King Frederik X: Who is the former 'party prince' and Denmark's new monarch?
The man fond of rock concerts did not always appear to be prepared to take over the reins of Europe's oldest ruling monarchy, but in recent years, the royal heir - who also speaks English, French and German - had taken on more responsibilities, becoming his mother's "wingman".
Sunday 14 January 2024 16:05, UK
Following the historic abdication of Queen Margrethe II, her son has ascended to the Danish throne as King Frederick X.
A married father-of-four and passionate environmentalist, the 55-year-old speaks four languages and has recently stepped up his royal duties.
But the man fond of rock concerts who was once dubbed the "party prince" didn't always appear to be prepared to take over the reins of Europe's oldest ruling monarchy.
Here, Sky News looks at the King of Denmark - and how his reign might look.
'Party prince'
Queen Margrethe's eldest son was always destined for the throne.
But as a young man in the 1990s, he developed a reputation for being a "party prince".
He was said to have matured during his time at the University of Aarhus, where he graduated in political science.
As part of his course, he spent some time studying at Harvard University in the US between 1992 and 1993.
His military education began in 1986 in the Queen's Life Guard regiment.
In 2010, he was appointed as a commander in the navy and colonel in the army and the air force.
Preparing to be king
Marie Rønde, royal correspondent for Danish broadcaster TV2, said the then crown prince was not always "prepared" for his future role as monarch.
She told Sky News: "He's talked about it himself that when he turned 18, he was not at all prepared for what came to him at that point.
"He's used a lot of time getting prepared - like getting used to the fact that this is the task of his life and he's worked a lot on that.
In recent years, Frederik - who also speaks English, French and German - had taken on more responsibilities, particularly during Queen Margrethe's recent ill health.
Ms Rønde said: "A year ago she had back surgery [and] he took over a lot of her work.
"He said that he was like his mother's 'wingman'.
"He's had a long military education and he's fond of rock music, [he] goes to concerts and festivals, and he's very into sports events. So in that way, he's very different from his mother."
His family
Frederik is the eldest child of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark, who died in 2018.
His younger brother, Prince Joachim of Denmark, is one year his junior.
In 2022, Queen Margrethe stripped Joachim's four children of their royal titles, saying it was "necessary future-proofing of the monarchy".
The move did not affect Frederik's children, who all retain their titles, nor did it impact the line of succession.
He first met his wife, Mary, now Queen, at a bar during the Sydney Olympics in 2000.
The Australian-born royal worked in advertising before meeting Frederik.
They were married in 2004 and the couple have four children - 18-year-old Prince Christian, 16-year-old Princess Isabella, and 12-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
Ms Rønde believed Mary will be a "very strong Queen".
She said: "It's been clear all these years that his wife... has always been very supportive of him and she's been by his side - like you see with Queen Camilla, the role that she has with King Charles."
When it comes to his eldest son, Prince Christian, it is unclear how his role will change when he becomes crown prince.
Rønde added: "I'm really excited about the role of his son, Prince Christian, because the royal household said he will not have an official role until he turns 21, because they want him to focus on his education and just to be young."
Read more:
Queen of Denmark apologises for stripping grandchildren of royal titles
Queen Margrethe's reign in pictures
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What kind of king will he be?
Although the monarch is head of state, the Danish constitution strictly rules out their involvement in party politics.
But ever since climate conference COP15 took place in Copenhagen in 2009, Frederick had been engaged with global climate and environmental challenges.
Ms Rønde believed he will be a "king of the people" when he officially becomes monarch.
"He meets a lot of Danes when he's out and about and he's very good at talking to them," she said.
"[Queen Margrethe] is also a queen of the people, people really like her, but I think he will be too."