Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is

Queen of Denmark The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was ...

. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent female monarch following the death of Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. Born into the House of Glücksburg, a

cadet branch In history and heraldry, a cadet branch consists of the male-line descendants of a monarch's or patriarch's younger sons ( cadets). In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets— realm, t ...

of the House of Oldenburg, Margrethe is the eldest child of

Frederick IX of Denmark Frederick IX ( da, Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg; 11 March 1899 – 14 January 1972) was King of Denmark from 1947 to 1972. Born into the House of Glücksburg, Frederick was the elder son of King Christian X and Qu ...

and Ingrid of Sweden. She became

heir presumptive An heir presumptive is the person entitled to inherit a throne, peerage, or other hereditary honour, but whose position can be displaced by the birth of an heir apparent or a new heir presumptive with a better claim to the position in question. ...

to her father in 1953, when a constitutional amendment allowed women to inherit the throne. Margrethe succeeded her father upon his death on 14 January 1972. On her accession, she became the first female monarch of Denmark since

Margrethe I Margaret I ( da, Margrete Valdemarsdatter; March 1353 – 28 October 1412) was ruler of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (which included Finland) from the late 1380s until her death, and the founder of the Kalmar Union that joined the Scandinav ...

, ruler of the

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and S ...

n kingdoms in 1375–1412 during the

Kalmar Union The Kalmar Union ( Danish, Norwegian, and sv, Kalmarunionen; fi, Kalmarin unioni; la, Unio Calmariensis) was a personal union in Scandinavia, agreed at Kalmar in Sweden, that from 1397 to 1523 joined under a single monarch the three kingdo ...

. In 1967, she married Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, with whom she had two sons: Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim. Margrethe is known for her strong

archaeological Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...

passion and has participated in several excavations, including in Italy, Egypt, Denmark and South America. She shared this interest with her grandfather

Gustaf VI Adolf of Sweden Gustav, Gustaf or Gustave may refer to: * Gustav (name), a male given name of Old Swedish origin Art, entertainment, and media * ''Primeval'' (film), a 2007 American horror film * ''Gustav'' (film series), a Hungarian series of animated short car ...

, with whom she spent some time unearthing artefacts near

Etruria Etruria () was a region of Central Italy, located in an area that covered part of what are now most of Tuscany, northern Lazio, and northern and western Umbria. Etruscan Etruria The ancient people of Etruria are identified as Etruscans. Thei ...

in 1962. As of 2022, Margrethe has, as

sovereign ''Sovereign'' is a title which can be applied to the highest leader in various categories. The word is borrowed from Old French , which is ultimately derived from the Latin , meaning 'above'. The roles of a sovereign vary from monarch, ruler or ...

, received 42 official

state visit A state visit is a formal visit by a head of state to a foreign country, at the invitation of the head of state of that foreign country, with the latter also acting as the official host for the duration of the state visit. Speaking for the host ...

s and she has undertaken 55 foreign state visits herself. She and

the royal family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papa ...

have made several other foreign visits. Support for the monarchy in Denmark has been and remains consistently high at around 82%, as does Margrethe's personal popularity.

Early life

Princess Margrethe was born 16 April 1940 at Frederik VIII's Palace, in her parents' residence at the Amalienborg palace complex, the principal residence of the Danish royal family in the district of Frederiksstaden in central

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...

. She was the first child of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess (later

King Frederick IX Frederick IX ( da, Christian Frederik Franz Michael Carl Valdemar Georg; 11 March 1899 – 14 January 1972) was King of Denmark from 1947 to 1972. Born into the House of Glücksburg, Frederick was the elder son of King Christian X and Que ...

and

Queen Ingrid Ingrid of Sweden (born: Princess Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta of Sweden; 28 March 1910 – 7 November 2000) was Queen of Denmark from 1947 until 1972 as the wife of King Frederick IX. Born into the House of Bernadotte, she was the daug ...

). Her father was the elder son of the then-reigning King Christian X, while her mother was the only daughter of the Crown Prince of Sweden (later

King Gustaf VI Adolf Gustaf VI Adolf (Oscar Fredrik Wilhelm Olaf Gustaf Adolf; 11 November 1882 – 15 September 1973) was King of Sweden from 29 October 1950 until his death in 1973. He was the eldest son of Gustaf V and his wife, Victoria of Baden. Before Gustaf Ado ...

