The King of Denmark said out loud what a lot of his subjects were thinking as he delivered the royal New Year’s address for the first time – can anyone other than Queen Margrethe actually make the speech? It turned out that the answer was yes even though the new king made no secret of the pressure he felt in taking on this most important of royal duties.
Exactly a year after his mother stunned her country and announced she was abdicating, the son for whom she gave up her throne took to TV and radio to deliver a king’s speech which was marked by an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the support he has received in his new role.
His accession and the change that had brought to him and the country was never far from his thoughts in a considered address. King Frederik said that as one year ended and another began ”I take one day with me in particular. January 14…..to step forward and meet so much support, joy and love….to take it all to heart – or at least try – moved and overwhelmed. I take that with me.’‘
The King of Denmark noted that life was filled with big moments among the many, more ordinary days and said ”there is a first time for everything and a last time for just as much. Those times tend to stand out more clearly than all other times. They are beginnings and endings in the course of life, and we attach special importance to them.”
King Frederik spoke often of his wife, Queen Mary, in this first New Year’s address, saying ”daily life can quickly run away with us. Suddenly, a week, a month, a year has passed. What’s left? That is what cohesion does. Mary and I felt it on January 14th, and we feel it when we go around the Kingdom of Denmark. There is a very special atmosphere when we meet you, where you live. When we get a glimpse of your everyday life.”
There were also warm words for those who keep communities going, in particular those who give their time freely to help other. The King of Denmark said ”volunteering is an example of humanity, and most Danes engage in volunteer work at some point…..volunteering comes in many forms. The common denominator is that it makes sense for everyone, both for the one who gives time and for the one who receives it.”
But his New Year’s address also touched on the major issues of today. King Frederik, speaking from the King’s Reception room in the Amalienborg Palace which is decorated with a map of the world, noted that ”we live in troubled times…we will only solve the world’s conflicts when we stand together internationally. This also applies to the fight for the health of the planet.”
However, this was a speech for the history books for its own reasons. As he started, King Frederik said that ”even though we’ve all had a year to get used to the idea, I’m aware that there may still be some who are a little nervous on my behalf…”
Perhaps he was the most nervous of all. But he ended by concluding that this moment was special for him because it involved speaking to people who had given him their support as he took on this new and challenging role. King Frederik ended by saying ”my first New Year’s speech. It will not again, but I will never forget it. They say that “well begun is half finished”. It may be so, but Mary and I could not have wished for a better start as a king and queen. We look forward to tackling everything that follows in the new year and, above all, to do it together. With each other and with all of you.”
King Frederik may reign over one of the oldest realms in the world but his thoughts remained firmly with everyone else as he finished with the words ”thank you for the year just passed”.
And with that, he answered the question that had followed him for all of 2024. There was praise from commentators and politicians for a New Year’s address that put the people of Denmark at its heart and spread a strong message of hope for the future. King Frederik looked rather relieved it was all over. But he can look ahead to 2025 with a smile. No more need for nerves.
