Princess Margrethe was born at Amalienborg Palace, Copenhagen. Her parents were Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Ingrid. She was baptised on 14 May 1940 at the Naval Church in Copenhagen. As King Christian X of Denmark was also the King of Iceland at the time of her birth, the Princess was given an Icelandic name, Þórhildur (spelled with the Icelandic thorn character, simplified as "th").
Margrethe was not born to be monarch, even though she was the eldest child of the Crown Prince, later King. At the time of her birth, only males could ascend the throne of Denmark.
The act of succession was changed in 1953.
Her father King Frederik IX died in 1972, and Queen Margrethe II became the first female Danish Sovereign.[1][2]
On 31 December 2023, during her annual New Year's Eve address, Margrethe announced that she will abdicate the throne in favour of her son, Crown Prince Frederik, on 14 January 2024, exactly 52 years after she ascended the throne to Frederik X.[3][4]
Title
16 April 1940-14 January 1972 Her Royal Highness Princess Margrethe of Denmark
14 January 1972 -14 January 2024 Her Majesty The Queen of Denmark
1 Also princess of Norway 2 Also princess of Greece 3 Also princess of Iceland 4 Not Danish princess by birth, but created princess of Denmark Princesses that lost their title are shown in italics