Queen Margrethe II of Denmark: Everything you need to know

Queen Margrethe II was the previous reigning monarch of Denmark. Born in 1940, she was the longest-serving monarch in Denmark’s history.

Queen Margrethe announced her abdication from the throne during her New Year address this year, and stepped down as the Queen of Denmark on 14 January 2024.

How old is Queen Margrethe of Denmark?

Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid was born on 16 April 1940, making her 83 years old.

Margrethe is the eldest child of King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid, and she has two younger siblings, both sisters – Princess Benedikte of Denmark who was born in 1944, and Princess Anne-Marie of Denmark (now Queen Anne-Marie of Greece) who was born in 1946.

Margrethe married Henri de Laborde de Monpezat in 1967, and the pair had two sons: Frederik and Joachim.

Queen Margrethe II was born on 16 April 1940.

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How long has Queen Margrethe been queen?

Queen Margrethe II has reigned as the monarch of Denmark for almost 52 years, and is currently the longest-serving monarch in the entire world.

Margrethe succeeded to the throne on 14 January 1972 following her father’s unexpected death, and was 31 years old when she became Queen.

During her annual New Year’s Address, Queen Margrethe announced that she would be abdicating from the throne, and will step down as the Queen of Denmark on 14 January 2023, exactly 52 years to the day since she became Queen.

The reason for her abdication is as a result of her recent illnesses and injuries. In her New Year’s Address, she said that time had taken its “toll”, and her number of “ailments” had increased, and that she cannot undertake as many duties as she managed in the past.

In the official statement from the Danish Royal Family, they stated “When HM The Queen abdicates at the Council of State on Sunday, 14 January 2024, it will be the first time in nearly 900 years that this has happened in Denmark – thus, it will be an extraordinary and historic event.”

Margrethe became Queen of Denmark on 14 January 1972.

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How tall is Queen Margrethe of Denmark?

Queen Margrethe is actually relatively tall, standing at 1.82m or 5 feet and 10 inches tall.

In fact, the entire Danish Royal Family is quite tall with Queen Margrethe’s father being 1.92m tall, and her two sons, Frederik and Joachim, being 1.83m and 1.88m respectively.

Is Queen Margrethe related to Queen Elizabeth?

Thanks to Queen Victoria of England, many of the royal families across Europe are related to one another. Victoria earned herself the nickname ‘Grandmother of Europe’ as she encouraged her children to marry strategically, and many of her nine children married into European royalty.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was related to the late Queen Elizabeth II of England through Queen Victoria as well as King Christian IX of Denmark, and the two monarchs were third cousins.

Does the royal family of Denmark speak English?

In short, yes, the Danish royal family are known to be fluent in English. However, most members of the royal family speak Danish the majority of the time.

Profile Charlotte Knoke

Charlotte Knoke is a digital content producer working across Now To Love, Woman’s Day and TV Week at Are Media. She writes about all things entertainment and lifestyle and has a keen interest in pop culture, royals, fashion, books, travel and women’s sport. Charlotte graduated from the University of Technology Sydney in 2023 with a Bachelor of Communication where she majored in Public Communication and minored in Social and Political Sciences. She has previously worked at a wide variety of companies including Netball Australia, Booktopia, Sportsgirl and Women’s Sport Australia. At these various companies, Charlotte gained valuable experience in a range of different areas including marketing, communication, social media, copywriting, public relations and journalism. In her current role as a digital content producer, Charlotte particularly enjoys writing about the latest TV shows, celebrity news, fashion picks, upcoming movies, shopping content and news about both the British and international royal families.