Queen Margrethe of Denmark yesterday paid a heartwarming tribute to her late husband Prince Henrik as she stepped down as monarch.
The royal, 83, ended her 52-year reign yesterday afternoon after signing her historic abdication papers at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.
The mother of two wore a purple button-down jacket and matching skirt for the occasion.
The former queen – whose hair was pulled back in her signature updo – completed her elegant ensemble with a pair of silver and ruby earrings.
The priceless earrings were a gift from Margrethe’s husband Prince Henrik, who passed away in February 2018.
Pictured: Queen Margrethe looked visibly emotional as she became the first Danish monarch to abdicate in 900 years yesterday
The late royal family had given the earrings to Queen Margrethe in 1990 to celebrate her 50th birthday.
Queen Margrethe has worn the ruby earrings several times, including her 40th anniversary celebration in 2012, as royal jewelry expert Lauren Kiehna noted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Additionally, the royal team paired her earrings with her diamond and ruby horseshoe brooch, a gift from her father, King Frederick IX.
The Royal Family wore this brooch at her own proclamation ceremony in 1972, as it is believed to have been given to her to celebrate her becoming Queen.
In February 2018, the Danish royal family announced that Prince Henrik – who was married to Queen Margrethe for 51 years – had died ‘peacefully in his sleep’.
In 2016, Henrik relinquished the title of prince consort and spent much of his time in a castle in a vineyard in southwestern France, although he remained married to the queen and still officially lived with her.
The following year, French-born Henrik announced that he did not want to be buried next to the queen, breaking a 459-year-old tradition.
The palace said it would respect his request not to be buried in a sarcophagus prepared for him and Margrethe, and would instead follow Henrik’s wish to be cremated.
Queen Margrethe pictured with her late husband Prince Henrik in Caix, France, in 2002. Henrik died in 2018
The mother of two, 83, wore a purple cord which she paired with her ruby-and-diamond earrings and brooch
Queen Margrethe wears the ruby-and-silver earrings that Prince Henrik gave her for her 50th birthday
Queen Margrethe is pictured wearing her ruby-and-diamond brooch during her proclamation in 1972
Shortly afterwards, the palace announced that he was suffering from dementia; he was hospitalized in January 2018 with a lung infection.
Henri Marie Jean Andre de Laborde de Monpezat, born on June 11, 1934 in southwestern France to parents with the noble titles of Count and Countess, married the future Queen of Denmark in 1967.
Henri became Henrik and converted to the Lutheran state church of Denmark. However, he found it difficult to adapt to Denmark’s egalitarian lifestyle.
He was given the title of prince consort – the husband of a reigning queen, but not king – and he was not in the line of succession; his eldest son Frederik was the heir.
Shortly after the royal wedding, the media criticized Henrik for openly expressing his opinion that spanking was good for children. In the mid-1980s, Henrik publicly said he wanted a salary rather than being dependent on the Queen, who receives annual allowances.
The law was eventually amended to give him about 10 percent of the annual allocation that Parliament makes to the royal family each year.
People pass an image of Queen Margrethe in Copenhagen, Denmark, before she hands over the throne to her son on Sunday
The former monarch signed her historic abdication papers alongside her son and grandson Prince Christian, 18, present at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen
The couple appeared overcome with emotion as they shared a loving look before being joined by their four children
The Queen’s last words before leaving the Council of State yesterday were: ‘God save the King.’
After this, the new king addressed the crowd that had gathered outside the royal palace from the balcony.
Queen Margrethe yesterday became the first Danish monarch to abdicate as monarch in 900 years.
On Saturday evening, the Royal – who announced she would step down on New Year’s Eve – listened to the crowd sing for her on the eve of her abdication.
Danish royalists took to the streets of Copenhagen this weekend, waving red and white flags in honor of their beloved Queen Margrethe.
In a video posted to X, formerly known as Twitter, last night the crowd was seen singing to Margrethe outside Amalienborg, Margrethe’s winter residence.
One of the windows of the palace was wide open so that she could hear those who came to sing to her.
The queen, known for her chain-smoking and flamboyant style, was seen in the clip walking around her home and peering out at the crowds.
Margrethe, who had said in the past that she would remain on the throne for life, did not give an exact reason for her decision to step down.
However, she said a major back operation she underwent in February last year had made her rethink her future.
“The operation obviously gave rise to reflection on the future – whether it was time to pass the responsibility to the next generation,” she said in her speech.
“I’ve decided this is the right time. On January 14, 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark.
“I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik.”