Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is turning 75 on Thursday 16 April, and to honour the milestone event, HELLO! Online has gathered a list of ten facts about the popular monarch you may not have known.
© Photo: Getty ImagesQueen Margrethe II of Denmark celebrating her birthday on Wednesday night
1. Margrethe was born on 16 April 1940 at the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen as the first child of King Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid of Denmark. Upon birth she was styled as "Her Royal Highness Princess Margrethe".
2. At the time of her birth, only males could ascend to the Danish throne, however in March 1953 a new Act of Succession was passed which meant females could become queen as long as they did not have a brother. So at the age of 13, the young princess became heiress presumptive to the throne.
© Photo: Getty ImagesPrincess Margrethe, pictured with her father, married at the age of 27
3. In June 1967, millions across Denmark celebrated as the then Princess Margrethe married French diplomat Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat. The groom was given the style and title of "His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark".
4. A year later after their nuptials, in May 1968, the couple welcomed their first child Prince Frederik. Magrethe had kept with Danish tradition, by naming the future King either Frederik or Christian. The new mum then gave birth to her second child, Prince Joachim, in June 1969.
5. Her Majesty is godmother to King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Prince Carl Philip of Sweden and Princess Theodora of Greece and Denmark.
© Photo: Getty ImagesMargrethe and Henrik are parents to Princes Frederik and Joachim, who are one year apart
6. In January 2012, Queen Margrethe celebrated her Ruby Jubilee marking 40 years on the Danish throne. This was honoured with events across Denmark including a carriage procession.
7. Margrethe has been credited with maintaining the public's faith and admiration for the Danish royal family and the popular monarch often scores very high approval ratings with the Danish population.
8. The monarch is very close to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and speaking in 2012 she revealed how she had always "admired" her and that she has helped influence herself as a queen, after watching how dedicated Elizabeth is to her nation. Queen Elizabeth II has bestowed upon Margrethe many British honours including the Lady of the Order of the Garter and the Royal Victorian Chain.
© Photo: Getty ImagesQueen Margrethe is godmother to King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Prince Carl Philip of Sweden
9. The Danish queen also shares her birthday with Henri, Grand Duke of Luxembourg.
10. In her spare time, Margrethe enjoys painting and over the years she has held many art shows. Her illustrations were used for the Danish edition of The Lord of the Rings, under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer, after she sent them to J.R.R. Tolkien who was instantly impressed by the royal's drawings.
