The streets of Copenhagen were transformed into a sea of red and white flags this weekend as Denmark bid a loving farewell to Queen Margrethe II.
After a surprise announcement on New Year's Eve that she would abdicate the throne, the 83-year-old queen will hand power on Sunday to Crown Prince Frederik, 55, a bearded former party boy and a veteran of the Danish equivalent of the Navy Seals.
Unlike the coronation of Charles III, it will be a subdued affair, with no formal ceremony and no crown or scepter in sight.
Instead, the queen, who became Europe's longest-reigning living monarch after the death of Elizabeth II, will sign a declaration of abdication at Christiansborg Palace, followed an hour later by a royal proclamation at 3 p.m. from the balcony announcing the accession of King Frederick X until the throne is announced. throne.
Despite the lack of pomp and circumstance, excitement is high in Copenhagen, with sold-out hotels, fully booked restaurants and tens of thousands of people descending on the city for a weekend of royal festivities.
The royal family remains very popular in Denmark. A recent survey shows that 82 percent of people expect the new monarch to do 'good' or 'very well' in the new role.
Danish newspapers noted with a hint of irritation that the queen has been dubbed the "ashtray queen" in the British press because of her fondness for unfiltered cigarettes. She quit the habit earlier this year on doctor's advice.
Huge crowds of Danes braved subzero temperatures to gather at Kongens Nytorv (King's New Square) for a farewell concert for the Queen, raising glasses of champagne and cans of Carlsberg for her health.
"They are down to earth," Søren Mortenssen, 35, said of the incoming royal couple as he waited for the concert to start, along with his friend Nicolai Parelius, 27. "They are really good guys... while there are people who are against the monarchy as an institution, no one is against the people in it."
"We once barped for them," Mr. Parelius added. "They are relaxed, good people. They came up and ordered their own drinks. They are very good at making people who may not feel comfortable with the royal family feel at ease."
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The queen, who came to the throne in 1972, stunned Denmark with the speech announcing her abdication after 50 years, citing health problems. "I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik," she declared live on television.
Her successor is known in Denmark by his nickname "Pingo" because of a training incident during his Frogman days (Danish Navy Seal), in which his wetsuit filled with water and he had to waddle around like a penguin.
He is married to Crown Princess Mary, 51, an Australian-born former advertising executive whom he met at the Slip Inn in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics.
She reportedly had no idea he was a Danish royal at the time, with the Crown Prince introducing himself as 'Fred', but they soon embarked on a long-distance relationship that involved him making several discreet visits to Australia.
They married in Copenhagen Cathedral in 2004 and have four children: Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 16, Prince Vincent, 13, and Princess Josephine, also 13.
Even some republicans came to the queen's farewell concert, like Stine, an event planner - although she kept a low profile at the back of the crowd.
The 40-year-old said she was concerned about the cost of the royal family to Danish taxpayers, but added that she admired the queen for speaking out on social issues facing Denmark.
"I sincerely hope that the new king will continue on this path, that he will stand up for the refugees in Denmark and for the environment," she said. "I think it is very important that Denmark does not lose its sense of inclusiveness and regains its reputation for being socially oriented."
On Saturday, hundreds of Danes gathered in the square outside Amalienborg Palace, where the queen was in residence, for a final changing of the guard ceremony.
Spectators watched in solemn silence around noon as pedicab drivers slowed to a stop to witness the Danish Royal Guard marching around the palace courtyard in thick fur hats, black tunics and white sashes.
"It was such a surprise," said Susanne Hosbond, a 50-year-old doctor, of the moment the queen announced her abdication. "Everyone I know said about what happened that it was a total shock, but after a few hours people understood that it was good - because now it is time for the Crown Prince and [Crown Princess] Maria to take over."
"She was the mother of the nation during Covid," said Ms Hosbond's sister Louise, a 41-year-old nurse. "She stood up and made us follow the guidelines on national television - she had canceled her own celebrations for her 80th birthday."
A few doors down from the palace, at a street kiosk called Copenhagen Vibes, the owner, Kenn Jensen, has several portraits of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess for sale, amid a surge in interest in royal memorabilia.
"She has done a great job and he has big shoes to follow his mother, but he can do it his own way," he said confidently of the new king. "He's the man of the people, he still goes to concerts and he's an ex-Navy Seals. You can meet him on the street and that is heart-warming."
"And [Crown] Princess Mary," he added, "she is the caregiver for the children, she goes to the schools and they have a lot of fun when she visits. She could have just stepped back and been his wife, but from day one she wanted to be part of the people - she is so sweet."
