Denmark's queen to abdicate after 52 years on throne

LONDON

During her New Year's Eve address on Sunday, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced her intention to abdicate the throne, according to media reports.

The queen, aged 83, said she would formally step down on Jan. 14 after five decades on the throne, Dagens News reported.

Queen Margrethe II ascended the throne in 1972, following the death of her father, King Frederik IX.

According to the report, her abdication sets the stage for her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, 55, to become king of Denmark.