Margaret II became Queen of Denmark at the age of 31, on a hazy day in January. This Friday he celebrates his 50th anniversary on the throne, while waiting for the popular celebrations in September.
This sovereign artist, always dignified and well dressed, has gone through half a century without surprises or errors, far from the scandals of the English monarchy, uniting her people more and more.
"When he came to the throne, only 45% of Danes supported the monarchy, they did not believe that a monarchy had a place in a modern democracy", journalist Gitte Redder, author of books on the Danish royal house, told AFP.
Today, the Danish monarchy is one of the most popular in the world and its monarch an institution.
In 2018, a Voxmeter poll showed that more than 75% of the population favored royalty and less than 15% wanted a republic.
"The basis of this popularity is that the queen is not political at all, she unites the nation instead of dividing it"historian Lars Hovebakke Sørensen told AFP.
"She managed to be a queen who unified the Danish nation in a time of many changes: globalization, the emergence of a multicultural state, the economic crises of the 70s, 80s and again between 2008 and 2015, and the covid-19 pandemic. 19", analyzed.
first monarch
This mother of two children, and eight times grandmother, Margarita II was enthroned on January 14, 1972 on the death of her father Federico IX, becoming the first woman to occupy the top of the oldest royal house in Europe.
"He has a great sense of duty and never questioned his destiny", notes historian Tom Buk-Swienty.
In a documentary, Margarita II confessed that she learned from her father to receive the love of her subjects. "You must receive. You shouldn’t just wave your hand"Frederick IX told him.
Widowed since 2018, the queen, affectionately known as "Daisy" for his people, he has contributed to gradually modernizing the monarchy without trivializing it.
A costume designer and set designer, she is not averse to responding mischievously to journalists’ questions at press conferences and recently allowed herself to be interviewed by a group of twenty people in a program to celebrate her jubilee.
Always combed in an impeccable chignon -there are very few photos of her with her hair down-, the sovereign likes to walk around the country and every summer she sails on her yacht, the "Danneborg", before settling in France at the Château de Caix, which she bought with her late husband, Prince Henrik, of French origin.
Her erudition and versatility make her an example for the Danes, who religiously follow her appearances on television.
"His speeches are always extremely good. They always feel like they are learning something"said historian Hovebakke Sørensen.
Translations and paintings
A polyglot intellectual, he tried his hand at translation, especially the Danish version of "Tous les hommes sont mortels" (All men are mortal) by Simone de Beauvoir in 1981, under a pseudonym and in collaboration with her husband.
But he excelled above all in drawing and painting. Margarita has illustrated numerous literary works, such as the 2002 reissue of "The Lord of the rings"by JRR Tolkien.
His paintings have been exhibited in prestigious museums and galleries, inside and outside Denmark.
And despite being almost 82 years old, he does not plan to give up: "I’ll stay on the throne until I fall off it"he warned.
In the Scandinavian country of 5.8 million inhabitants, there is no tradition of abdication.
The only ruler who renounced the throne in the history of this thousand-year-old monarchy was Erik III, crowned in 1137, who decided nine years later to change the royal tiara for a monastic tonsure.
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