Queen Margrethe said farewell in three lines

Queen Margrethe of Denmark’s poignant three-line abdication note was revealed by an image obtained by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR). The note, signed on January 14, 2024, marked her historic resignation from the throne and the end of her 52-year reign. It proclaimed, ‘We, Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, by God’s grace Queen of Denmark, hereby announce that with Our signature on this document, We renounce the throne.’ The signed declaration, a first in modern Danish history, was kept private initially, with both copies residing at the National Archives and Parliament. It wasn’t to be publicly released, per the Archives’ communication on Facebook. However, the actual text came to light thanks to a Norwegian royal historian, Dag T. Hoelseth, who obtained a scanned copy from the Prime Minister’s office. Following the signature, Queen Margrethe transferred power to her son, King Frederik, and emotionally vacated her position with the words ‘God save the king’.