Every year since 1972, Queen Margrethe has addressed the nation at 6pm on December 31st, just as New Year festivities get into full swing.
That happened for the final time in 2023, when the Queen's New Year speech included the dramatic announcement of her abdication.
King Frederik subsequently succeeded to the throne and took on the responsibility of giving the speech – which has a lofty social and cultural status in Denmark – for the first time on December 31st, 2024.
The King’s speech was a blend of reflection on key life moments and the day-to-day flow that often escapes notice.
He emphasised the importance of both the extraordinary and the mundane and the beginnings and endings that define a life, using his mother’s final speech and his first as examples framing this, as well as his proclamation as King on January 14th last year.
He continued many of the features of Queen Margrethe’s New Year speeches while also stamping his own style on them.
The monarch’s speeches are not allowed to be directly political and are finalised under close consultation with the government. In his 2024 speech, King Frederik expressed his sympathy for people “suffering” in the Middle East without mentioning Palestine or Gaza by name. He cited the war in Ukraine in the same passage of his speech, in which he talked about the “uncertain times” in which we are living.
The Local’s full translation of King Frederik’s speech follows below.
Method: This translation was produced manually by The Local Denmark’s editor without the use of AI or machine translation, based on the transcript of the speech published by the royal palace. A dictionary was used to look up individual words alongside an online thesaurus to ensure an accurate reflection of nuance where needed.
New Year makes clear the passage of time. When the clock strikes 12, two years brush against each other and an end becomes a beginning. We will bid farewell to the old year this evening and make a start on the new one, just as we do year after year.
Nevertheless, something has changed. For my mother, Queen Margrethe, for me, and for you. Although we’ve all had a year to get used to the idea, I realise that there might still be people out there who are nervous on my behalf. For how could anyone apart from Queen Margrethe give the New Year speech?
Many people use the occasion of New Year’s Eve to reflect. What are we taking with us from the year gone by, and what are we looking ahead to in the coming year? I will take one day in particular with me. January 14th. The journey through the streets of Copenhagen to Christiansborg. My mother’s final council of state. The minutes before the balcony doors were opened. A very deep breath. Christiansborg Palace Square. The crowds of people in front of me. My family, just behind me.
Stepping out and receiving so much support, happiness and love. Standing on the balcony with Queen Mary as Denmark’s royal couple. Taking it all in – at least, trying to – feeling moved and overwhelmed. I will take that with me. We’ll take it with us, forever. Thank you so much.
A year ago, my mother gave her 52nd New Year speech. It was a speech that surprised most people by being the last. Tonight I’m giving my first. There’s a first time for everything, and a last time for just as much. Those occasions have a habit of standing out more than all the other occasions. They are the beginnings and endings throughout life, and we give them special significance. The first day of school and the last. We remember them – and celebrate them.
This is just what our family did during the summer, when the Crown Prince finished upper secondary school and, like thousands of other young people, drew a celebratory line under his completed youth education. I’ve always been fond of that time of the year, when our young people come out wearing caps of all colours, taking to the streets, paths and beaches arm in arm. How can you forget that sparkling feeling of freedom; the whole world before you, and all the doors just waiting for their handles to be turned.
It looks playfully easy for the youth to let their hair down, but in fact it can be anything but. Many young people lose their footing. Not just for a moment, but for a period of time. For some, this may be to such an extent that it makes them unwell. ‘Why can’t I be like everyone else?’, they might ask themselves. There’s rarely a simple answer. On the other hand, we know that it helps to have someone to confide in and lean on. Our loved ones are our most important source of support, both when life knocks us down, and when it simply overwhelms us.
As parents to four teenagers, Mary and I have learned that it helps to listen. Ask without presuming. Give a hug instead of immediately reacting. Our children are different from each other, as are all young people. There’s no one story that explains everyone. But the best way to understand who young people are is by letting each of them have their say. Time and time again, they impress us with their perceptions of themselves and of others. I think of them as brave, because they dare to show vulnerability and see it as a strength. The young people of today own who they are and have the courage to be both one thing and another. Both vulnerable and strong.
Both one thing and another. On one side, and on the other side. In a time of rising polarisation, that nuance is easily lost. Choosing camps puts us at risk of reducing the world to extremes. ‘Are you for or against?’, someone might ask. Perhaps we’re actually somewhere in between, because we’re able to see things from several perspectives and put ourselves in others’ place. That is one of our best qualities as human beings and something we Danes are good at.
