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- Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced she is abdicating after 52 years on the throne.
- She said in a New Year's Eve announcement that her eldest son Crown Prince Frederik will succeed her.
- She said the decision was prompted in February 2023 after she underwent back surgery.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced she will abdicate the throne after 52 years.
The Danish royal made the surprise revelation during her annual New Year's Eve speech on Sunday. Margrethe became queen in 1972 at the age of 31 after her father, King Frederik IX, died of complications from pneumonia.