The British royal family may get quite a bit of attention with news of a new king and queen and also scandals within the family, but they’re not the only royal family making headlines. Denmark’s royal family also has their share of reported scandals and shakeups in the monarchy.

After the death of Queen Elizabeth II, Queen Margrethe of Denmark became the oldest living monarch in the world. She is currently 83 years old. She has been queen for almost 52 years.

Recently, Queen Margrethe made a shocking and unexpected announcement. She has decided to abdicate her throne on January 14, 2024, the 52nd anniversary of the day she became queen.

Why would she do that? It’s making a lot of people suspicious.

PEOPLE reports that she may be abdicating the throne because of a recent scandal reported about her son, Crown Prince Frederik. It may also be an attempt to save Frederik’s marriage to his wife Crown Princess Mary. When Margrethe steps down from the throne, Frederik and Mary will become king and queen of Denmark.

What’s the scandal that could tear their marriage apart? In November 2023, it was reported that Frederik had an affair with Mexican-born socialite Geneveva Casanova. The pair was photographed together in Madrid. Casanova claims their relationship was not romantic, but not everyone believes that’s true.

Phil Dampier told The Telegraph, “It’s possible that the Queen took this action because she would have been terrified of the marriage breaking up and the royal family losing Mary. It would have caused major problems. The Queen has always seen Mary as a tremendous asset.” Dampier added, “In two weeks’ time, the Prince and Princess will be pitched together as King and Queen and they will have to get on with it. The Queen may be thinking that they will patch up their differences and it will save their marriage.”

Queen Margrethe made the announcement that she would be abdicating the throne during her New Year’s Eve speech to Denmark. She insinuated that the decision was based on getting older. She said, “In two weeks time I have been Queen of Denmark for 52 years. Such an amount will leave its mark on anybody – also on me! The time takes its toll, and the number of ‘ailments’ increases. One cannot undertake as much as one managed in the past.”

Mary is originally from Australia, so this news is also making quite a stir in the land down under. Hear what the buzz is in Australia about the suspicious timing of Queen Margrethe’s announcement in the video below.

Do you think Queen Margrethe made her decision in an attempt to save her son’s marriage and distract from rumors of an affair, or do you think she really is having “ailments” and wants to leave the country in the hands of the next generation?