Analysis: Climate advocate Crown Prince Frederik to be sworn in as the next King of Denmark

By Anders Lorenzen

Danes nearly fell off their party seats when, during her annual New Year`s Eve address, Queen Margrethe II announced that in mid-January she would step down as the Danish Head of State and leave the throne to her oldest son, Crown Prince Frederik André Henrik Christian. On the 14th of January 2024, he will ascend the throne, and this is a significant date as his mother would then have served as Queen of Denmark for 52 years. 

Giving her reasons for abdicating, the 83-year-old Margrethe II cited ill health and an operation in 2023 from which she had not properly recovered. While she had previously pledged to serve until her death, she explained that she did not think it was right to serve if she could not do the job 100%. And so she felt that due to her current state of health, it was right to make way for the next generation. 

Impressive CV

The 55-year-old crown prince already has an impressive CV, having gained an MSc degree in political science from the University of Aarhus, with the concluding year spent at Harvard University. He is the first Danish Royal to have completed a master’s degree. Later he served as the First Secretary to the Danish Embassy in Paris from October 1998 to October 1999.

But his military career has earned him the highest accolade. He completed extensive military studies and training and served in Denmark’s three military forces, the Army, Navy and Air Force: with periods in The Royal Life Guard, the Guard Hussar Regiment and Danish Frogmen Corps.

Climate and Sustainability

Like his British counterpart, King Charles III, the future King Frederik of Denmark takes a keen interest in the areas of climate and sustainability with a deep passion for the issues. He has participated in expeditions, forums and events on climate, and has represented Denmark as a promoter of renewable energy. He was one of several authors of the 2009 book focusing on climate challenges, the Polar Cruise Royal, with a foreword by Kofi Annan. In 2010 he wrote the foreword in the book Naturen og klimaændringerne i Nordøstgrønland (The Nature and Climate Change in Northeast Greenland).

Through his established fund, The Kronprins Frederiks Fond, he supports scientific research projects and regularly attends events.

Controversies

Like King Charles III, he has often spoken out about the need to act on climate change and reduce emissions. This sometimes raises questions about his impartiality with arguments that this will need to change when he becomes king.

But Queen Margrethe II has also spoken about things close to her heart, which sometimes have served as a reprimand to Danes. As we have reported previously, she even on one occasion seemed to question the scientific consensus on human-induced climate change and also criticised the fight of climate activists in Sweden encouraging people not to fly.

But perhaps in a fitting transition to her oldest son, in her New Year’s address, she singled out the climate crisis as one of the highest global priorities.

A modernised royal family

While Denmark is one of the oldest monarchies in the world, the royal family is also in the lead in modernising its function, getting rid of many old norms such as not having a coronation ceremony. These efforts can have contributed to the all-time high support for the monarchy in the country. 

The majority of Danes are concerned about climate change and other environmental issues, and many Danes work in industries dealing with climate change, clean energy and other sustainability areas. Successive Danish governments put much weight on progressive climate and energy policies which are key to the Danish economy, and many of its citizens would argue, that it is right to have a Head of State who cares passionately about these issues, and who understands the values of them.

Crown Prince Frederik is married to the Australian, Mary Donaldson, and they have four children.