Dubai Telegraph - Denmark's Margrethe now Europe's longest serving monarch

EUR -
AED 3.826681
AFN 70.961758
ALL 98.138602
AMD 405.652886
ANG 1.877182
AOA 951.190259
ARS 1045.720247
AUD 1.602814
AWG 1.877897
AZN 1.775245
BAM 1.955573
BBD 2.102956
BDT 124.465544
BGN 1.955294
BHD 0.392554
BIF 3076.642669
BMD 1.041829
BND 1.403837
BOB 7.197164
BRL 6.043693
BSD 1.041579
BTN 87.914489
BWP 14.229347
BYN 3.408604
BYR 20419.848375
BZD 2.099456
CAD 1.456529
CDF 2991.091432
CHF 0.930957
CLF 0.036923
CLP 1018.83097
CNY 7.54601
CNH 7.562783
COP 4573.368835
CRC 530.538382
CUC 1.041829
CUP 27.608468
CVE 110.252195
CZK 25.343745
DJF 185.478458
DKK 7.457729
DOP 62.772709
DZD 139.835759
EGP 51.726992
ERN 15.627435
ETB 127.508391
FJD 2.371151
FKP 0.822333
GBP 0.831435
GEL 2.855018
GGP 0.822333
GHS 16.456089
GIP 0.822333
GMD 73.970229
GNF 8977.957272
GTQ 8.040066
GYD 217.904692
HKD 8.110066
HNL 26.320943
HRK 7.431636
HTG 136.72412
HUF 411.522823
IDR 16610.452733
ILS 3.856892
IMP 0.822333
INR 87.968134
IQD 1364.44153
IRR 43834.955489
ISK 145.523076
JEP 0.822333
JMD 165.930728
JOD 0.738765
JPY 161.244275
KES 134.884334
KGS 90.122166
KHR 4193.512952
KMF 492.268155
KPW 937.645704
KRW 1463.259646
KWD 0.320727
KYD 0.867999
KZT 520.059599
LAK 22878.342838
LBP 93271.167197
LKR 303.144792
LRD 187.998165
LSL 18.795317
LTL 3.076251
LVL 0.630192
LYD 5.086409
MAD 10.478083
MDL 18.997794
MGA 4861.435378
MKD 61.522855
MMK 3383.819949
MNT 3540.134882
MOP 8.35093
MRU 41.443187
MUR 48.810083
MVR 16.10707
MWK 1806.090235
MXN 21.283008
MYR 4.654932
MZN 66.583684
NAD 18.795317
NGN 1767.675143
NIO 38.325549
NOK 11.53576
NPR 140.663663
NZD 1.785942
OMR 0.400943
PAB 1.041579
PEN 3.949541
PGK 4.193513
PHP 61.404399
PKR 289.239507
PLN 4.337676
PYG 8131.055634
QAR 3.798559
RON 4.978071
RSD 116.991412
RUB 108.671879
RWF 1421.834864
SAR 3.911473
SBD 8.734231
SCR 14.272055
SDG 626.663972
SEK 11.497837
SGD 1.402931
SHP 0.822333
SLE 23.68116
SLL 21846.638123
SOS 595.230868
SRD 36.978718
STD 21563.75683
SVC 9.113941
SYP 2617.626467
SZL 18.788818
THB 35.922648
TJS 11.092512
TMT 3.646401
TND 3.309016
TOP 2.440072
TRY 35.9978
TTD 7.074178
TWD 33.946439
TZS 2770.578216
UAH 43.089995
UGX 3848.553017
USD 1.041829
UYU 44.294855
UZS 13362.448044
VES 48.506662
VND 26482.251319
VUV 123.688032
WST 2.90836
XAF 655.880824
XAG 0.033274
XAU 0.000384
XCD 2.815595
XDR 0.792308
XOF 655.880824
XPF 119.331742
YER 260.379151
ZAR 18.915093
ZMK 9377.71492
ZMW 28.772658
ZWL 335.468513
  • SCS

