Officially Ascending the Throne to Replace Queen Margrethe II, Frederik X: My Hope is to Become a Unifying King

Danish King Frederik greeted the residents after officially taking the throne. (Wikimedia Commons/Kefr4000)

JAKARTA -JAKARTA - Frederik X is officially ascended the throne as King of Denmark on Sunday, replacing his mother the Queen Margrethe II, who abdicated after ruling for 52 years

83-year-old Queen Margrethe II shocked Denmark on New Year's Eve, when she announced her abdication, becoming the first Danish monarch to step down voluntarily in nearly 900 years.

The succession was formalized when Margrethe II signed a declaration of her resignation at a meeting of the Council of State in parliament. After signing the declaration, the queen rose and motioned for Frederik to sit down, and said "God save the King" before leaving the room.

Denmark, one of the world's oldest monarchies, did not hold a coronation but there were still moments of grandeur at the day's events.

After Margrethe II abdicated, Frederik (55), was proclaimed king by Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen on the balcony of the parliament building, Christiansborg castle, with the inscription "Long live His Majesty King Frederik the 10th".

Wearing a ceremonial military uniform decorated with medals, Frederik addressed the public from a balcony.

King of Denmark Frederik X. (Source: Dennis Stenild/Kongehuset)

"My hope is to become a unifying king in the future. This is a task that I have carried out all my life. This is a task that I carry out with pride, honor and joy," said King Frederik

Visibly moved and several times wiping away tears, King Frederik X ended his speech with the words: "United, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark," his royal motto, a 500-year-old tradition that is supposed to underpin the new king's reign.

The royal couple greeted warmly before leaving the balcony amid the cheers of tens of thousands of people who gathered in the capital in near-freezing temperatures.

The new king and queen ascended the throne at a time of great public support and enthusiasm for the monarchy in the country of nearly six million people.

Police closed several metro stations in central Copenhagen for security reasons, to stop more people entering the crowded streets.

The new king and queen then rode in a horse-drawn carriage through the crowds back to their residence, Amalienborg, a royal complex built in the 1750s and located in central Copenhagen.

The royal family then appeared on the balcony of their residence to greet thousands of people below. The couple will continue to live with Margrethe, who will retain her title as queen, at Amalienborg albeit in their respective palaces in the octagonal complex.

Margrethe, who has said in the past that she would remain on the throne for life, did not give a reason for her decision to step down but said major back surgery she underwent in February last year had made her consider her future.