A Danish royal who mourns her friend ‘Lilibet’ is now the reigning queen in Europe. (Published 2022) (2024)

Advertisem*nt

SKIP ADVERTIsem*nT

Though they ruled from capitals hundreds of miles apart, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Margrethe found time now and again to meet and spill the tea about family, children and other matters.

A Danish royal who mourns her friend ‘Lilibet’ is now the reigning queen in Europe. (Published 2022) (1)

One monarch was nicknamed Lilibet; the other, Daisy. One was the longest-reigning royal in Britain, skilled at disarming world leaders with humor. The other was educated at Cambridge, is often seen with a cigarette dangling from her lips and hopped a roller coaster in May to mark her Golden Jubilee.

Though they ruled from capitals hundreds of miles apart in Europe, they found time now and again to meet and spill the tea about family, children and other matters.

When Lilibet, better known Queen Elizabeth II, died last Thursday at 96, Daisy, a.k.a. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, became the reigning queen in Europe.

Elizabeth reigned for 70 years. Margrethe has marked 50 years at the helm of one of the oldest monarchies in Europe. As the news of the British royal’s death ricocheted around the globe, Margrethe, 82, scaled back plans to celebrate her own jubilee, called for a moment of silence and quickly sent a sorrowful letter to Elizabeth’s oldest son, King Charles III, that said, “We shall miss her terribly.”

More than friends, the queens shared lineage dating to Queen Victoria. When they commiserated, Margrethe recalled in an interview with the British broadcaster ITV News in May, they used their nicknames and had an “affectionate” rapport.

Margrethe, the eldest of three daughters of King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid, entered the line to the throne at age 13 when Denmark made a constitutional change to allow female succession and the king passed over his brother for his daughter.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access. If you are in Reader mode please exit andlog intoyour Times account, orsubscribefor all of The Times.

Thank you for your patience while we verify access.

Already a subscriber?Log in.

Want all of The Times?Subscribe.

Advertisem*nt

SKIP ADVERTIsem*nT

A Danish royal who mourns her friend ‘Lilibet’ is now the reigning queen in Europe. (Published 2022) (2024)

FAQs

A Danish royal who mourns her friend ‘Lilibet’ is now the reigning queen in Europe. (Published 2022)? ›

When Lilibet, better known Queen Elizabeth II, died last Thursday at 96, Daisy

Daisy
Margrethe was born into the House of Glücksburg, a cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg, during the reign of her paternal grandfather, King Christian X. She is the eldest child of King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Margrethe_II
, a.k.a. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, became the reigning queen in Europe.

How are Margrethe and Elizabeth related? ›

First, a breakdown of the royal Danish family tree. Queen Margrethe II inherited the throne from her father, Frederick IX, in the '70s. She's a third cousin of the late Queen Elizabeth II, and she seems to have a lot in common with England's former monarch — more on that later.

Why is Danish Queen abdicated? ›

Margrethe always maintained during her 52-year-reign that she wouldn't quit, but back surgery and other ailments left her unable to undertake as much as she could in the past. “Time takes its toll,” she said, announcing her plans to abdicate in a New Year's address that stunned the kingdom.

What happened to Queen Margrethe II of Denmark? ›

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Queen Margrethe II, Denmark's monarch for more than half a century, stunned her country when she announced on New Year's Eve that she will hand over the throne to her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik.

Why is Queen Margrethe called Daisy? ›

The marguerite is known in English as the Leucanthemum but it is more commonly referred to as a daisy. Given that the Crown Princess was born as Princess Margaret of Connaught, it makes sense that her nickname would also play on the English floral name.

What is the Danish royal family controversy? ›

Now, the Danish royals have found themselves at the heart of a photoshop scandal of their own, which comes after a turbulent time for the family. Frederik and Mary have been attempting to rehabilitate their image after allegations of an affair between the King and Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova.

What is the Prince Frederik scandal? ›

In November 2023, reports swirled that the Crown Prince, 55, was having an affair with Mexican-born socialite Geneveva Casanova after they were photographed together during his private trip to Madrid.

Why did Queen Margrethe step down? ›

Bucking modern trends, Margrethe was a long-time smoker and was often portrayed with a cigarette in hand in Danish pop culture. She had to quit ahead of back surgery in February 2023 - an operation that she said made her think about the need to pass the baton to the next generation.

Why didn't Elizabeth marry the Prince of Denmark? ›

The match was opposed by many, who thought that it was inappropriate for Elizabeth to marry a subject and feared the power and influence that Dudley would obtain as her husband. He was also already married, until his wife died in suspicious circ*mstances in 1560.

Did Mary know Frederick was a prince? ›

The two hit it off, but when Mary first met Frederik — who introduced himself only as “Fred” — she had no idea he was a royal. “The first time that we met or shook hands, I did not know he was the crown prince of Denmark,” Mary revealed in a 2003 interview with 60 Minutes Australia.

Were queen Elizabeth and Queen Margrethe close? ›

The Queen and Margrethe, 83, were third cousins and related via Queen Victoria, Tatler reports. But they weren't just relatives, they were friends.

What language do people speak in Denmark? ›

Denmark has one official language: Danish. However, there are several minority languages spoken throughout the territory, if you include The Faeroe Islands and Greenland. Danes are taught English from a very young age and 86% of all Danes speak English as a second language.

How is Queen Margrethe of Denmark related to Prince Philip? ›

Prince Phillip's grandfather was King George the I of Greece. George was born as Prince Vilhelm of Denmark. The second son of King Christian the IX of Denmark. George was also the younger brother of King Frederik the VIII of Denmark, who was Queen Margrethe's great-grandfather.

Are Queen Elizabeth and Queen of Denmark related? ›

Once Europe's only reigning queens, the royals are third cousins via Queen Victoria and Denmark's King Christian IX – so King Charles is linked too. Denmark's Queen Margrethe will be formally stepping down from her role as the nation's monarch on January 14, according to the royal.

Why did Queen Margrethe abdicate? ›

Queen Margrethe II made the surprise announcement of her abdication on live television in her New Year's Eve address on 31 December 2023. She said that time had "taken its toll", and her number of ailments had increased, and she cannot undertake as many duties as she managed in the past.

Are Queen Elizabeth and Margaret related? ›

Princess Margaret was the younger daughter of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, and sister to Queen Elizabeth II. She was born on 21 August 1930.

How many sisters does Queen Margrethe of Denmark have? ›

Margrethe comes from royalty on both sides of her family: Her father, obviously, is a member of the Danish royal family, and her mother, Ingrid, was a member of the Swedish royal family—the only daughter of Sweden's King Gustaf VI Adolf (b. 1882, d. 1973). Margrethe has two younger sisters: Princess Benedikte (b.

How is Queen Elizabeth related to Vikings? ›

The reason for this is because Queen Elizabeth II and her predecessors were all related to the Norman conqueror William the Conqueror who is in fact, descended from a group of Vikings that had raided the Frankish kingdom and were in turn surrendered to the area of Normandy where they settled and mixed in with the local ...

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Patricia Veum II

Last Updated:

Views: 5670

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (64 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Patricia Veum II

Birthday: 1994-12-16

Address: 2064 Little Summit, Goldieton, MS 97651-0862

Phone: +6873952696715

Job: Principal Officer

Hobby: Rafting, Cabaret, Candle making, Jigsaw puzzles, Inline skating, Magic, Graffiti

Introduction: My name is Patricia Veum II, I am a vast, combative, smiling, famous, inexpensive, zealous, sparkling person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.