The secret weapon of the Danish monarchy’s survival

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Royal Rehearsals have wrapped in Denmark with the country set to welcome their new monarch later today. Crowd are expected to gather in the Danish capital as Prince Frederik and Australian-born Princess Mary become King and Queen. Denmark has not held a grand coronation or crowing ceremony since the mid 1800’s, and the public have been promised this proclamation will be unfussy and pared-back.

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00:00 Denmark is set to experience a historic royal handover, getting their first new monarch

00:08 in more than 50 years.

00:10 So what can we expect to see in this succession to the throne?

00:13 Well, Prince Frederick will be proclaimed king on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace.

00:17 We're told it'll be a simple ceremony with just a touch of royal spectacle.

00:22 But when you speak to locals here, they say that they like this simple and pared back

00:26 approach of their monarchy.

00:28 The royal in Denmark, it's on a different scale than in the UK.

00:34 Not as much money, the glamour is still there, but on another scale.

00:41 I think many of us, we weren't expecting this to happen now.

00:46 So it's quite historical.

00:51 So right now I'm actually just walking around, just trying to take it all in.

00:56 Queen Margrethe has been a part of our society for so many years now.

01:00 I'm going to be here tomorrow to witness it.

01:01 It's quite historical.

01:04 What do you think of the royal family?

01:07 I'm a Republican, I will say, but I have a huge respect for the royal family.

01:13 The Australian-born Princess Mary is set to become queen, and she's certainly got plenty

01:17 of fans.

01:19 Many say that her humble and approachable nature has only made the monarchy more popular.

01:25 All Danes love Crown Princess Mary.

01:26 I'm not sure that it's the Australian thing in her, but they love her.

01:32 She's done wonderful things for our royal family, and she's really liked in Denmark.

01:40 Also they are, of course they're royals, but they're part of the society.

01:46 They bicycle around, they have their kids in normal schools, not like private schools.

01:53 Once the new king is proclaimed, there'll be a cannon salute, a fireworks display, a

01:58 changing of the royal flags, but then without much more fanfare, his reign will begin in

02:04 earnest.

02:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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