Denmark's Queen Margrethe II announces surprise abdication on live TV

FILE PHOTO: Denmark's Queen Margrethe attends a parade of the Royal Life Guards in Copenhagen, Denmark, November 15, 2023. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via REUTERS/File Photo

COPENHAGEN (Reuters) -Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, Europe's longest-serving monarch, will abdicate on Jan. 14 after 52 years on the throne and will be succeeded by her eldest son Crown Prince Frederik, she announced on Sunday.

The 83-year-old queen, who ascended the throne in 1972, made the surprise announcement on live TV during her traditional New Year's Eve speech, which is viewed by many in the country of 5.9 million people.