Father Was a KAIST Professor... Love Story of Denmark's New King and Queen Gains Attention

Danish Crown Prince Ascends Throne on 14th
Margrethe II Transfers to Son Frederik X
Crown Prince Met Australian Crown Princess at Pub Party

Margrethe II (83), the Queen of Denmark and the longest-reigning current monarch in the world, will abdicate the throne on the 14th (local time). The throne will be succeeded by the Queen's eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik (55).

The coronation of the new king is scheduled to take place alongside the Queen's abdication ceremony. This day also marks the 52nd anniversary of the Queen's accession. Earlier, on New Year's Eve, December 31, Queen Margrethe II declared her sudden abdication in a live televised New Year's address. However, she will retain the title of 'Queen' even after stepping down from the throne.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess of Denmark
[Photo by EPA Yonhap News]

Queen Margrethe II ascended the throne at the age of 31 on January 14, 1972, following the death of her father, Frederick IX. She is the second longest-reigning monarch after Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, who passed away in September 2022. Margrethe II, the first queen of Denmark since the 1380s, has led the modernization of the royal family and has been greatly loved by the Danish people.

Crown Prince Frederik, who will become Frederick X, majored in political science at Aarhus University in Denmark and has had a long military career since 1986, serving in the army, navy, and air force. He also served in the Danish Navy Special Forces, known for their rigorous training, and is an all-around sportsman who enjoys marathon running and triathlons. He even participated in a 2,795 km dog sled expedition in Greenland lasting four months.

Crown Prince Frederik is especially famous for his fairy-tale love story. During the 2000 Sydney Olympics, while visiting Australia, he met his wife, Crown Princess Mary (51), at a party in a bar through a friend's introduction. After a long courtship, they married in 2004. Crown Princess Mary revealed that she did not know Frederik was Danish royalty when they first met. Recalling their first meeting in an interview with a daily newspaper, Frederik said, "It felt like meeting a soulmate."

Crown Princess Mary
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Crown Princess Mary, born in 1972 in Tasmania, Australia, quickly learned Danish within just a few months of arriving in Denmark and has shown an active and friendly demeanor, making her very popular among the public. According to a public opinion poll released last month by Denmark's TV2, Crown Princess Mary ranks as the third most popular member of the Danish royal family, following Queen Margrethe II and Crown Prince Frederik.

The Crown Princess has been active in promoting women's rights and has addressed issues such as bullying and domestic violence. She is also known for raising their four children mostly in public schools to give them a normal upbringing. The Crown Prince couple has four children: Prince Christian (18), Princess Isabella (16), and twins Princess Josephine (13) and Prince Vincent (13), with Prince Christian being first in the line of succession.

The Crown Prince couple also has ties to Korea. They officially visited Korea in 2012 and returned in 2019 to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Korea-Denmark diplomatic relations. Additionally, Crown Princess Mary's father, John Donaldson, served as a professor at KAIST for three years starting in 2002.

The Danish people have high expectations for the new royal couple. In a public opinion poll conducted after Queen Margrethe II's surprise abdication announcement, 82% of Danes responded that Crown Prince Frederik would perform well or very well as king, and 86% expressed the same opinion about Crown Princess Mary. Furthermore, about 80% of the Danish population supports the monarchy.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.