Queen Margrethe II of Denmark was born on April 16, 1940, just a week after Nazi Germany invaded Denmark. The first of three daughters of Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Ingrid (who later became King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid), she has two sisters: Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, who lost her husband Constantine II in January 2023, and Princess Benedicta of Denmark.
Margrethe’s ascension to the throne came as a surprise when she was still a teenager. In 1953, a change in the Danish constitution allowed women to inherit the throne, placing Margrethe ahead of male relatives—had the law not changed, the throne would have passed to her uncle, Prince Knud.
When Margrethe became queen in 1972, she became only the second queen of Denmark in history, the first being Queen Margrethe I, who ruled Denmark, Norway, and Sweden in the 14th and early 15th centuries.
Before her coronation, Margrethe lived a vibrant life. She grew up in Copenhagen in apartments at the Amalienborg Palace, attended a private city school, and even spent a year at North Foreland Lodge in Hampshire, England. She went on to study archaeology at Cambridge University and political science at Aarhus University, and also attended the Sorbonne and the London School of Economics. Margrethe is fluent in five languages: Danish, English, French, Swedish, and German.
Beyond her royal duties, Margrethe has always had a deep passion for the arts. She has designed stamps, theatrical costumes, and set designs, and continues to have personal exhibitions in Denmark.
In the 1960s, Margrethe embraced a bohemian lifestyle. She traveled with her cousins, Princess Astrid of Norway and Princess Margaretha of Sweden, to Hollywood, where they met some of the biggest stars of the time, including Elvis Presley, Dean Martin, and Jerry Lewis.
Living a healthy lifestyle was not a priority for the young princess, and she developed habits that were not exactly healthy. Both her parents were smokers and introduced her to cigarettes. In her memoirs, she recalls starting to smoke at 17: “My father and mother smoked when I was growing up. One day they asked me if I wanted a cigarette. Actually, from that moment on, I smoked.”
Smoking became a regular part of her image, and it caused public outrage when she was seen smoking in public, especially around children and grandchildren. She remained nonchalant despite pleas to quit. When health issues arose and doctors urged her to stop, she simply responded, “I’m so old now that it doesn’t matter whether I smoke or not.”
However, after undergoing back surgery at the age of 83, the queen finally quit smoking.
Queen Margrethe has often been compared to the late Queen Elizabeth II, and the similarities are clear: both queens ascended to the throne under changing circumstances, both reigned for decades, and both made a strong impression with their unique personalities. Another trait they share is their devotion to their husbands.
Margrethe’s marriage to French diplomat Henri de Laborde de Monpezat lasted over 50 years. They met in London at a formal dinner at the French Embassy and kept their relationship private until their official engagement. Henri proposed with a ring featuring two large square-cut diamonds, each stone symbolizing their eternal unity. The couple married on June 10, 1967, with Margrethe wearing a lace dress that had belonged to her grandmother, Princess Margaret of Connaught, and a tiara from the Danish royal collection. Despite the opulence, the ceremony was short, lasting just 20 minutes per the bride’s request to avoid formality. Henri, who became Prince Henrik, learned his vows in Danish out of respect for his new family. They had two children: Crown Prince Frederik (the current heir) and Prince Joachim.
Throughout her reign, Margrethe enjoyed immense support from her people, with her approval rating often reaching 80%. However, a few years ago, she made headlines with a controversial decision to modernize the monarchy by stripping her younger son’s children—Nikolai, Felix, Henrik, and Athena—of their titles as princes and princesses. This move shocked both the nation and her own family. Margrethe later apologized to her relatives but emphasized her responsibility to ensure that the monarchy adapted to the times. As a result, Prince Joachim announced plans to move to Washington, D.C., with his wife, Princess Mary, to take up a new role at the Danish embassy.
