New portraits of Queen Margrethe are released to mark birthday

• The sweet portraits of Queen Margrethe were taken at Fredensborg Palace
• READ MORE: Mary and Frederik join Margrethe to celebrate her 84th birthday

The Danish Royal Palace has released two new portraits of Queen Margrethe to mark her 84th birthday today.

Looking effortlessly elegant, the royal, who abdicated in favour of her son, King Frederik X, on New Year’s Eve, opted for a bold purple dress which she teamed with a pair of brown suede buckled heels, along with a matching bag.

Adding a touch of glitz to her ensemble, the mother-of-two sported a set of chunky gold earrings, while leaving her hair up to showcase the statement jewellery.

The pictures were taken at Fredensborg Castle, which is the same place the Danish royal family is celebrating her birthday in private today.

The royal residence is a setting only used for important events in the family such as weddings, silver wedding anniversaries and birthdays.

Queen Margrethe poses in one of the rooms at Fredensborg Castle, as she leans against beautifully decorated teal walls

In one snap, the Queen is pictured in one of the luxurious rooms at the Castle posing next to a window as she leans against the teal walls.

In another image, Margrethe walks along the impressive monochrome tiled floor, following her beloved sausage dog, Tilia, who used to belong to her late husband Prince Henrik.

She is also wearing the Jubilee brooch, which was crafted by Georg Jensen to celebrate Margrethe’s 50 years on the Danish throne.

The stunning piece of jewellery features 50 grooves along the edge, representing each and every year since Queen Margrethe’s accession to the throne in 1972.

The 18-karat gold beam represents God, the round shape is said to be a reference to Denmark’s strong bond and the heart symbolises love.

King Frederik, Queen Mary and her sister, Princess Benedikte, waved to well-wishers who were stood outside the Castle this morning, hoping to wish the former Head of State happy birthday.

The former monarch has had a hectic couple of months when she shocked the nation with the announcement of her abdication during her New Year’s Eve live television segment.

Just 14 days later, Margrethe, who ruled for 52 years, signed away the throne at a Council of State meeting and her son, Frederik, was crowned King of Denmark.

She said one of the reasons why she chose to give up the throne was because of her health issues, adding that she underwent surgery for her back in February 2023.

The second snap shows the former monarch walking along the monochrome tiled floor at Fredensborg Castle, alongside her sausage dog Tilia

Queen Mary and King Frederik, Queen Margrethe and her sister, Princess Benedikte, posed outside Fredensborg Castle today alongside Margrethe’s beloved sausage dog Tilia

Queen Margrethe smiles alongside her beloved pup as she greets royal fans outside Fredensborg Castle ahead of festivities of her 84th birthday

King Frederik, Queen Mary and Princess Benedikte all donned blue, whereas Margrethe opted to wear red and white

She said: ‘It went well, thanks to the skilled healthcare staff who took care of me. Of course, the operation also gave rise to thinking about the future – whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation.’

It has been agreed that she will continue to be known as Her Majesty Queen Margrethe and can fill in as regent if King Frederik, Queen Mary and Crown Prince Christian are abroad, ill or on holiday.

For the past couple of months, visits and announcements of Margrethe’s whereabouts have been less common. So what has the Queen been up to since her abdication?

Just one week after giving up the crown, the royal went to a special church service at Aarhus Cathedral with her son, King Frederik and his wife Queen Mary.

Dressed in a vibrant purple dress and a matching grey fur coat and hat, smiling for the cameras as she made her way into the church.

She then attended the inauguration of the new Prins Henriks Skole in Frederiksberg on 7 February and opted to wear a large brown fur coat along with a blue plaid skirt and blazer co-ord.

Queen Margrethe during her live television segment where she announced her abdication on 31 December

The former monarch looks on as her son, King Frederik, signs the declaration on January 14

Many royal fans waited for her arrival, opting to catch a glimpse of the former monarch on her journey to the school and she was more than happy to oblige by smiling and waving to the crowds.

The royal also won the Robert Award for Best Costume Design for her work on Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction.

She said in a post on Instagram via the official royal account: ‘I am deeply grateful, touched and proud of the recognition that the Robert award represents.

‘Receiving an award that the industry itself awards makes me particularly happy, and it has been a great joy and pleasure to be able to contribute to the expression of the film.

‘I would like to thank the entire team behind the film, but I especially thank all those who have made my ideas, sketches and drawings a reality – not least the talented people who have sewn and worked with the many costumes’.

Her Majesty also presented the the Queen Margrethe II’s Science Prize at the Royal Danish Society of Sciences in Copenhagen on 10 April.

Denmark’s former queen Margrethe, smiled at those in the pews at Aarhus Cathedral as she arrived for the service on 21 January

Queen Margrethe is pictured smiling as crowds gather to watch her journey to inaugurate the new Prins Henriks Skole

She looked in high spirits as she unveiled a statue of her late husband, Prince Henrik, at the new Prins Henriks Skole.

A lover of fashion, wildly obscure prints and art, Margrethe donned a bold blue tartan blazer, along with a matching hat and a turtleneck top.

Margrethe also accompanied King Frederik and Queen Mary on their first gala dinner in March, showing the next generation of senior royals the ropes to hosting a successful event.

Last month the former Head of State also went on a trip with the Norwegian royals to watch the Holmenkollen FIS Nordic World Cup in Oslo, where she wrapped up warm in a red scarf and woolly hat.

The creative Queen has also taken on the task of designing ballet costumes for the Denmark’s Tivoli amusement park. The venue is due to celebrate it’s 130th anniversary this year.

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