SHE always claimed she’d follow family tradition and stay on the throne for life – so the announcement that she’d be stepping down came as a shock.
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II had worn the crown for 52 years and was Europe’s longest-serving monarch. The chain-smoking, fun, spontaneous and artistic queen was also beloved by her nation, and under her reign the popularity of the royal family had surged.
But she was done, she said. She’d given it a lot of thought, especially after having extensive back surgery last February l.
“The time takes its toll and the number of ailments increases,” she said. “One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past.