). Her birth took place just one week after

Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...

invasion of Denmark The German invasion of Denmark (german: Operation Weserübung – Süd), was the German attack on Denmark on 9 April 1940, during the Second World War. The attack was a prelude to the invasion of Norway (german: Weserübung Nord, 9 April – 1 ...

on 9 April 1940. Margrethe was baptised on 14 May in the Holmen Church in

. The Princess's

godparent In infant baptism and denominations of Christianity, a godparent (also known as a sponsor, or '' gossiprede'') is someone who bears witness to a child's christening and later is willing to help in their catechesis, as well as their lifelo ...

s were King Christian X (paternal grandfather); Hereditary Prince Knud (paternal uncle); Prince Axel (her paternal grandfather's first cousin); King Gustaf V of Sweden (maternal great-grandfather); Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (maternal grandfather);

Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten (Gustaf Adolf Oscar Fredrik Arthur Edmund; 22 April 1906 – 26 January 1947) was a Swedish prince, who for most of his life was second in the line of succession to the Swedish throne. He was the eldest ...

(her maternal uncle); and

Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn (Arthur William Patrick Albert; 1 May 185016 January 1942), was the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. He served as G ...

(maternal great-grandfather). She was named Margrethe after her late maternal grandmother,

Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden Princess Margaret of Connaught (Margaret Victoria Charlotte Augusta Norah; 15 January 1882 – 1 May 1920) was Crown Princess of Sweden as the first wife of the future King Gustaf VI Adolf. She was the elder daughter of Prince Arthur, Duke o ...

, Alexandrine after her paternal grandmother, Queen Alexandrine, and Ingrid after her mother. Since her paternal grandfather was also the King of Iceland, she was given the Icelandic name Þórhildur. When Margrethe was four years old, in 1944, her younger sister Princess Benedikte was born. Princess Benedikte later married

Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg Richard, 6th Prince of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg (Richard Casimir Karl August Robert Konstantin; 29 October 1934 – 13 March 2017) was the head of the House of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg and husband of Princess Benedikte of Denmark. Biograph ...

and lives some of the time in Germany. Her second sister, Princess Anne-Marie, was born in 1946. Anne-Marie later married King Constantine II of the Hellenes and currently lives in Greece. Margrethe and her sisters grew up in apartments at Frederick VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen and in Fredensborg Palace in

North Zealand North Zealand, also North Sealand ( da, Nordsjælland), refers to the northern part of the Danish island of Zealand which is not clearly defined but generally covers the area north of Copenhagen. The Danish tourist authorities have recently i ...

. She spent summer holidays with the royal family in her parents' summer residence at

Gråsten Palace Gråsten Palace ( da, Gråsten Slot) is located at Gråsten in the Jutland region of southern Denmark. It is best known for being the summer residence of the Danish Royal Family. The main house has a modern, all-white facade, with Venetian doo ...

in Southern Jutland. On 20 April 1947, King Christian X died and Margrethe's father ascended the throne as King Frederick IX. To her family and close friends, Margrethe is known affectionately as "Daisy."

Heir presumptive

At the time of her birth, only males could ascend the throne of Denmark, owing to the changes in succession laws enacted in the 1850s when the

Glücksburg Glücksburg (; da, Lyksborg) is a small town northeast of Flensburg in the district Schleswig-Flensburg, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany and is the northernmost town in Germany. It is situated on the south side of the Flensborg Fjord, an inlet ...

branch was chosen to succeed. As Margrethe had no brothers, it was assumed that her uncle Prince Knud would one day assume the throne. The process of changing the constitution started in 1947, not long after Margrethe's father ascended the throne and it became clear that Queen Ingrid would have no more children. The popularity of Frederick and his daughters and the more prominent role of women in Danish life started the complicated process of altering the constitution. The law required that the proposal be passed by two successive Parliaments and then by a referendum, which occurred 27 March 1953. The new Act of Succession permitted female

succession Succession is the act or process of following in order or sequence. Governance and politics *Order of succession, in politics, the ascension to power by one ruler, official, or monarch after the death, resignation, or removal from office of ...

to the throne of Denmark, according to male-preference cognatic primogeniture, where a female can ascend to the throne only if she does not have a brother. Princess Margrethe therefore became

