives me enthusiasm for abdication. A sensible handover and support of the old monarch to the new would be kinder and less fodder for the rubbernecking.

I live a very dull life and can't imagine, with 4 children as Mary has, having the time or inclination.

I was disappointed with Fred if the rumours and fairly damning photographs were true.
But what's sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander I suppose.

There was a report in the Telegraph that QM had abdicated partly because of the damaging effects of Fred's (alleged) affair. The details about Mary are connected with someone on her staff.
Even with 4 children, if you have nannies, housekeepers, cooks and chauffeurs, you could manage time away!

It's an interesting article and worth a read.

Interesting article, yes but I have a couple of issues with it

First the reference to Willy as 'well trained and suited to the job.'

The workshy one has consistently been listed as one of the laziest royals (quite the achievement) and I'm not sure how that fits with those claims.

Second the reference to 'slimming down the royal family'. AFAIC see cited slimming (Harold and Andrew) wasn't an active choice. It was forced firstly by an unsurmountable scandal and followed by a flounce.

I'd have more faith in even a forced slimming down if C were to hand a bit of his funding back but I'm still waiting...

@CathyorClaire I'm assuming the "workshy" label comes from people who can't deal with multiple data points, who fixate on part of the picture and then shout the loudest as if it's established fact?

Isn't it based on number of engagements carried out? Which is by design lower than many of the other working royals and steadily increasing.

Which is by design lower than many of the other working royals

Ah, g'wan.

Whose design?

Links to this dastardly plan?

It’s odd how abdication seems almost taboo in this country when it seems perfectly reasonable to me.

I do hope the new Queen to be is ok with it all (and her husband’s antics). She seems a lovely woman.

I was a bit sad about Queen Margrethe's abdication, but maybe she looked at our Queen, working until she dropped, and decided she didn't want that? She seems to have been a very feisty, intelligent lady all her life. Maybe getting rid of Joachim's children's titles was part of her overall plan?

I could see Charles possible abdicating if his health deteriorated? Maybe that's what the Queen should have done too when her health failed so much? She was steadfast in her vow to the country and Charles has been brought up in that mindset, so who knows...

Someone on her staff? I have read stories about her and a Danish politician who was a minister about 10 years ago and together they took work trips to Mozambique and Jordan and possibly other places.

Here is an article with the headline 'Mary has a new best friend'. My view is that they had a good working relationship but nothing more. I can imagine that her marriage had hit trouble by this point and she enjoyed the time spent with Friis Bach but he appeared happily married back in 2013 - he took his wife to a party that the royal family held for the Vietnam president and he and his wife looked very happy.

ekstrabladet.dk/underholdning/kongelige/danskekongelige/article4555614.ece

You can thank the late Duke and Duchess of Windsor for that

I have no idea, @Choux . That was just something that I read. Could be right, could be wrong.

@Choux. Extra. Bladet is kinda akin to the daily fail but with a heavy royal slant. If that makes sense? I read it for scandals when in DK but not for good reporting. (It's great for scandals though)

I was aware that Ekstra Bladet was more tabloid than broadsheet. But the photos clearly show Mary and Christian Friis Bach relaxed and enjoying being around each other. You don't even need to translate the article.

I think there were rumors about Frederik being out partying the night before the twins christening so I don't think it's a fairytale marriage and Mary must be smarting at his actions in Madrid. If her husband has been hanging around with other women for years it's hardly surprising she enjoyed being around an intelligent and good looking man she met during her work. But am not convinced it was an affair.

It's interesting how people can interpret things so differently. I didn't translate it either but given the variety of activities and locations shown in the pictures, it struck me that it was a lazy editor who'd basically said "quick dredge up EVERY photo you can find of them together and we'll make an article from it".

It is a very brave decision of Queen Margrethe.
There is the scandal surrounding her son, but also she may be thinking of the UK, and how old Charles was, when he became King.
Personally, I think the late Queen went on too long, but it is a difficult thing to admit, and may have been different if Philip had died earlier.
I think Charles would have no plans to abdicate in however many years, but in time, he may feel differently, especially in Camilla dies before him.
Worse, is if he becomes incapacitated in some way (especially dementia). I think if the latter, then we may have a Regency style monarch.

@MaggieFS
I agree with you that it was an editor who dredged up every photo they could to make an article of it.

Although having said thot isn't the Daily Mail notorious for implying things by articles/photos without openly writing about them.

Why would we cut out NI? GB is the name of an island.

Always assumed GB included everyone who wants to be in it otherwise it would just be B

I was married to a Dane for over a decade and lived in the country. Trust me when I say it isn’t egalitarian if you aren’t Danish.

First, the children are at Fri-skole which Danes like to refer to as private schools because they pay a top up to attend. Good luck getting in if you aren’t from the right family. My youngest got in to the best school in Aarhus after much strategic positioning.

second, Denmark is a xenophobic country. If you aren’t Danish you are a 3rd class citizen in their country. When my ex husband started divorce proceedings I was lucky that they deported me and a judge in New Jersey USA refused to allow the filing of the divorce to be moved abroad. Had it been moved to egalitarian Denmark, I would have lost access to my children because child custody is determined based on how Danish the parents are. Lots of women are being separated from their children and the Danish courts ignore EU rulings which disagree with their stance.

My experience of living in Denmark was that it was animal farm. Everyone is equal but some are more equal than others. Also, none of them can keep it in their pants. It’s a national sport. They even legalized prostitution because they gave up trying to control it.