One day after Queen Margrethe II’s shock announcement that she would be abdicating the Danish throne, she made her first public appearance alongside her son Crown Prince Frederik and daughter-in-law Crown Princess Mary.
The royals gathered at Christian VII’s Palace, Amalienborg on 1 January alongside Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, and Princess Benedikte for the New Year’s levee and banquet.
The lavish occasion was a cause for celebration, indicated even more so by their choice of elegant gowns and sparkling tiaras. Take a look at all of the best photos…
Princess Marie was also spotted in a midnight blue dress with sheer lace sleeves and a peplum waist leading to a fitted skirt. With her hair swept back into a low ponytail, Marie gave fans a better look at her diamond and sapphire drop earrings. But all eyes were on a different accessory – Princess Dagmar’s Diamond Floral Tiara.
The headpiece is made up of five diamond flowers and it was previously worn by Queen Margrethe II during her first State Visit to Sweden in 1973, shortly after she acceded the throne. She has worn on it several occasions throughout her reign and loaned it to her mother-in-law Countess Renée-Yvonne de Laborde de Monpezat and her niece Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. A small gold clutch added the finishing touches to Marie’s outfit.
Margrethe announced her plans to step down as monarch on New Year’s Eve. In a statement released on social media and the official royal family website, she said, in part: “I have decided that now is the right time. The 14th January 2024 – 52 years after I followed my beloved father – I will step back as the Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son the Crown Prince Frederik.”
She finished by leaving her well wishes to the future King and Queen, adding: “It is my hope that the new King and Queen will be met with the same trust and devotion which have fallen to my lot. They deserve it! Denmark deserves it! I will conclude my New Year’s address in my usual manner: GOD BLESS DENMARK, GOD BLESS YOU ALL.”
The royal, who will continue to be referred to as “Your Majesty”, revealed she came to this decision following her “extensive” back surgery in February 2023.
SEE PHOTOS: 6 magnificent gowns worn by royalty’s most glamorous ladies in 2023
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