. On her eighteenth birthday, 16 April 1958, Margrethe was given a seat in the

Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

. She subsequently chaired the meetings of the Council in the absence of the King. In 1960, together with the princesses of Sweden and Norway, she travelled to the United States, which included a visit to

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

, and to the Paramount Studios, where they met several celebrities, including

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

and

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

Education

Margrethe was educated at the private school

N. Zahle's School N. Zahle's School ( Danish: N. Zahles Skole) is a private school located on Nørre Voldgade in Copenhagen, Denmark. Named after its founder, Natalie Zahle (1827–1913), it now consists of two independently run primary schools and a Gymnasium. ...

in Copenhagen, from which she graduated in 1959. She spent a year at

North Foreland Lodge (To do good and be happy) , established = 1909 , closed = 2003 , type = Independent , religious_affiliation = Church of England , president = , head_label = , head = , r_head_label = , r_head ...

, a

boarding school A boarding school is a school where pupils live within premises while being given formal instruction. The word "boarding" is used in the sense of " room and board", i.e. lodging and meals. As they have existed for many centuries, and now exte ...

for girls in

Hampshire Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...

, England, and later studied

prehistoric Prehistory, also known as pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the use of the first stone tools by hominins 3.3 million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The us ...

archaeology Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landsc ...

Girton College, Cambridge Girton College is one of the 31 constituent colleges of the University of Cambridge. The college was established in 1869 by Emily Davies and Barbara Bodichon as the first women's college in Cambridge. In 1948, it was granted full college statu ...

, during 1960–1961,

political science Political science is the scientific study of politics. It is a social science dealing with systems of governance and power, and the analysis of political activities, political thought, political behavior, and associated constitutions and ...

Aarhus University Aarhus University ( da, Aarhus Universitet, abbreviated AU) is a public research university with its main campus located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra Gr ...

between 1961 and 1962, attended the Sorbonne in 1963, and was at the

London School of Economics , mottoeng = To understand the causes of things , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £240.8 million (2021) , budget = £391.1 milli ...

in 1965. She is a

Fellow A fellow is a concept whose exact meaning depends on context. In learned or professional societies, it refers to a privileged member who is specially elected in recognition of their work and achievements. Within the context of higher education ...

of the

Society of Antiquaries of London A society is a group of individuals involved in persistent social interaction, or a large social group sharing the same spatial or social territory, typically subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations. Soci ...

. Margrethe is fluent in Danish, French, English, Swedish and German, and has a limited knowledge of Faroese.

Marriage and children

Crown-princess Margrethe and Henri de Monpezat 1966

During Princess Margrethe's stay in London, she met the French diplomat, Henri-Marie-Jean-André de Laborde de Monpezat, who was legation secretary at the Embassy of France in London. Their engagement was announced on October 5, 1966. They were married on June 10, 1967, at the Holmen Church in

, and the wedding reception was held at Fredensborg Palace. Laborde de Monpezat received the style and title of "His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark" because of his new position as the spouse of the heir presumptive to the Danish

throne A throne is the seat of state of a potentate or dignitary, especially the seat occupied by a sovereign on state occasions; or the seat occupied by a pope or bishop on ceremonial occasions. "Throne" in an abstract sense can also refer to the mon ...

. They were married for over fifty years, until his death on 13 February 2018. En dronning med farverig stil

Less than a year after the wedding, Princess Margrethe gave birth to her first child, a son, on 26 May 1968. By tradition, Danish kings were alternately named either Frederick or Christian. She chose to maintain this by assuming the position of a Christian, and thus named her elder son Frederik. The following year, a second child, named

Joachim Joachim (; ''Yəhōyāqīm'', "he whom Yahweh has set up"; ; ) was, according to Christian tradition, the husband of Saint Anne and the father of Mary, the mother of Jesus. The story of Joachim and Anne first appears in the Biblical apocryph ...

, was born on 7 June 1969.

Reign

Accession

Shortly after

delivered his New Year's Address to the Nation at the 1971/72 turn of the year, he fell ill, and died 14 days later on 14 January 1972. Margrethe succeeded to the throne at the age of 31, becoming the first female Danish

under the new Act of Succession. She was proclaimed Queen from the balcony of

Christiansborg Palace Christiansborg Palace ( da, Christiansborg Slot; ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament ('), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme ...

15 January 1972 by

Prime Minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

Jens Otto Krag Jens Otto Krag (; 15 September 1914 – 22 June 1978) was a Danish politician who served as prime minister of Denmark from 1962 to 1968 and from 1971 to 1972, and as leader of the Social Democrats from 1962 to 1972. He was president of the Nordi ...

. Queen Margrethe II relinquished all the monarch's former titles except the title to Denmark, hence her style "

By the Grace of God By the Grace of God ( la, Dei Gratia, abbreviated D.G.) is a formulaic phrase used especially in Christian monarchies as an introductory part of the full styles of a monarch. For example in England and later the United Kingdom, the phrase was f ...

, Queen of Denmark" ( da, Margrethe den Anden, af Guds Nåde Danmarks Dronning). The Queen chose the

motto A motto (derived from the Latin , 'mutter', by way of Italian , 'word' or 'sentence') is a sentence or phrase expressing a belief or purpose, or the general motivation or intention of an individual, family, social group, or organisation. M ...

: ''God's help, the love of The People, Denmark's strength.'' In her first address to the people, Queen Margrethe II said:

Constitutional role

The Queen's main tasks are to represent the Kingdom abroad and to be a unifying figure at home. She performs the latter by opening exhibitions, attending anniversaries and inaugurating bridges, among other things. She receives foreign ambassadors, awards, honours and medals. As an unelected public official, the Queen takes no part in party politics and does not express any political opinions. Although she has the right to vote, she opts not to do so to avoid even the appearance of partisanship. The Queen holds a meeting with the

prime minister A prime minister, premier or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. Under those systems, a prime minister is ...

and the

foreign affairs minister In many countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department responsible for the state's diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral relations affairs as well as for providing support for a country's citizens who are abroad. The entit ...

every Wednesday, unless she or the prime minister is outside of the kingdom. After an election where the incumbent prime minister does not have a majority behind him or her, the Queen holds a "Dronningerunde" (Queen's meeting) in which she meets the chairmen of each of the Danish political parties. Each party has the choice of selecting a royal investigator to lead these negotiations or alternatively, give the incumbent prime minister the mandate to continue his or her government as is. In theory each party could choose its own leader as royal investigator, the social liberal Det Radikale Venstre did so in 2006, but often only one royal investigator is chosen plus the prime minister, before each election. The leader who, at that meeting succeeds in securing a majority of the seats in the

Folketing The Folketing ( da, Folketinget, ; ), also known as the Parliament of Denmark or the Danish Parliament in English, is the unicameral national legislature ( parliament) of the Kingdom of Denmark—Denmark proper together with the Faroe Islands ...

, is by royal decree charged with the task of forming a new government. (No party has held an absolute majority in the Folketing since 1903.) Once the government has been formed, it is formally appointed by the Queen. Officially, it is the Queen who is the head of government, and she therefore presides over the Council of State (

privy council A privy council is a body that advises the head of state of a state, typically, but not always, in the context of a monarchic government. The word "privy" means "private" or "secret"; thus, a privy council was originally a committee of the mo ...

), where the acts of legislation which have been passed by the parliament are signed into law. In practice, nearly all of the Queen's formal powers are exercised by the Cabinet of Denmark. The Queen is also the colonel-in-chief of the

Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (or PWRR, also known as 'The Tigers') is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, second in the line infantry order of precedence to the Royal Regiment of Scotland and part of the Qu ...

, an infantry regiment of the

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurkha ...

, following a tradition in her family.

Silver and Ruby Jubilees

Queen Margrethe II marked her Silver Jubilee in 1997 with a religious service and a gala dinner attended by fellow Scandinavian royals. She celebrated her Ruby Jubilee, the 40th year on the throne, on 14 January 2012. This was marked by a church service, concert, carriage procession, gala banquet at

and numerous TV interviews.

Immigration debate

In an interview within the 2016 book ''De dybeste rødder'' (''The Deepest Roots''), according to historians at the Saxo Institute of the

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

she showed a change in attitude to immigration towards a more restrictive stance. She stated that the Danish people should have more explicitly clarified the rules and values of Danish culture in order to be able to teach them to new arrivals. She further stated that the Danes in general have underestimated the difficulties involved in successful integration of immigrants, exemplified with the rules of a democracy not being clarified to Muslim immigrants and a lack of readiness to enforce those rules. This was received as a change in line with the attitude of the Danish people.

Golden Jubilee

The Queen's

Golden Jubilee A golden jubilee marks a 50th anniversary. It variously is applied to people, events, and nations. Bangladesh In Bangladesh, golden jubilee refers the 50th anniversary year of the separation from Pakistan and is called in Bengali ''"সু� ...

was marked on 14 January 2022, with celebrations to take place later in the year. In September, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, it was announced by the Royal House that it was "Her Majesty The Queen’s wish that a number of adjustments be made" to the upcoming celebrations.

Personal life and interests

The official residences of the Queen are Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen and Fredensborg Palace. Her summer residences are Marselisborg Palace near

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and approximately northwe ...

and

near Sønderborg, the former home of her mother, Queen Ingrid, who died in 2000. Margrethe is an accomplished painter and has held many art shows over the years. Her illustrations—under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer—were used for Danish editions of ''

The Lord of the Rings ''The Lord of the Rings'' is an epic high-fantasy novel by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, intended to be Earth at some time in the distant past, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's bo ...

'', which she was encouraged to illustrate in the early 1970s. She sent them to J. R. R. Tolkien, who was struck by the similarity of her drawings to his own style. Margrethe's drawings were redrawn by the British artist Eric Fraser for the Folio Society's English edition of ''The Lord of the Rings'', first published in 1977 and reissued in 2002. In 2000, she illustrated Prince Henrik's poetry collection ''Cantabile''. Another skill she possesses is costume designing, having designed the costumes for the Royal Danish Ballet's production of '' A Folk Tale'' and for the 2009

Peter Flinth Peter Flinth (born 7 November 1964) is a Danish film director. Early life and education Peter Flinth was born on 7 November 1964 in Copenhagen, Denmark. He studied film studies at the University of Copenhagen in 1984-86 and was educated on the ...

film, ''De vilde svaner'' (''The Wild Swans''). She also designs her own clothes and is known for her colourful and sometimes eccentric clothing choices. Margrethe also wears designs by former Pierre Balmain designer Erik Mortensen,

Jørgen Bender Jørgen Bender (9 May 1938 – 10 September 1999) was a Danish fashion designer best known for his work for the Danish, Swedish and Norwegian royal families. Life Bender, born in Copenhagen on 9 May 1938, had wanted to be a designer since the ...

, and Birgitte Taulow. ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' in March 2013 listed her as one of the fifty best-dressed over 50s. In connection with her 80th birthday, British ''Vogue'' published an article calling her "An Unsung Style Heroine." Margrethe has been a chain smoker and is well known for her

tobacco Tobacco is the common name of several plants in the genus '' Nicotiana'' of the family Solanaceae, and the general term for any product prepared from the cured leaves of these plants. More than 70 species of tobacco are known, but the ...

habit. On 23 November 2006, the Danish newspaper ''B.T.'' printed an announcement from the Royal Court that the Queen would henceforth smoke only in private. The Queen has had a number of health issues. During the 1990s and early 2000s, she was operated several times in her right knee due to injuries and

osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis (OA) is a type of degenerative joint disease that results from breakdown of joint cartilage and underlying bone which affects 1 in 7 adults in the United States. It is believed to be the fourth leading cause of disability in the ...

. In 1994, she was treated for

cervical cancer Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. Early on, typically no symptoms are seen. Later symptoms may include abnormal ...

. On 9 February 2022, the Danish Royal House disclosed in a press release that the Queen had contracted

COVID-19 Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was identified in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. The disease quick ...

. On 13 February, the Queen could leave home isolation after having had a mild case of the virus. On 21 September 2022, the Danish Royal House disclosed in a press release that the Queen had again contracted COVID-19, after attending the

funeral of Elizabeth II On 8 September 2022, at 15:10 BST, Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and the other Commonwealth realms, and the longest-reigning British monarch, died of old age at Balmoral Castle in Scotland, at the age of 96. The Queen's death w ...

, her third cousin, in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

. She left home isolation on 26 September and resumed her official duties immediately, stating that she felt fine.

Family

The Queen has two children and eight grandchildren, all born at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen: * Crown Prince Frederik (born 26 May 1968). He married

Mary Donaldson Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, (born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson; 5 February 1972) is the wife of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark. Frederik is the heir apparent to the throne, which means that should he succeed, Mary w ...

on 14 May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral, Copenhagen. The couple has four children: ** Prince Christian (born 15 October 2005) ** Princess Isabella (born 21 April 2007) ** Prince Vincent (born 8 January 2011) ** Princess Josephine (born 8 January 2011) * Prince Joachim (born 7 June 1969). He married

Alexandra Manley Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, , formerly Princess Alexandra of Denmark, (''née'' Alexandra Christina Manley; born 30 June 1964) is the former wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark, the younger son of Margrethe II of Denmark. She was born i ...

on 18 November 1995 at Frederiksborg Palace Church, Hillerød. They divorced on 8 April 2005. He then married

Marie Cavallier Princess Marie of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, (''née'' Marie Agathe Odile Cavallier, born 6 February 1976) is a member of the Danish royal family. She is the second wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark, the younger son of Queen Margrethe II o ...

on 24 May 2008 at Møgeltønder Church, Møgeltønder. Joachim has four children: ** Prince Nikolai (born 28 August 1999) ** Prince Felix (born 22 July 2002) **

Prince Henrik Prince Henrik of Denmark (; born Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat; 11 June 1934 – 13 February 2018) was the husband of Margrethe II of Denmark. He served as her royal consort from Margrethe's accession on 14 January 1972 unt ...

(born 4 May 2009) ** Princess Athena (born 24 January 2012) Royal Wedding Stockholm 2010-Konserthuset-421

In 2008, the Queen announced that her descendants would bear the additional title of Count or Countess of Monpezat, in recognition of her husband's ancestry. In 2022, the Queen announced, that from start of 2023 the descendants of Prince Joachim will only be able to use their titles of Count and Countess of Monpezat, their previous titles of Prince and Princess of Denmark ceasing to exist. To make the children have normal lives, the Queen "wants to create a framework for the four grandchildren, to a much greater degree, to be able to shape their own existence without being limited by the special considerations and obligations that a formal affiliation with the Royal House as an institution implies". Her son and grandchildren publicly expressed shock and confusion because of the decision. Later Queen Margrethe said she was sad about upsetting family members with her decision but she did not change it. Queen Margrethe 21-06-2005 Vágur

Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark welcome George W

Honours

She is the 1,188th

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of knighthood by a head of state (including the Pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the Christian denomination, church or the country, especially in a military capacity. Knighthood ...

of the

Order of the Golden Fleece The Distinguished Order of the Golden Fleece ( es, Insigne Orden del Toisón de Oro, german: Orden vom Goldenen Vlies) is a Catholic order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, in 1430, to celebrate his marriag ...

in Spain, and only the seventh Lady of the

Order of the Garter The Most Noble Order of the Garter is an order of chivalry founded by Edward III of England in 1348. It is the most senior order of knighthood in the British honours system, outranked in precedence only by the Victoria Cross and the Georg ...

since 1901, when

Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second chil ...

appointed his consort a member. She is also Colonel-in-Chief of

The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (or PWRR, also known as 'The Tigers') is the senior English line infantry regiment of the British Army, second in the line infantry order of precedence to the Royal Regiment of Scotland and part of the ...

in the United Kingdom.

Queen Margrethe II Land Queen Margrethe II Land ( da, Dronning Margrethe II Land) is a peninsula in the northern limit of King Christian X Land, northeastern Greenland. Administratively it belongs to the NE Greenland National Park area. History The peninsula was named af ...

in Northeast

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland ...

was named in her honour on 16 April 1990 on the occasion of her 50th birthday.

National

* : **

Sovereign Knight of the

Order of the Elephant The Order of the Elephant ( da, Elefantordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional ...

Sovereign Knight Grand Commander with Collar of the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known ...

Knight of the Decoration of the Cross of Honour of the Dannebrog (D.Ht.) ** DK Hjemmevaernets Fortjensttegn Ribbon

Homeguard Medal of Merit ** DEN HJV 25-years Ribbon

25 years of Homeguard Service Medal ** BF HT Ribbon

Medal of Honour of the League of Civil Defence ** RESOFF ASS R

Medal of Honour of the Reserve Officers League ** DEN Medal of Merit ribbon

100th Anniversary Medal of the Birth of King Christian X ** DEN Medal of Merit ribbon

50th Anniversary Medal of the arrival of Queen Ingrid to Denmark ** DEN Medal of Merit ribbon

100th Anniversary Medal of the Birth of King Frederik IX ** DEN Medal of Merit ribbon

Queen Ingrid Commemorative Medal * : ** DEN Greenland Medal of Merit ribbon

Nersornaat Medal for Meritorious Service, 1st Class

Foreign

* : Grand Cross of the Order of the Liberator San Martín * : Grand Cross of the Order of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria, Special Class * : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Leopold I * : Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of the Southern Cross Emperor Pedro I of Brazil founded the National Order of the Southern Cross ( pt, Ordem Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul) as a Brazilian order of chivalry on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate the independence of Brazil (7 September 1 ...

