Margrethe II of Denmark

Queen Margrethe II (Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid), styled HM the Queen (born April 16, 1940), is the Queen regnant and head of state of Denmark.

Political Role

The Kingdom of Denmark is a Constitutional Monarchy, which means that the sovereign cannot perform political acts independently. Although the Queen signs all Acts of Legislation before they can become Law, these only come into effect when they have been countersigned by a Cabinet Minister. As Head of State, the Queen participates in the formation of a new government.

Related Topics:
Denmark - Constitutional Monarchy - Cabinet - Minister

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

After consultation with representatives of the political parties, the Leader of the Party which holds the largest number of seats in the Danish Parliament is invited to form a new government. Once it has been formed, the monarch formally appoints it. Additionally, it is the Queen who is the real Head of the Government and therefore presides over the Council of State, where the Acts of Legislation which have been passed by Parliament are signed into law.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Prime Minister of Denmark and the Danish Minister of Foreign Affairs report regularly to the Queen to notify and advise her on the latest political developments. Her Majesty hosts official visits by foreign Heads of State and pays State Visits abroad. The Queen receives every Ambassador from foreign countries represented in Denmark and also formally appoints and dismisses civil servants.

Related Topics:
Prime Minister of Denmark - Denmark

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Queen's main tasks are to represent the Kingdom abroad and to be a unifying figurehead at home. The Queen performs the latter task by accepting invitations to open exhibitions, attending anniversaries, inaugurating bridges, etc. As an unelected public official, the Queen takes no part in party politics and does not express any political opinions. In addition to her roles in her own country, the Queen is also the Colonel-in-Chief of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires), an infantry regiment of the British Army.

Related Topics:
Colonel-in-Chief - Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment (Queen's and Royal Hampshires) - British Army

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Queen Margrethe has a reputation for being one of Europe's most modern and progressive monarchs. She openly grants television interviews, and is fond of casual public appearances.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The Queen is also an accomplished and critically-acclaimed painter, and has held many art shows over the years. It is often said that were she not Queen, she could easily make a living as a professional artist. Her illustrations were used for the Danish edition of The Lord of the Rings published in 1977 and the re-issue in 2002. She is also an accomplished translator and is said to have participated in the Danish translation of this book. She also designs some of her own clothes.

Related Topics:
Painter - Artist - The Lord of the Rings - Translator

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark|years=1972–present}}

Related Topics:
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark - 1972

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~