Queen Margrethe II will become Denmark’s first monarch to abdicate in nearly 900 years when she hands over the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederik. Margrethe had always said during her 52-year-reign that she wouldn’t quit, but back surgery and other ailments left her unable to undertake as much as she could in the past. For centuries monarchs were more likely to die from disease or violence than to hand over titles that carried real power before the democratic era of constitutional monarchies. But as life expectancy grows longer, even a schedule of symbolic duties can be exhausting in a monarch’s later years. Here is a look at some monarchs who have abdicated in recent years.