    0.2300

    13.27

    +1.73%

  • BCE

    0.0900

    26.77

    +0.34%

  • RIO

    -0.2200

    62.35

    -0.35%

  • BCC

    3.4200

    143.78

    +2.38%

  • RYCEF

    -0.0100

    6.79

    -0.15%

  • CMSC

    0.0320

    24.672

    +0.13%

  • CMSD

    0.0150

    24.46

    +0.06%

  • NGG

    1.0296

    63.11

    +1.63%

  • RBGPF

    59.2400

    59.24

    +100%

  • JRI

    -0.0200

    13.21

    -0.15%

  • VOD

    0.1323

    8.73

    +1.52%

  • GSK

    0.2600

    33.96

    +0.77%

  • BTI

    0.4000

    37.38

    +1.07%

  • RELX

    0.9900

    46.75

    +2.12%

  • AZN

    1.3700

    65.63

    +2.09%

  • BP

    0.2000

    29.72

    +0.67%

Denmark's Margrethe now Europe's longest serving monarch
Denmark's Margrethe now Europe's longest serving monarch / Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen - Ritzau Scanpix/AFP/File

Denmark's Margrethe now Europe's longest serving monarch

Denmark's popular Queen Margrethe II is now Europe's longest-serving monarch and also its only reigning queen after the death of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II.

Text size:

The artistic and chain-smoking 82-year-old, always impeccably coiffed with her white hair swept up in a bun and hailed for unifying and modernising the Danish monarchy in her 50 years on the throne, has scaled back golden jubilee festivities this weekend following the death Thursday of Britain's head of state.

Margrethe came to the throne at the age of 31 in January 1972 on the death of her father, Frederik IX, becoming the first woman to hold the position of reigning queen in Denmark.

She took her reign name Margrethe II in recognition of Margrethe I, who ruled Denmark from 1375-1412 but never formally held the title.

At the time of her accession, only 45 percent of Danes were in favour of the monarchy, most believing it had no place in a modern democracy.

During her reign, however, Margrethe has managed to stay away from scandal and helped to modernise the institution -- allowing her two sons to marry commoners, for example.

Today, the Danish monarchy is one of the most popular in the world, enjoying the support of more than 80 percent of Danes.

At 50 years and seven months on the throne, she is now the longest-reigning monarch in Europe following the death of her third cousin, Queen Elizabeth.

She is trailed by her first cousin, Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, who has been king for 48 years.

Margrethe is also Europe's only reigning queen, although four countries -- Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden -- have crown princesses.

- 'Until I drop' -

Margrethe was born in Copenhagen on April 16, 1940, just one week after Nazi Germany's invasion of Denmark.

She eventually became the eldest of three sisters, but when she was born Denmark's law of succession barred women from inheriting the throne.

The law was changed in 1953 following a referendum, under pressure from successive Danish governments mindful of a need to modernise society.

"She has managed to be a queen who has united the Danish nation in a time of large changes: globalisation, the appearance of the multicultural state, economic crises in the 1970s, 1980s and again in 2008 to 2015, and the pandemic," historian Lars Hovebakke Sorensen told AFP.

"The basis of her popularity is that the queen is absolutely non-political," he said.

Margrethe marked the 50th anniversary of her accession in January with a scaled-down celebration due to Covid.

The full festivities had been postponed until this weekend but were again downsized considerably after the death of Queen Elizabeth, with a carriage procession through the streets of Copenhagen and a balcony appearance cancelled.

The queen, affectionately nicknamed 'Daisy' by her family and subjects, has managed to keep the monarchy relevant without diminishing its status.

Widowed in 2018, she has repeatedly insisted that she will never step down from her duties.

"I will stay on the throne until I drop," she says.

Denmark has no tradition of abdication -- and given her robust health the question has never been raised seriously.

In May, she rode a roller-coaster at Copenhagen's famed Tivoli amusement park, her hat fastened securely on her head.

Her eldest son, 54-year-old Crown Prince Frederik, is due to succeed her when the time comes.

- Queen of arts -

With sparkling blue eyes and a broad smile, she is known for her relaxed and playful side, as well as for her involvement in Denmark's cultural scene.

A painter as well as a costume and set designer, she has worked with the Royal Danish Ballet and Royal Danish Theatre on numerous occasions.

She has studied at Cambridge and the Sorbonne, and is a fluent speaker of English, French, German and Swedish.

She has participated in elaborate translation projects, including the 1981 Danish version of Simone de Beauvoir's "All Men are Mortal" under a pseudonym in cooperation with her French-born husband, Prince Henrik.

But it is primarily her paintings and drawings that have caught the public's eye.

She has illustrated several books, including a Danish 2002 edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings", and her paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries in Denmark and abroad.

T.Jamil--DT