Denmark's King Frederik X has officially taken the throne, succeeding his mother, Queen Margrethe II, who abdicated after 52 years as monarch. Queen Margrethe's decision to voluntarily relinquish the throne surprised the nation, as she became the first Danish monarch in nearly 900 years to do so. The abdication was formalized during a meeting of the Council of State at parliament, where Queen Margrethe signed the declaration of her abdication and gestured for Frederik to take her seat. Afterward, Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen proclaimed King Frederik X on the balcony of Christiansborg castle. In his speech, the new king expressed his hope to be a unifying monarch and ended with his royal motto, "United, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark."