Denmark's queen has unexpectedly introduced her abdication in her conventional New Year's Eve speech.

Margrethe II will formally step down from the throne on 14 January - precisely 52 years to the day of her ascension to the throne in 1972.

The 83-year-old monarch can be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik - who will turn out to be Frederik X.

Margrethe, who underwent again surgical procedure initially of this yr, stated in her speech: "The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future - whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation."

With her voice cracking, she stated: "I've determined that now's the correct time. On 14 January - 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father - I'll step down as queen of Denmark

"I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik," she stated.

Margrethe - the eldest little one of Denmark's former monarch King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid - succeeded her father following his demise on 14 January 1972.

She turned Europe's present longest-serving monarch following the demise of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

She can also be the world's solely queen regnant - versus a queen consort or queen regent who shares her partner's title.

In July, Margrethe turned the longest-sitting monarch in Denmark's historical past.

The report was beforehand held by Seventeenth-century monarch Christian IV, who, whereas technically reigned for 60 years, solely dominated for 51 years and 6 months, as he was a toddler for the early a part of his reign.

Margrethe celebrated her Golden Jubilee in July 2022, with a sequence of occasions held throughout Denmark.

However, she underwent "extensive" again surgical procedure initially of this yr - which meant she was unable to attend King Charles's coronation in London in May.

Crown Prince Frederik and his spouse represented the Danish royal household in her place.

Margrethe additionally made headlines in September final yr after stripping 4 of her grandchildren of their royal titles.

The transfer adopted within the footsteps of different European monarchies trying to slim down the variety of frontline members of their royal households.

The official motive given on the time was to permit the 4 youngsters of her youngest son, Prince Joachim, to dwell extra regular lives.

However, the mom of Prince Joachim's two eldest sons advised Danish media she was "shocked" by the choice.

She additionally misplaced her husband of fifty years, Prince Henrik, in 2018, following a analysis of dementia.

Jesper Steinmetz, the European correspondent for TV 2 Denmark, described the announcement of her abdication as a "total surprise".

"It is a complete shocker," he advised Sky News.

"There was no indication in advance that she was going to announce this, so the nation is in shock."

Asked why she had determined to abdicate now, he stated: "She said in her speech that she had major back surgery earlier this year.

"She recuperated properly and is doing effective, however she stated that if you end up 83 you aren't in a position to do the identical belongings you had been while you had been youthful.

"So I think she just found that the time was right - that is what she said in her New Year speech, that she thought the time was right to pass on the baton to her eldest son."

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However, he stated Margrethe had beforehand expressed a reluctance to interrupt with household custom by abdicating.

"I think we have to go back to the 1400s in Danish history to find a similar situation - so it is just unheard of," he stated.

"But she [Margrethe] is also very aware that you need to keep the monarchy modern, so I think that has also played into consideration.

"The instant response in Denmark is that it's a very clever resolution, despite the fact that it's a big shock."

Journalist and royal commentator, Alistair Bruce, advised Sky News that the timing of the announcement may have "taken many people by surprise".

"She has not been very well recently. She's had trouble with back pain. She's had some surgeries," he stated.

"And I think that there's been a recognition that since her husband, Prince Henrik, died, there's been a diminution in her energy levels and I think it's probably something that it is probably something she has been planning for some time."