Queen Margrethe II, Denmark’s monarch for more than half a century, stunned her country when she announced on New Year’s Eve that she will hand over the throne to her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik. Her abdication on Sunday will be the first time a Danish monarch has stepped down voluntarily in nearly 900 years. Margrethe is now 83 and the longest-reigning monarch in Europe. She said her major back surgery last year made her consider her future and she thought now was the time to pass on her responsibilities. The queen will formally sign her abdication at a state council and her 55-year-old son will become King Frederik X.
