![Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Christian of Denmark look on as Queen Margrethe II of Denmark signs the instrument of abdication during a Council of State at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe10.jpg?resize=1200%2C799&ssl=1)
We witnessed history in Copenhagen today—Queen Margrethe II of Denmark abdicated in favor of her son, King Frederik X of Denmark. And, as you might have expected, there were plenty of very special royal jewels on display during the transition celebrations!
![Queen Margrethe II of Denmark travels to Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen ahead of her abdication on January 14, 2024 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe08.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
On the final afternoon of her 52-year reign, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark rode in a carriage from Amalienborg to Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen for her abdication. She announced her plans to hand the throne over to her elder son, Crown Prince Frederik, just two weeks ago in her New Year’s Eve broadcast.
![Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Christian of Denmark look on as Queen Margrethe II of Denmark signs the instrument of abdication during a Council of State at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe04.jpg?resize=1200%2C648&ssl=1)
Queen Margrethe II was joined by Crown Prince Frederik and his elder son, Prince Christian, for her final Council of State meeting as monarch. She signed the instrument of abdication during the meeting, immediately making her son the King of Denmark.
![Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Christian of Denmark look on as Queen Margrethe II of Denmark signs the instrument of abdication during a Council of State at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe05.jpg?resize=1200%2C643&ssl=1)
The new Crown Prince Christian looked on as his grandmother handed over the abdication papers to Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
![King Frederik X of Denmark smiles at his mother, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, after her abdication during a Council of State at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe06.jpg?resize=1200%2C634&ssl=1)
The former monarch, who will now be known as Her Majesty Queen Margrethe of Denmark, shared a long, meaningful look with her son after her abdication.
![Queen Margrethe II of Denmark attends a meeting of the Council of State at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen just before her proclamation as Queen, January 15, 1972 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0111-01-margretheaccession09.jpg?resize=1200%2C805&ssl=1)
The ceremony took place almost 52 years to the day after Margrethe presided over her first Council of State meeting as monarch. She had succeeded to the Danish throne the previous evening on the death of her father, King Frederik IX, at a Copenhagen hospital.
![King Frederik X of Denmark, with Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Christian, are pictured after her abdication during a Council of State at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe07.jpg?resize=1200%2C637&ssl=1)
Cameras captured a meaningful, sentimental picture of three Danish monarchs—a retired Queen, a new King, and a future King—as Margrethe rose to leave the room. This moment of transition is a kinder one than the one experienced by Queen Margrethe in 1972, but it’s still an exceptionally emotional moment for the family.
![Queen Margrethe of Denmark departs after her abdication during a Council of State at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe12.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
And with that, Queen Margrethe of Denmark departed, leaving her son with the keys to the kingdom.
![Queen Margrethe of Denmark leaves Christiansborg Palace after her abdication on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe03.jpg?resize=1200%2C641&ssl=1)
She departed Christiansborg by car to drive back to her home in the Amalienborg complex.
![A new official portrait of King Frederik X of Denmark, taken at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (Kongehuset)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe27.jpg?resize=977%2C1465&ssl=1)
Meanwhile, the new King Frederik X posed for his first official portrait as monarch at Christiansborg Palace.
![Kongehuset](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe36.jpg?resize=1170%2C1169&ssl=1)
His new royal cypher was also released by the Danish court.
![King Frederik X of Denmark is pictured during his proclamation ceremony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe13.jpg?resize=1200%2C650&ssl=1)
And then, he stepped on to the palace balcony, where thousands of Danes had gathered to witness the proclamation of their new king.
![King Frederik X of Denmark is pictured during his proclamation ceremony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe14.jpg?resize=1200%2C659&ssl=1)
King Frederik had tears in his eyes almost immediately. This is the official moment of inauguration for Danish monarchs. The last coronation of a Danish king took place in 1840, when King Christian VIII and Queen Caroline Amalie were anointed at Frederiksborg Palace. Since then, Danish monarchs have been proclaimed to their people in much simpler public ceremonies.
![King Frederik X of Denmark, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, is pictured during his proclamation ceremony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe15.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&ssl=1)
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen joined King Frederik X on the balcony for the ceremony.
![King Frederik X of Denmark, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, is pictured during his proclamation ceremony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe16.jpg?resize=1200%2C677&ssl=1)
Here’s a view of the enormous number of people who gathered in the square below to see the historic moment in person.
![King Frederik X of Denmark, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, is pictured during his proclamation ceremony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe17.jpg?resize=1200%2C671&ssl=1)
As part of the ceremony, the Prime Minister announced three times that Queen Margrethe II had abdicated, declaring, “Long live King Frederik X!”
![King Frederik X of Denmark, with Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, is pictured during his proclamation ceremony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe18.jpg?resize=1200%2C644&ssl=1)
Afterward, King Frederik spoke briefly to the people. He paid tribute to his mother’s reign and asked the people for their support. He concluded with his new royal motto: “Forbundne, forpligtet, for Kongeriget Danmark” (Connected, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark).
