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Queen Margrethe's reign in pictures

Europe's current longest-serving monarch announced in a New Year's Eve speech that she will step down on 14 January - exactly 52 years to the day of her accession to the throne in 1972.

FILE PHOTO: Danish Queen Margrethe is celebrated with a folk festival and performance at The Island(Oen) in Alleroed during a city visit to Alleroed Municipality, Denmark September 12, 2023. Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK./File Photo
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Denmark's Queen Margrethe II, Europe's current longest-serving monarch, unexpectedly announced her abdication in a New Year's Eve speech.

She will formally step down on 14 January - exactly 52 years to the day of her accession to the throne in 1972.

The 83-year-old monarch will be succeeded by her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik - who will become Frederik X.

Here, Sky News looks back at her life and reign.

King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid with Princess Margrethe, Princess Anne-Marie and Benedikte taking afternoon tea at the Royal Family's Winter residence, the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen date taken: 1 May 1957
Image: King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid with Princess Margrethe, Princess Anne-Marie and Benedikte at the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen in 1957
Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh with their hosts in Copenhagen, left to right; Princess Margrethe, King Frederik IX, the Queen, Queen Ingrid, Princess Anne-Marie, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Benedikte. Date taken: 21 May 1957
Image: Left to right: Princess Margrethe, King Frederik IX, Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Ingrid, Princess Anne-Marie, the Duke of Edinburgh and Princess Benedikte in 1957 in Copenhagen
Our file photo shows the baptism of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 'Holme Kirke' church in Copenhagen, Denmark, June 24, 1968.Sitting in the front row from left: Queen Ingrid of Denmark, King Frederik of Denmark, their daughter, heir to the throne Princess Margrethe with the crownprince in her arms, her husband, Prince Henrik of Denmark, Prince Henriks mother, Countess Laborde de Monpezat and Count Laborde de Monpezat. (AP Photo)
Image: The baptism of Queen Margrethe's son Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 1968. Left to right: Queen Ingrid, King Frederik, Princess Margrethe with the crown prince, her husband, Prince Henrik of Denmark, and his parents. Pic: AP
FILE- Denmark's Queen Margrethe is proclaimed Queen by Prime Minister Jens Otte Krag, right, at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen on Jan. 14, 1972. Queen Margrethe is celebrating her 40th jubilee as head of Europe's oldest monarchy Saturday Jan. 14, 2012. Celebrations are under way and officials are gearing up for the event to cheer the 71-year-old popular figurehead monarch. (AP Photo, POLFOTO, Erik Petersen, file) DENMARK OUT
Image: Margrethe is proclaimed Queen by Prime Minister Jens Otte Krag at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen in 1972. Pic: AP
French President Francois Mitterrand (R) seen with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark prior to a luncheon at the Elysee Palace, May 27
Image: French President Francois Mitterrand with Queen Margrethe prior to a luncheon at the Elysee Palace in 1993
Denmark's Queen Margrethe II poses with her family as she celebrates 25 years of Europe's oldest throne January 14. Queen Margrethe has made newspaper headlines lately because of a storm over Swedish criticism of her public smoking. DENMARK ROYAL
Image: Queen Margrethe poses with her family to celebrate 25 years on the throne in 1997
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II (C) arrives at a dinner for European sovereigns including Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands (L) and Queen Margrethe of Denmark (R) at Windsor Castle, following the Order of the Garter ceremony, June 17, 2002. The Queen installed her second cousin, King Harald of Norway, as a Knight of the Garter during the ceremony on Monday. The Order of the Garter is the most senior and the oldest British Order of Chivalry and was founded by Edward III in 1348. The Order, consisting
Image: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands, Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Margrethe at a dinner for European sovereigns at Windsor Castle in 2002
U.S. President George W. Bush (3rd L) prepares to blow out the candles on his birthday cake presented to him by Denmark's Queen Margrethe II (2nd R) as Crown Prince Frederik (L) and Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen (R) look on at Fredensborg Palace in Fredensborg, Denmark, July 6, 2005. Bush spent his 59th birthday around the Danish capital Copenhagen before preparing to fly later in the day to Scotland for the G8 Summit. REUTERS/Jason Reed JIR/DY
Image: Then-US president George W Bush prepares to blow out the candles on his birthday cake presented to him by Queen Margrethe II in 2005
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (2nd L) stands beside Denmark's Queen Margrethe during a gala dinner at the Fredensborg Palace September 12, 2007. Lula is on a two-day official visit to Denmark. Also seen are Lula's wife Marisa Leticia (R) and Denmark's Prince Consort Henrik (L). REUTERS/Keld Navntoft/Scanpix Denmark (DENMARK) DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL SALES
Image: Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva standing beside Queen Margrethe during a gala dinner at the Fredensborg Palace in 2007
Denmark's Queen Margrethe and her husband Prince Henrik arrive for the wedding of their son Prince Joachim in Mogeltonder May 24, 2008. REUTERS/Bob Strong (DENMARK)
Image: Queen Margrethe and her husband Prince Henrik at the wedding of their son Prince Joachim in 2008
