King Frederik X gave his first New Year’s speech yesterday. This was an important moment, as it marked a big change: for the first time, it wasn’t the Queen speaking but her son, now King Frederik X.
People had high expectations for this speech. A year ago, Queen Margrethe II announced her abdication during her New Year’s speech. She was loved for her charisma, but Frederik still needed to show he could deliver a speech that connected with the Danish people. In Denmark, a country that values its traditions and its monarchy, it’s important for the King to not only speak well but also show he understands the Danish way of life. That’s why this first speech was so important—it gave people a chance to see if Frederik X fits the role.
The response to the King’s speech was very positive. Many people, including commentators and the public, felt he met expectations. Danish media outlets like TV 2 and DR gave mostly good reviews, and only a few had critical comments.
Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen praised the speech on Instagram, calling it “great and very personal.”
Below is the full text of the King’s speech, where he talked about key issues like foreign policy, the environment, young people, and the working class.
The King’s Speech
The New Year highlights the passing of time. When the clock strikes midnight, two years touch each other, and an ending turns into a new beginning. Tonight, we bid farewell to the old year and welcome the new one. Exactly as we have done year after year.
But then again – something has changed. For my mother, Queen Margrethe, for me and for you. Although we all have had a year to get used to the idea, I am aware that there may still be some who are a bit nervous on my behalf. For can the New Year Address be given by others than Queen Margrethe?
Many people take stock on New Year’s Eve. What do we take with us from the year that has passed, and what do we see ahead of us in the coming year? I take with me one day in particular. The 14th of January.
The ride through the streets of Copenhagen to Christiansborg Palace.
My mother’s last State Council. The minutes before the doors to the balcony opened. A very deep breath. Christiansborg Palace Square.
The crowd of people in front of me. My family right behind me.
Stepping forward and meeting so much support, joy and love. Standing on the balcony together with Queen Mary as Denmark’s King and Queen. Taking it all in – or at least trying to – moved and overwhelmed.
This is what I take with me. This is what we take with us. Forever. A thousand thanks.
A year ago, my mother gave her 52nd New Year Address. An address which took most people by surprise because it turned out to be her last.
Tonight, I am giving my first. There is a first time for everything and a last time for everything. These times tend to stand out more clearly than all other times. They are beginnings and endings in the course of life, and we attach special significance to them. The first school day – and the last. We remember them. And we celebrate them.
So did our family last summer when the Crown Prince graduated from high school and together with thousands of other young people celebrated having successfully completed a youth education programme. I have always loved that time of the year. When our young people graduate and, wearing caps with ribbons in all colours, fill the streets, alleys and beaches arm in arm. Who does not remember the euphoric feeling of freedom; the whole world lay open, and all doors just waited for the handle to be turned.
It looks so easy when the young let their hair down having fun.
And at the same time, it can be anything but that. Many young people lose their footing. Not for a while, but for a long time. For some, to such an extent that it makes them ill. “Why can’t I be like everybody else?” they may ask. There is rarely a simple answer. By contrast, we know that it helps to have somebody to confide in and lean on for support. Our next of kin are our most important bulwark. Both when life knocks us down and when it just overwhelms us.
As the parents of four teenagers, Mary and I have learnt that it does help to listen. To ask questions without making assumptions. To give a hug instead of taking immediate action. Our children are different. So are young people. There is not one story that captures everybody’s identity. We get the best idea of who young people are by letting them speak, each individually. Time and again they impress us with their understanding of themselves and of others. In my eyes, they are courageous. Because they dare show vulnerability and see it as a strength. Today’s young people accept themselves for what they are. You dare to be both/and. Both vulnerable and strong.
Both/and. On the one hand and on the other hand. At a time of increasing polarisation, this nuance easily disappears.
We run the risk of reducing the world to its extreme points when we adopt extreme positions. “Are you for or against?” people ask. Perhaps we are somewhere in the middle. Because we are capable of seeing things from several perspectives and of empathising with others. This is one of our finest qualities as human beings and something we Danes are good at.