I’ve been able to borrow the viewpoint of another on many occasions, and got to see something new. This can be challenging, but it’s always enriching, regardless of whether or not we see things the same way. We must not let differences prevent us from exchanging observations and opinions. Those are the exchanges which let us move towards a consensus. We are fortunate in this country in that we trust each other. There’s a high level of trust between us. That makes it easier to see the fellow human being in your opponent.
Volunteering is an example of shared humanity and most Danes participate in voluntary work at some point. That could be anything from helping children with their maths homework to starting a new gymnastics class to holding someone’s hand in their final moments. Volunteering comes in many forms but the common feature is that it gives something to everyone; both for she who gives her time and for he who receives it.
Voluntary work keeps countless activities and enterprises going. That includes Royal Run, for which 2,500 volunteers showed up this year so that the rest of us could walk and run together in the five host cities. To those of you who put your energy into the shared pool – thank you. I would also like to thank all of the people I meet at royal audiences. It’s one of the pleasures of my new role to carry on a tradition in which I meet people who have spent their working lives at the same place of work; and hear life stories from all parts of the kingdom.
The electrician who has wired half the city. The childcarer who has looked after generations and cared for children who became parents of new children at the same place. Most of them don’t know where the time has gone, but with their years of hard work and commitment, they form part of Denmark’s backbone. That also applies to those of you who guard our safety and security; people in the police, emergency services and military – those who are deployed abroad. Those of you who take a risk for the rest of us. Thank you for your important service.
We are living in uncertain times. We follow developments in the Middle East with our breath held and sympathise with the many families who are suffering. In Europe, not far from here, the Ukrainian people are fighting bravely for their freedom. And for ours. The war in Ukraine is a brutal reminder that we can’t take peace for granted, including on our own continent. Europe must stand firmly behind our shared values.
Denmark was one of the 12 countries which founded the defence alliance NATO, 75 years ago. Together, we wanted to protect our security and freedom. Other countries later joined, most recently Finland and Sweden. That strengthens the Nordic region. It strengthens our shared defence of our freedom. The world’s conflicts can only be resolved if we stand together internationally. This is also true in the fight for the health of the planet.
The riches of nature are ours only to borrow. Nobody owns the sky or the sea. The forests or the valleys. The meadows or the stars. None of us have the power to place even the smallest leaf of a nettle ourselves. Our lot is to look after our land, because another day is coming tomorrow. Each of us must follow a path which leads in the right direction. Not just one path at a time, but all paths at once. We already have many good solutions and together, they bring hope for the future. We must hold on to this hope and act on it.
The first time and the last time. Beginnings and endings during the course of a life. We often remember them. But there’s also everything that comes in between. Normal days, which don’t make a big deal of themselves but which comprise most of our lives. I’m grateful for my everyday life with Queen Mary, our four children and our two dogs. I’m pleased that Prince Joachim and Princess Marie have settled in Washington, D.C. with their children and that my mother is enjoying her new way of life.
Everyday life can easily get away from us. All of a sudden a week has passed, a month, a year. What remains? A sense of togetherness. Mary and I felt this on January 14th and we feel it when we are out and about in the Kingdom of Denmark. There’s a very special feeling when we meet you in the places where you live your lives. When we get a glimpse of your everyday lives.
We are all connected and every one of us has a duty within the Kingdom of Denmark. From the Danish minority population in Southern Schleswig – which is outside of the kingdom itself – all the way to Greenland. We belong together. Mary and I felt this clearly when we visited both places and everywhere in between. A visit to the Faroe Islands remains ahead of us, and we are looking forward to going to the North Atlantic in the summer.
I’d like to wish all Danes – at home and around the world – a Happy New Year. We have much to be proud of and happy for. Trust. Shared humanity. Togetherness.
My first New Year speech. It won’t happen twice, but I’ll never forget it. People say that ‘a good start is half the job done’. Perhaps that’s going a little too far, but Mary and I couldn’t have wished for a better start as the royal couple. We are looking forward to everything the new year will bring, and most of all to being together. With each other and with all of you.
Thank you for the year that has passed, and a very Happy New Year.
God save Denmark.
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