U.S. first lady Michelle Obama (L) and U.S. President Barack Obama (C) talk with Denmark's Queen Margrethe in the Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen October 2, 2009. Chicago played its two trump cards on Friday, U.S. President Barack Obama and his wife Michelle both making impassioned speeches as they urged the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to choose the Windy City as host of the 2016 Olympics. REUTERS/Keld Navntoft/Scanpix Denmark (DENMARK SPORT OLYMPICS ROYALS) DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERC
Image: Michelle and Barack Obama talk with Queen Margrethe in the Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen in 2009
Denmark's Queen Margrethe arrives at Westminster Abbey before the wedding of Britain's Prince William and Kate Middleton in central London April 29, 2011. (ROYAL WEDDING/VIP) REUTERS/Toby Melville (BRITAIN - Tags: ROYALS SOCIETY ENTERTAINMENT)
Image: Queen Margrethe arrives at Westminster Abbey before the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin (R) stands for a photograph with Margrethe II, Queen of Denmark, during their meeting in Moscow September 7, 2011. REUTERS/Denis Sinyakov (RUSSIA - Tags: POLITICS ROYALS)
Image: Vladimir Putin with Queen Margrethe in 2011
U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Denmark's Queen Margrethe II tour the Finn Juhl Chamber during a visit to the United Nations headquarters in New York June 9, 2011. The Danish Trusteeship Council is being restored and modernized and Denmark has donated $3.4 million for the project. REUTERS/Allison Joyce (UNITED STATES - Tags: ROYALS POLITICS)
Image: The then-Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and Queen Margrethe during a visit to the United Nations headquarters in New York in 2011
Britain's Queen Elizabeth greets Queen Margarethe (L) of Denmark at a reception before the Diamond Jubilee lunch at Windsor Castle in London May 18, 2012. REUTERS/Dominic Lipinski/POOL (BRITAIN - Tags: ROYALS ENTERTAINMENT POLITICS)
Image: Queen Elizabeth greeting Queen Margrethe at a reception before the Diamond Jubilee lunch at Windsor Castle in 2012
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) smiles with Danish Queen Margrethe II during a signing ceremony between China and Denmark at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing April 24, 2014. REUTERS/Parker Song/Pool (CHINA - Tags: POLITICS ROYALS)
Image: Chinese President Xi Jinping smiles with Queen Margrethe in Beijing in 2014
Danish Queen Margrethe meets with Britain's Prince Harry at the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark October 25, 2017. Scanpix Denmark/Bax Lindhardt via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK.
Image: Queen Margrethe meets with Prince Harry in 2017
Denmark's Queen Margrethe arrives for the episcopal wedding for Greenland's new Bishop Paneeraq Siegstad Munk in Hans Egede's Church in Nuuk, Greenland October 10, 2021. Christian Klindt Soelbeck/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK.
Image: Queen Margrethe arrives for the episcopal wedding for Greenland's new Bishop Paneeraq Siegstad Munk in 2021
German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Denmark's Queen Margrethe at the Chancellery in Berlin, Germany, November 10, 2021. REUTERS/Michele Tantussi
Image: Then-German chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes Queen Margrethe at the Chancellery in Berlin in 2021
Danish Queen Margrethe arrives at a gala banquet held to mark the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, Denmark, September 11, 2022. Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK.
Image: Queen Margrethe arrives at a gala banquet to mark the 50th anniversary of her accession to the throne at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen in September 2022
Denmark's Queen Margrethe pays her respects to Britain's Queen Elizabeth, following her death, during her lying-in-state at Westminster Hall, in London, Britain, September 18, 2022. REUTERS/John Sibley/Pool
Image: Queen Margrethe pays her respects to Queen Elizabeth II during her lying-in-state at Westminster Hall in September 2022
Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden (left), and Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her son Crown Prince Frederick attending the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II, held at Westminster Abbey, London. Picture date: Monday September 19, 2022. Gareth Fuller/Pool via REUTERS
Image: Carl XVI Gustaf, King of Sweden (left), Queen Margrethe and her son Crown Prince Frederick attending the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II at Westminster Abbey
Denmark's Queen Margrethe II greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and his wife Olena Zelenska in the Danish Parliament in Copenhagen, Denmark, Monday August 21, 2023. Ritzau Scanpix/Martin Sylvest via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK.
Image: Queen Margrethe greets Ukrainian President Volodymyr ZelenAG百家乐在线官网y and his wife Olena Zelenska in the Danish Parliament in August
Danish Queen Margrethe and her sister princess Benedikte wave to the public while watching changing of the guard at Graasten Castle, Denmark, Friday July 21, 2023. The Danish royals will spend the summer holiday at Graasten Castle. Ritzau Scanpix/Claus Fisker via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK
Image: Queen Margrethe and her sister Princess Benedikte wave to the public while watching changing of the guard at Graasten Castle in July
Crown Prince Frederik, Denmark's Prince Christian, Queen Margrethe stand at the balcony of Frederik VIII's Palace as they celebrate Prince Christian's 18th birthday at Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen, Denmark October 15, 2023. Ritzau Scanpix/Mads Claus Rasmussen via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK.
Image: Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Christian and Queen Margrethe stand at the balcony of Frederik VIII's Palace as they celebrate Prince Christian's 18th birthday in October
Queen Margrethe II gives a New Year's speech and announces her abdication from Christian IX's Palace, Amalienborg Castle, in Copenhagen, Sunday 31 December 2023. Keld Navntoft/Ritzau Scanpix/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. DENMARK OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN DENMARK.
Image: Queen Margrethe II announces her abdication from Christian IX's Palace on New Year's Eve