I have many times seen things through somebody else’s eyes and discovered something new. It can be challenging, but it is always rewarding, irrespective of whether we perceive things in the same way.
We must not allow disagreement to prevent us from exchanging perceptions and attitudes. It is through this exchange that we have the opportunity to move and approach each other. It is our luck that we trust each other in this country. There is great trust between us. This makes it easier to see the fellow human being before the opponent.
Volunteering is an example of humanity, and most Danes are at some point involved in voluntary work. It may be anything from practising tables with children at the homework café to starting a new gym class to holding another person’s hand when life is coming to a close.
Volunteering comes in many forms. The common denominator is that it makes sense to all parties, both to her who gives her time and to him who receives it.
Volunteers keep up countless services and activities. Also Royal Run, where 2,500 people volunteered this year, which meant that the rest of us could walk and run together in the five host towns. To all of you who put time and effort into the common pool – thank you. I also wish to thank all those I have met in audience. This is one of the many joys of my new role; to carry on a tradition where I meet people who have spent an entire working life in the same place of work and where I hear life stories from all parts of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The electrician who has installed power in half the city. The kindergarten teacher who has provided care for generations and taken care of children who ended up as the parents of new children in the same place. Most of them do not understand where the time has gone, but with their many years of diligent work they form part of this country’s backbone. This also applies to you who stand guard over our safety and security; the police force, the emergency management services, and the defence – our soldiers deployed abroad. You who run a risk for the rest of us. Thank you for your important contribution.
We live in uncertain times. We follow the development in the Middle East with bated breath and feel with the many families who are suffering. In Europe, not far from here, the Ukrainian people are fighting bravely for their freedom. And for ours. The war in Ukraine is a brutal reminder for us not to take peace for granted. Not on our continent either. Europe must stand firm on our shared values.
75 years ago, Denmark was one of 12 countries that established the defence alliance NATO. Together we wanted to ensure security and peace. Since then, more countries have joined. Most recently Finland and Sweden. This strengthens the Nordic countries. It strengthens Europe. It strengthens our common defence of freedom. We can only solve global conflicts when we stand together internationally. This also applies to the fight for the health of our planet.
Nature’s riches are on loan to us. Nobody owns the sky or the sea. The forests or the valleys. The meadows or the stars. None of us have the power to put the smallest leaf on a nettle. It falls on us to take care of our globe, because tomorrow is another day. We must explore every path that takes us in the right direction. Not one path at a time, but all paths at the same time. We already have many good solutions and together they give us hope for the future. A hope we must hold on to and act on.
The first time and the last time. Beginnings and ends throughout life. We often remember these. But there are also all the things in between.
Everyday life. Ordinary days that do not loom large, but which constitute most of life. I am grateful for my everyday life with Queen Mary, our four children and our two dogs. I am pleased that Prince Joachim and Princess Marie have settled down well in Washington with their children, and that my mother is enjoying her new life.
Day-to-day life can often run away with us. Suddenly a week has passed, a month, a year. What is left? The sense of cohesion.
Mary and I felt that on the 14th of January, and we feel it when we visit parts of the Kingdom of Denmark. There is a very special atmosphere when we meet you where you live and reside. When we catch a glimpse of your everyday life.
We are all united and each of us committed for the Kingdom of Denmark. From the Danish minority in South Schleswig – which is even situated outside the Kingdom – and all the way to Greenland. We belong together. Mary and I felt that very clearly when we visited South Schleswig and Greenland and all the places in between. We have yet to visit the Faroe Islands, and we are looking forward to going to the North Atlantic next summer.
I wish all Danes – at home and abroad – a Happy New Year. We have much to be proud of and take pleasure in. Trust. Humanity. Cohesion.
My first New Year Address. It will not come again, but I shall never forget it. They say that “A good start is half the battle”. It is perhaps a bit over the top, but Mary and I could not have wished for a better start as King and Queen. We look forward to engaging in everything the new year will bring and, above all, to doing it together. With each other and with all of you.
Thank you for the year that has passed, and Happy New Year.
