Margaret of Denmark, the last queen of Europe

The announcement of the abdication of Queen Margaret of Denmark leaves the thrones of Europe without women.

Oliver Thansan
Oliver Thansan
30 December 2023 Saturday 22:00
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Margaret of Denmark, the last queen of Europe

The announcement of the abdication of Queen Margaret of Denmark leaves the thrones of Europe without women. The Danish sovereign was the only titular queen after the death of Elizabeth II of England and from January 14 with the coronation of the current Prince Frederick as the new king, all European crowns will be placed on men's heads. We will have to wait for the generation of Eleanor of Bourbon, Amalia of Holland, Isabel of Belgium and Victoria of Sweden for the majority of the titular queens to be women.

During the years that Elizabeth of England, Beatrice of Holland and Margaret of Denmark coincided on the throne, the number of queens and kings of Europe was almost equal, although they won because men were the kings of Spain, Belgium, Norway and Sweden. Four to three was a proportion never seen in Europe, but after Margarita's abdication the thing would be seven to zero.

Felipe VI has been king of Spain since 2014, the same year that William of Holland ascended to the throne, forming with Felipe of Belgium, crowned in 2013, the trio of new kings of the 21st century who came to the throne after the abdication of Juan Carlos I, Beatriz from Holland and Alberto from Belgium. They were joined last September by Charles III, proclaimed king after the death of his mother, Isabel II. Carl Gustav had already reigned in Sweden since 1973 and Harald was proclaimed king of Norway in 1990.

In the coming years, for natural reasons, the first queen, Princess Victoria of Sweden, will ascend to the throne, who will be succeeded by her daughter, Estela, and over the years Eleanor of Bourbon, in Spain, Isabel of Brabant, in Belgium and Princess Amalia, in the Netherlands. In England they will have a king in the next two generations, since William, Prince of Wales, will succeed his father, Charles III, and in due course, little Prince George will also be king.

In Denmark, the next King Frederick will be succeeded by his son Christian and in Norway, after Harald will come Haakon and then Princess Ingrid Alexandra.