Frederick X, the rocker and football fan who was proclaimed the new king of Denmark

Frederick his desire to act as a unifier for the entire country.

(Also: How will the arrival of Prince Frederick as king of Denmark impact the crown?)

“My mother has been, like few others, one with her kingdom. I hope to be a unifying king,” the new king said in a brief speech before thousands of Danes, who He was later accompanied by his wife, Queen Mary, and their four children, led by the new Crown Prince Christian..

(You can read: Queen Margaret II of Denmark announces her abdication after 52 years on the throne)

The accession to the throne of Frederick the declaration of abdication Margarita II, who at the age of 83 unexpectedly announced her retirement after 52 years of reign in her New Year's Eve speechciting health problems and the need to make way for the new generation.

The proclamation, which began at 3 pm local time (9 am Colombia time) and lasted just a few minutes, followed tradition since Denmark became a constitutional monarchy in 1849: It was the Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen, who was in charge of doing so, after having thanked the outgoing monarch..

“Her Majesty Margaret II has abdicated. Long live His Majesty King Frederick X,” Frederiksen repeated three times.

(Also: Ballot boxes and weapons will define the geopolitical agenda in much of the world during 2024)

Federico, who referred to his mother as “an unusual regent,” noted that He will need the support of “my beloved wife, my family and that which is bigger than all of us”.

The speech ended with the choice of the motto of his reign, a Danish tradition, which will be “United, committed for the kingdom of Denmark”, which will succeed “The help of God, the love of the people, the strength of Denmark” of his mother.

Next, Queen Mary came out onto the balcony and was then joined by her four children: Christian, 18, Isabella, 16, and twins Vicente and Josefina, 12..

The six of them went out onto the balcony twice, amid the applause of the thousands of Danes who filled Christiansborg Square, while waving Danish flags and shouting the usual “hurray.”

Frederick put his hand over his heart in gratitude and even kissed the queen on the mouth.

(We recommend: Why is organized crime a threat to Latin America in 2024?)

The new kings then left the castle in a carriage, the same one that their mother had occupied hours before to head to Christiansborg.

The official events of the day will close with the transfer of royal standards from the palace of Christian IX, residence of the outgoing monarch, to that of Frederick VIII.where the new kings live, both separated by just a few hundred meters.

Who is Frederick X?

The young man who doubted his future as king and whose erratic behavior generated doubts has become this Sunday at the age of 55 Frederick interested in adventure and sports.

Federico himself recognized years ago in a biography that His parents never explained well to him as a child what being crown prince entailed and that made him feel “insecure and shy”.

At the age of ten, when Joachim, his little brother, learned that one day he would inherit Schackenborg Castle, Frederick asked his mother what would happen to him; and when she responded that she would be “Denmark”, she seemed “strange” to the then prince.

(In other news: 8 questions to understand the crisis in the Red Sea: how serious is what is happening?)

When he was in his thirties, he admitted in one of his rare interviews that being king seemed to him when he was younger “something big and intimidating, dark, gloomy and unpleasant.”

The difficulties in assuming his role were compounded by some unfortunate episodes, such as a car accident in France in 1988, or the arrest three years later, on New Year's Eve, by the police of him and his girlfriend, who was driving the prince's car without a license and drunk: she received a fine; him, a reprimand from the queen and widespread criticism.

“Free us from Frederick as king”the tabloid even made the headline on the front page Ekstra Bladet, while the debate raged on whether the “turbo prince”, a lover of speed and romantic relationships with models, was the ideal person to one day occupy the throne.

(You can read: Will Bernardo Arévalo be able to assume the presidency of Guatemala this Sunday?)

Interest in sports and military career

The change began soon, and months later he completed his first marathon, a turning point, as revealed by his younger brother in the aforementioned biography: “after dragging and fighting for 15 or 20 years with many frustrations that he had inside, the marathon showed him that he was capable of something special.”

The image of both celebrating in the stands like two Danes plus the victory at Euro 1992 also contributed, but it was through his military career where he found order and structure, especially the tough training course in the divers corps.

“I am a person before and another after (…). One feels good saying: we have won a battle, one of those that one fights for oneself”said.

From his time in that body he was left with a nickname, “Pingo”, after the name of a penguin from a popular comic that he remembered when walking with a suit full of water.

(Also: The harsh crisis that Ecuador is experiencing, a country in a state of war due to drug traffickers)

The first member of the Danish Royal House to complete university studies (Political Science, which he studied between Denmark and the United States) greatly improved his reputation when He was seen crying his eyes out while waiting at the altar in 2004 for his future wife, the Australian Mary Donaldson, whom he had met at the Sydney Olympic Games..

With the now proclaimed Queen Mary, he has had four children – Christian (18 years old), Isabella (16) and the twins Vicente and Josefina (12) – and has offered an image of a young and modern couple who picked up their children on bicycles, like so many other Danes, following his idea of ​​giving them a less strict education.

A 'rocker' king with rhetorical problems

“He is very different from me in many things. He has a sense for people that I really like, and it is easier for him to talk to all types of people. He is more direct,” Margarita II acknowledged years ago.

The differences with his mother are reflected in his interests: If she likes classical music and literature, Federico has always been very interested in sports, adventure (he traveled almost 3,000 kilometers on a sledding expedition through Greenland) and rock and pop music, from David Bowie to Metallica or Led Zeppelin.

(You can read: Four migrants die while trying to cross the English Channel from France)

His was the idea of ​​organizing a macro rock festival before his wedding or creating the Royal Run five years ago, popular races in the main cities that have become a public success and in which he participates with his family.

The now-proclaimed king, who has a shark tattooed on one calf and a Nordic motif on one shoulder, lacks his mother's rhetorical skills and continues to sound insecure in public.hence the media resorts more to his grandfather, Frederick IX, when making comparisons, due to the hook between the people of both.

Federico has, however, been the protagonist of some controversy in recent years, such as when he broke the ban on driving on a bridge in the middle of a storm, his problematic career as a member of the International Olympic Committee or the recent photos in Madrid with the Mexican Genoveva Casanova, an incident that the Royal Family has not commented on despite some criticism in Denmark.

INTERNATIONAL EDITORIAL
*With information from EFE