* : Grand Cross of the

Order of the Stara Planina Orders, decorations and medals of Bulgaria are regulated by the law on the Orders and Medals of the Republic of Bulgaria of 29 May 2003. The National Military History Museum of Bulgaria in Sofia currently has over 150 Bulgarian Orders in the co ...

* : Grand Cross of the

Order of the Merit of Chile The Order of Merit ( es, link=no, Orden al Mérito) is a Chilean order and was created in 1929. Succeeding the Medal of the Merit, which was created during the term of the President Germán Riesco through the Minister of War decree No. 1350 on ...

* : Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana ( et, Maarjamaa Risti teenetemärk, sometimes translated as the Order of the Cross of St. Mary's Land) was instituted by the President of Estonia, Lennart Meri, on 16 May 1995 to honour the independence of t ...

* : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Nile * : Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of the White Rose The Order of the White Rose of Finland ( fi, Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Vita Ros’ orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. ...

* : Grand Cross of the Order of the Legion of Honour * : Grand Cross Special Class of the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

* Greece: ** Greek Royal Family: Dame Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Saints Olga and Sophia, Special Class ** : Grand Cross of the

Order of the Redeemer The Order of the Redeemer ( el, Τάγμα του Σωτήρος, translit=Tágma tou Sotíros), also known as the Order of the Saviour, is an order of merit of Greece. The Order of the Redeemer is the oldest and highest decoration awarded by the ...

* : Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon * Iranian Imperial Family: Dame Grand Cordon of the Order of the Pleiades * : Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( it, Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana) is the senior Italian order of merit. It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi. The highest-rankin ...

* : ** Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the Order of the Chrysanthemum ** Grand Cordon (Paulownia) of the Order of the Precious Crown * : Knight Grand Cordon with Collar of the

Order of Al-Hussein bin Ali The Order of al-Hussein bin Ali is the highest order of the Kingdom of Jordan. It was founded on 22 June 1949 with one class (i.e. Collar) by King Abdullah I of Jordan with the scope of rewarding benevolence and foreign Heads of State. The class ...

* : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Three Stars * : Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great * : Knight of the

Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau The Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (french: Ordre du Lion d'Or de la Maison de Nassau, nl, Huisorde van de Gouden Leeuw van Nassau) is a chivalric order shared by the two branches of the House of Nassau (the Ottonian and Walramia ...

* : Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Aztec Eagle * : Grand Cordon of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite * : Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands * Nepalese Royal Family: Member Grand Cross of the Order of Honour * : ** Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of St. Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

** Recipient of the Silver Jubilee Medal of King Olav V ** Recipient of the Silver Jubilee Medal of King Harald V * : ** Grand Cross of the Order of the White Eagle ** Grand Cross of the

Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland The Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland ( pl, Order Zasługi Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej) is a Polish order of merit created in 1974, awarded to persons who have rendered great service to Poland. It is granted to foreigners or Poles resident a ...

* : ** Grand Cross with Collar of the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword ** Grand Collar of the

Order of Prince Henry The Order of Prince Henry ( pt, Ordem do Infante Dom Henrique) is a Portuguese order of knighthood created on 2 June 1960, to commemorate the quincentenary of the death of the Portuguese prince Henry the Navigator, one of the main initiators of ...

* : Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of the Star of Romania The Order of the Star of Romania (Romanian: ''Ordinul Steaua României'') is Romania's highest civil Order and second highest State decoration after the defunct Order of Michael the Brave. It is awarded by the President of Romania. It has five r ...

* : Collar of the Order of Abdulaziz Al Saud * : Grand Cross of the Order of the White Double Cross * : Member 1st Class of the Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia * : ** Knight of the

** Knight Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Charles III * : ** Member Grand Cross with Collar of the Royal Order of the Seraphim ** Recipient of the 85th Birthday Medal of King Gustaf VI Adolf ** Recipient of the 40th Birthday Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf ** Recipient of the Ruby Jubilee Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf * : Grand Cross with Collar of the

Order of Good Hope The Order of Good Hope or Order of the Cape of Good Hope is a dormant order of merit of the Republic of South Africa. History The Order of Good Hope was founded in 1973, by the republican government of South Africa, to grant those who had disti ...

