One day after Queen Margrethe II's shock announcement that she would be abdicating the Danish throne, she made her first public appearance alongside her son Crown Prince Frederik and daughter-in-law Crown Princess Mary.
The royals gathered at Christian VII's Palace, Amalienborg on 1 January alongside Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, and Princess Benedikte for the New Year’s levee and banquet.
The lavish occasion was a cause for celebration, indicated even more so by their choice of elegant gowns and sparkling tiaras. Take a look at all of the best photos…
Queen Margrethe's red gown
Queen Margrethe looked ravishing in red as she stepped out of the car at the palace. She teamed her regal gown, which featured a fitted waist, A-line skirt and ruffled detail, with a diamond tiara nestled neatly in her elegant updo. A pop of red lipstick added an extra touch of glamour to her attire.
To keep the wind and rain at bay, Margrethe layered a fluffy floor-length coat over the top and carried a black handbag over her arm.
Queen Margrethe's pearl tiara
The monarch's headpiece of choice was the Pearl Poiré tiara, boasting eighteen pear-shaped pearls which she has worn on several occasions since she became queen in January 1972. Originally thought to be a wedding gift given to Princess Louise of Prussia in 1825, it is part of a parure including drop pearl earrings and an elaborate diamond necklace which were on display on Monday.
Crown Princess Mary's velvet gown
Meanwhile, Crown Princess Mary looked regal in a deep pink velvet dress with long sleeves, a rounded neckline, an embellished belt that accentuated her waist and a train. She wore her brunette hair in an updo topped with the Danish Ruby Parure Tiara, which is made up of sparkling leaves dotted with pink berries made up of rubies.
Crown Princess Mary's ruby tiara
Crown Princess Mary has been the only royal to wear the headpiece since she got married in 2004. The set also comes with a stunning necklace, but the royal chose to keep her jewellery understated, letting her tiara and Order of the Elephant collar take centre stage.
Crown Princess Mary's bold beauty look
Matching her mother-in-law's bold beauty look, Mary rocked bright red nails for the occasion.
Princess Marie's lace gown
Princess Marie was also spotted in a royal blue dress with sheer lace sleeves and a peplum waist leading to a fitted skirt. With her hair swept back into a low ponytail, Marie gave fans a better look at her diamond and sapphire drop earrings. But all eyes were on a different accessory - Princess Dagmar’s Diamond Floral Tiara.
Princess Marie's diamond tiara
The headpiece is made up of five diamond flowers and it was previously worn by Queen Margrethe II during her first State Visit to Sweden in 1973, shortly after she acceded the throne. She has worn it on several occasions throughout her reign and loaned it to her mother-in-law Countess Renée-Yvonne de Laborde de Monpezat and her niece Princess Nathalie of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. A small gold clutch added the finishing touches to Marie's outfit.
Margrethe announced her plans to step down as monarch on New Year's Eve. In a statement released on social media and the official royal family website, she said, in part: "I have decided that now is the right time. The 14th January 2024 - 52 years after I followed my beloved father - I will step back as the Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son the Crown Prince Frederik."
She finished by leaving her well wishes to the future King and Queen, adding: "It is my hope that the new King and Queen will be met with the same trust and devotion which have fallen to my lot. They deserve it! Denmark deserves it! I will conclude my New Year’s address in my usual manner: GOD BLESS DENMARK, GOD BLESS YOU ALL."
The royal, who will continue to be referred to as "Your Majesty", revealed she came to this decision following her "extensive" back surgery in February 2023.
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