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Danish Queen Margrethe II surprised the nation on New Year's Eve when she announced her abdication. She will step down on 14 January, exactly 52 years after becoming queen. In a live TV announcement, she stated that she will leave the throne to her son, Crown Prince Frederik. The soon-to-be king has had a somewhat colorful past as a party prince in the early 1990s, but his image began to change after he completed a university education, becoming the first Danish royal to do so. Frederik also spent time at Harvard under the alias Frederik Henriksen. He later served in the Danish navy, where he earned the nickname "Pingo" due to a humorous scuba diving mishap. Known for his adventurous spirit, he has participated in a four-month ski expedition across Greenland and has been involved in various accidents, which resulted in hospitalizations. Despite his future role as king, Frederik has expressed his desire to remain true to himself and maintain his individuality. Similar to Britain's Prince Charles, he is passionate about the environment and has promised to guide Denmark towards a sustainable future. Frederik's wife, Princess Mary, hails from Australia and was working as a lawyer when they met at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000. She initially had no knowledge of his royal status but quickly discovered the truth. The couple strives to give their four children a normal upbringing by mainly sending them to state schools. As opposed to British tradition, there will be no formal crowning ceremony for Frederik. His accession will be announced from Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen. Upon becoming king, he will also assume the position of head of state in Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands. Queen Margrethe II, the world's only reigning queen and Europe's longest-serving living monarch, made the decision to step down following a period of reflection after her back surgery in early 2023. She expressed gratitude to the Danish public for their support throughout her reign.