* : Grand Cross with Collar of the Grand Order of Mugunghwa * : ** Knight of the

Order of the Rajamitrabhorn The Most Auspicious Order of the Rajamitrabhorn ( th, เครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นมงคลยิ่งราชมิตราภรณ์; ) is the highest royal order of Thailand. It ...

** Knight of the Order of the Royal House of Chakri * : Grand Cordon of th
Order of Al Kamal
ref name="QueenMargretheOrdersPage" /> * : ** Stranger Knight of the

(7th Lady since 1901; 1979) ** Recipient of the

Royal Victorian Chain The Royal Victorian Chain is a decoration instituted in 1902 by King Edward VII as a personal award of the monarch (i.e. not an award made on the advice of any Commonwealth realm government). It ranks above the Royal Victorian Order, with which it ...

(1974) *: Great Star of the

Order of the Yugoslav Star The Order of the Yugoslav Star sr, Орден југословенске звезде, ''Orden jugoslovenske zvezde'' sl, Red jugoslovanske zvezde mk, Орден на југословенската ѕвезда, ''Orden na jugoslovenskata zvezda'' ...

Queen Margrethe is also Colonel in Chief of British infantry regiment, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment. This tradition started with what became the Buffs (the Royal East Kent Regiment) in 1689 with Prince George of Denmark (husband of Queen Anne); it was resurrected in the early 20th century when King Frederick VII was made Colonel in Chief of the Buffs (his sister, Princess Alexandra was married to King Edward VII). Since then the Danish Monarch has been the Colonel in Chief or Allied Colonel in Chief of the Buffs, Queen's Own Buffs, Queen's Regiment and Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment.

Nongovernmental organizations

* :

Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque The Tree of Peace Memorial Plaque ( Slovak: ''Pamätná plaketa Stromu pokoja'') is the highest award awarded since 2019 by the Slovak non-governmental organization Servare et Manere. The award was first awarded on December 4, 2019 on the occasi ...

. Awarded on 16 April 2020, on the occasion of her 80th birthday anniversary. Plaque presented on behalf of Servare et Manere on 29 September 2020 to Henning Fode, Private Secretary of the Queen by Miroslav Wlachovský, the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Kingdom of Denmark.

Arms, standards and monograms

File:Royal_coat_of_arms_of_Denmark.svg, Royal coat of arms File:Royal Standard of Denmark.svg, Royal standard File:Royal Monogram of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.svg, Royal monogram of Margrethe II File:Private Monogram of Queen Margrethe of Denmark.svg, Personal monogram of Margrethe II File:Dual Cypher of Margrethe and Henrik of Denmark.svg, Dual monogram of Margrethe II and husband Henrik, Prince Consort

Notes

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * *

External links

The Queen's Homepage

The Official Website of The Danish Monarchy

{{DEFAULTSORT:Margrethe 02 of Denmark 1940 births Aarhus University alumni Alumni of Girton College, Cambridge Alumni of the London School of Economics Danish Lutherans 20th-century monarchs of Denmark 21st-century monarchs of Denmark Danish people of Russian descent Danish people of Swedish descent 20th-century Danish translators English–Danish translators Extra Ladies of the Order of the Garter House of Glücksburg (Denmark) House of Monpezat Living people People educated at North Foreland Lodge Queens regnant Tolkien artists Translators to Danish Grand Collars of the Order of Prince Henry Grand Collars of the Order of Saint James of the Sword Grand Commanders of the Order of the Dannebrog Grand Cordons of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland Grand Cordons of the Order of the Precious Crown Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Grand Crosses of the Order of the Liberator General San Martin Grand Crosses of the Order of Vytautas the Great Knights Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain Recipients of Nersornaat Recipients of the Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana Recipients of the Grand Star of the Decoration for Services to the Republic of Austria Recipients of the Order of Freedom of the Republic of Slovenia 20th-century Danish women writers Grand Crosses Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany 20th-century women rulers Daughters of kings First Class of the Order of the Star of Romania Recipients of the Order of the White Eagle (Poland)