Denmark's new king

DENMARK'S Queen Margrethe II signed her historic abdication yesterday, a step which meant her son immediately became King Frederik X.

Margrethe, 83, is the first Danish monarch to voluntarily relinquish the throne in nearly 900 years.

Thousands of people gathered outside the palace in Copenhagen where the royal succession was taking place, the mood jubilant as the nation experienced its first royal succession in more than half a century, and one not caused by the death of a monarch.

Wearing a magenta outfit, Margrethe signed her abdication during a meeting with the Danish Cabinet at Christiansborg Palace, a vast complex in Copenhagen that houses the Royal Reception Rooms and Royal Stables as well as the Danish Parliament, the prime minister's office and the Supreme Court.