![King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark are pictured on the balcony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen after his proclamation ceremony on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe19.jpg?resize=1200%2C643&ssl=1)
And then, the crowd below roared when the monarch was joined by his wife, Queen Mary of Denmark, on the balcony.
![King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark, with Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent, and Princess Josephine, are pictured on the balcony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen after his proclamation ceremony on January 14, 2024 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe31.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
Their four children—Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent, and Princess Josephine—followed their parents on to the balcony to greet the public below.
![King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark, with Crown Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent, and Princess Josephine, are pictured on the balcony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen after his proclamation ceremony on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe24.jpg?resize=1200%2C667&ssl=1)
The King was visibly moved throughout at the reaction of the Danes to his wife and children’s arrival.
![King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark are pictured on the balcony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen after his proclamation ceremony on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe26.jpg?resize=1200%2C670&ssl=1)
The family made a second balcony appearance as well, which concluded with a kiss between the King and the Queen. (Whatever may have transpired within the family in recent months, this moment made it clear, to me at least, that these two are an absolutely united front moving forward.)
![King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark ride in a carriage procession from Christiansborg Palace to Amalienborg in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe34.jpg?resize=1200%2C676&ssl=1)
After the balcony appearances, the family members left Christiansborg. The King’s younger brother, Prince Joachim, left first by car. Next King Frederik and Queen Mary departed in a carriage to process back to their home at Amalienborg. Their four children followed in a car.
![An overhead view of the Amalienborg Palace complex in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe35.jpg?resize=1200%2C656&ssl=1)
Crowds continued to gather at Amalienborg ahead of the royal couple’s arrival. This overhead view is a good visual of the complex, which consists of four separate palaces gathered around a central courtyard. King Frederik X and Queen Mary live with their children in Frederik VIII’s Palace, which is on the lower right-hand side of this image. Queen Margrethe lives in Christian IX’s Palace (on the lower left-hand side of the image) and Prince Joachim and Princess Marie have apartments in Christian VIII’s Palace (on the upper right-hand side of the image).
![King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark, with their four children, wave from the balcony of Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe38.jpg?resize=1200%2C667&ssl=1)
After the royal family’s return to Amalienborg, they greeted the public below from the balcony of Frederik VIII’s Palace.
![King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark, with their children, step on to the balcony of Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe39.jpg?resize=1200%2C677&ssl=1)
King Frederik X and Queen Mary made another pair of balcony appearances. They were joined for the first by their four children.
![King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark are pictured on the balcony of Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe40.jpg?resize=1200%2C666&ssl=1)
And then, they appeared together a second time on the balcony.
![King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark are pictured on the balcony of Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe41.jpg?resize=1200%2C676&ssl=1)
King Frederik again offered a sign of affection to his wife, kissing Queen Mary on the cheek before she headed back inside the palace. The balcony appearance at Amalienborg was the conclusion of the public events of Sunday’s celebrations. Tomorrow, a reception will be held in Denmark’s parliament, and a service at Aarhus Cathedral celebrating the new monarch will take place on Sunday, January 21.
![Queen Margrethe II of Denmark travels to Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen ahead of her abdication on January 14, 2024 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe09.jpg?resize=1200%2C1642&ssl=1)
But before we go today, of course we need to talk about the jewels! The gemstones of the day were rubies and diamonds, which reflect the red and white national colors of Denmark. We got our first glimpse of royal rubies as Queen Margrethe left Amalienborg to head to Christiansborg Palace ahead of the Council of State. She wore a pair of earrings made of silver and set with diamonds and rubies.
![Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark attend an official reception at Copenhagen's City Hall celebrating her Ruby Jubilee on January 14, 2012 (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe01.jpg?resize=1200%2C807&ssl=1)
The earrings are sentimental ones. Prince Henrik gave them to Queen Margrethe in April 1990 as a gift to celebrate her 50th birthday. Above, she wears them as she appears with Henrik on the balcony of Copenhagen’s City Hall during her Ruby Jubilee celebrations on January 14, 2012.
![Queen Margrethe II of Denmark signs the instrument of abdication during a Council of State at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe11.jpg?resize=1200%2C1737&ssl=1)
I think we could all have predicted which brooch she’d wear for today’s Council of State meeting. She wore the Ruby Horseshoe Brooch on the collar of her jacket as she signed the instrument of abdication at Christiansborg Palace.
![Queen Margrethe II of Denmark's Ruby Horseshoe Brooch, 2022 (Jens Peter Engedal/Amalienborg Museum)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0111-01-margretheaccession03.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1)
The brooch was a gift to Margrethe from her father, King Frederik IX, on June 5, 1953. That day, a new constitution came into effect in Denmark that allowed Margrethe to succeed her father as monarch. (Before the change, the throne would have gone next to her uncle, Hereditary Prince Knud, passing over her because she was a woman.)
