King Frederik X visits Danish parliament on first official day. The visit of King Frederik X of Denmark followed the abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe, who had served on the throne for 52 years.
"We begin our responsible work as Denmark’s king in the belief that the Danish parliament will meet us in joint work for the good of the kingdom," the king said through Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
Following tradition, the monarch refrained from addressing lawmakers directly, and instead, Prime Minister Frederiksen delivered his speech. King Frederik X used the majestic plural, referring to himself as "we."
Søren Gade, the Speaker of Parliament, expressed confidence in the new king, stating, "I have great confidence that he will be an excellent king for us all. And by his side has an excellent queen." Seated beside the king was his wife, Queen Mary, who hails from Australia.
Aged 55 and 51 respectively, Frederik and Mary made their entrance at the Folketing in a regal limousine, where they received a warm welcome from Speaker Gade and other senior lawmakers. Queen Margrethe observed from the top of the stairs at Christiansborg Palace as her son and daughter-in-law arrived.
Within the assembly, the royal trio took their seats on the grand balcony, overseeing the 179-member Folketinget. King Frederik, seated in the front row beside Queen Mary and their eldest son, 18-year-old Crown Prince Christian, wore a smile throughout the proceedings, while Queen Margrethe sat behind them.
King Frederik X seated beside his wife Queen Mary during their visit to the parliament The hour-long visit included interactions between King Frederik and various lawmakers, including members of the far-left party, the Unity List. Despite their opposition to the monarchy, they respectfully stood as the royal family entered the room.
"We always participate in meetings in the Folketing; that is why we were there today," said Rosa Lund, a senior member of the Unity List.
Nevertheless, members of the small party chose to abstain from attending the reception held for the new king that followed the short session in the assembly. According to Lund, they made this choice based on their Republican stance.
On Sunday, an enthusiastic crowd erupted in cheers as Frederik and Mary graced the balcony of Christiansborg Palace, the seat of parliament, and other institutions.
Following Queen Margrethe's abdication, Prime Minister Frederiksen officially declared Frederik as king during a meeting at Christiansborg Palace on Sunday. In tradition, the prime minister read the proclamation three times, with Frederik standing beside her, adorned in a ceremonial military uniform embellished with medals.
Subsequently, Mary and the couple's four children joined him on the balcony. The expansive crowd gathered on Parliament Square spontaneously united in singing the national anthem.
According to the Danish cell phone operator "3," an estimated 300,000 people participated in the celebrations on Sunday, based on data from telephone masts around Christiansborg Palace, a nearby square, and the royal residence at Amalienborg Palace.
According to Danish broadcaster DR, Danish railways, DSB, reported that there were over 230,000 travelers on the Copenhagen network on Sunday. It's worth mentioning that when Queen Margrethe ascended the throne in 1972, she, too, visited parliament the day after her acclaim.