Margrethe was born in Copenhagen on April 16, 1940, at a time when Denmark’s law of succession prohibited women from inheriting the throne. She has taken a similar stance to the late queen, remaining neutral at all times. “She managed to be a queen who united the Danish nation in a time of great change – globalization, the emergence of the multicultural state, economic crises in the 1970s, 1980s and again in 2008 to 2015 and the pandemic,” Lars said. Hovebakke Sorensen, a historian, told AFP. “The basis of her popularity is that the Queen is absolutely non-political,” he said. The Queen, who is affectionately called ‘Margarita’ by her family and subjects, has managed to keep the monarchy relevant without diminishing her status. Widowed in 2018, she has repeatedly insisted she will never step down. “I will stay on the throne until I fall,” he says. Denmark has no tradition of abdication – and given its robust health, the question has never been seriously raised. In May, she rode a roller coaster at Copenhagen’s famous Tivoli amusement park, with her hat securely fastened to her head. Her eldest son, 54-year-old Crown Prince Frederick, is next in line to succeed her.