![King Frederik IX of Denmark with Crown Princess Margrethe and Prince Frederik, 1968 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0111-01-margretheaccession05.jpg?resize=1200%2C822&ssl=1)
The special ruby and diamond brooch, featuring Denmark’s colors, is shaped like a horseshoe—representing a father hoping for a little bit of luck for his eldest daughter as she followed in his footsteps.
![Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is pictured at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on the day of her proclamation as Queen, January 15, 1972 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0111-01-margretheaccession08.jpg?resize=1200%2C1591&ssl=1)
King Frederik IX died on the evening of January 14, 1972. The following morning, for her proclamation as monarch, Margrethe wore the horseshoe brooch prominently, pairing it with the diamond and pearl earrings gifted to her by her husband as a wedding present five years earlier.
![Queen Margrethe II of Denmark arrives for an official reception at Copenhagen's City Hall celebrating her Ruby Jubilee on January 14, 2012 (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe02.jpg?resize=1200%2C1923&ssl=1)
Margrethe has often paired the horseshoe brooch and the ruby earrings together for important occasions, including her Ruby Jubilee celebrations twelve years ago.
![King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark are pictured on the balcony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen after his proclamation ceremony on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe25.jpg?resize=1200%2C675&ssl=1)
And speaking of rubies—of course the new Queen Mary of Denmark had to make her first public appearance as queen consort wearing pieces from the Danish Ruby Parure!
![King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark are pictured on the balcony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen after his proclamation ceremony on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe20.jpg?resize=1200%2C754&ssl=1)
Queen Mary wore the earrings from the set, with the hairpins nestled in her chignon and the brooch pinned at her waist. She also slipped the ring from the set onto her right hand.
![Mary and the Crown Princesses at Koldinghus](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2022-0424-01-crownprincesses01.jpg?resize=1200%2C2338&ssl=1)
The rubies are some of the most important heirloom jewels in Denmark. Made in 1804 for Désirée Clary Bernadotte, later Queen of Sweden, to wear at the coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte, the jewels came to Denmark in 1869 with Queen Lovisa. They’ve remained in the family ever since, worn by Queen Alexandrine and Queen Ingrid, who bequeathed them to her grandson, King Frederik X, in 2000.
![Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark arrive for the New Year's Levee at Amalienborg on January 1, 2024 (Patrick van Katwijk/DPA Picture Alliance/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0102-01-denmark20.jpg?resize=1200%2C1765&ssl=1)
Queen Mary has worn the rubies regularly for grand occasions since 2004. We most recently saw her wearing the tiara and other jewels from the set for the New Year’s Levee on January 1.
![Queen Mary of Denmark is pictured on the balcony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen after King Frederik X's proclamation ceremony on January 14, 2024 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe30.jpg?resize=1200%2C1537&ssl=1)
And now, the rubies and diamonds are worn by a new queen consort. Mary becomes the sixth Scandinavian queen to have the rubies in her collection, after Queen Desideria of Sweden, Queen Josefina of Sweden, Queen Lovisa of Denmark, Queen Alexandrine of Denmark, and Queen Ingrid of Denmark. To her dress, Queen Mary also pinned one more important royal decoration: the Royal Family Order of her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe II.
![Princess Isabella of Denmark is pictured on the balcony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen after King Frederik X's proclamation ceremony on January 14, 2024 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe32.jpg?resize=1200%2C1679&ssl=1)
King Frederik and Queen Mary’s daughters also wore lovely jewels to celebrate the dawn of their father’s reign on Sunday. Sixteen-year-old Princess Isabella, the elder of the two, wore a gorgeous pair of floral earrings that appear to be set with diamonds and rubies. (These look like antiques to me.)
Isabella also wore an important royal brooch. This brooch, made of diamonds with a large white pearl and a pink pearl pendant, was Princess Isabella’s baptismal gift from her grandmother, Queen Margrethe, in July 2007. What makes it even more special, though, is that the brooch was originally Queen Margrethe’s baptismal gift from her grandmother, Queen Alexandrine, in May 1940. Isabella notably wore the brooch for her confirmation in May 2022.
![Princess Josephine of Denmark is pictured on the balcony at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen after King Frederik X's proclamation ceremony on January 14, 2024 (Ritzau/Alamy)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe33.jpg?resize=1200%2C1880&ssl=1)
The King and Queen’s younger daughter, thirteen-year-old Princess Josephine, was elegant in a single-stranded pearl necklace for the proclamation ceremony. She paired the necklace with earrings with pretty pink cabochon drops. (Rose quartz, perhaps?)
![King Frederik X of Denmark, with Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, is pictured on the balcony of Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe37.jpg?resize=1200%2C807&ssl=1)
Back at Amalienborg, a pendant featuring her initial, the letter J, also peeked out from Josephine’s coat.
![King Frederik X of Denmark is pictured on the balcony of Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen on January 14, 2024 (DR1/screencapture)](https://i0.wp.com/www.thecourtjeweller.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2024-0114-01-margrethe42.jpg?resize=1200%2C666&ssl=1)
And that wraps up today’s coverage of a remarkable royal moment in Denmark. I’m planning to cover the parliament reception on Monday—see you back here then!
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