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77-511: The Øresund or Öresund Bridge is a combined railway and motorway cable-stayed bridge across the Øresund strait between Denmark and Sweden . It is the second longest bridge in Europe with both roadway and railway combined in a single structure, running nearly 8 kilometres (5 miles) from the Swedish coast to the artificial island Peberholm in the middle of the strait. The crossing is completed by

154-507: A scenographer , a costume designer , and an illustrator of works by J. R. R. Tolkien . Support for the monarchy in Denmark , alongside her personal popularity, gradually rose throughout the course of her reign, attaining around eighty percent by the time of her abdication. She was succeeded by her elder son, Frederik X. Margrethe was born on 16 April 1940 at 10:10 CET at Frederik VIII's Palace , in her parents' residence at Amalienborg ,

231-486: A fixed link across the Øresund were advanced as early as the first decade of the 20th century. In 1910, proposals were put to the Swedish Parliament for a railway tunnel across the strait, which would have comprised two tunnelled sections linked by a surface road across the island of Saltholm . The concept of a bridge over the Øresund was first formally proposed in 1936 by a consortium of engineering firms who proposed

308-647: A heart attack and was admitted to the Copenhagen Municipal Hospital . Margrethe was then designated acting regent the following day. The king died on 14 January, and Margrethe succeeded to the throne at the age of 31, becoming the first female Danish sovereign under the new Act of Succession. She was proclaimed Queen from the balcony of Christiansborg Palace the following day by Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag . She chose to be known as Margrethe II ;– the regnal number taken in recognition of

385-421: A horizontal girder extending along the entire length of the bridge. On both approaches to the three cable-stayed bridge sections, the girder is supported every 140 m (459 ft) by concrete piers. The two pairs of free-standing cable-supporting towers are 204 m (669 ft) high allowing shipping 57 m (187 ft) of head room under the main span, but most ships' captains prefer to pass through

462-535: A levée was held for officers from the Defence and the Danish Emergency Management Agency, the I., II. and III. ranking classes as well as invited representatives of major national organisations and the royal patronages. Up to the end of her reign, Margrethe held 72 Danish and 8 foreign patronages as queen, including Aarhus Festuge , ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum , DaneAge Association , Danes Worldwide ,

539-452: A more direct link from Copenhagen to Malmö . Additionally, some regional and local interests argued that other bridge and road projects, notably the then-unbuilt Great Belt Fixed Link , should take priority. The governments of Denmark and Sweden eventually signed an agreement to build a fixed link in 1973. It would have comprised a bridge between Malmö and Saltholm, with a tunnel linking Saltholm to Copenhagen, and would have been accompanied by

616-456: A national motorway network for Denmark. The idea was dropped during World War II , but picked up again thereafter and studied in significant detail in various Danish-Swedish government commissions through the 1950s and 1960s. However, disagreement existed regarding the placement and exact form of the link, with some arguing for a link at the narrowest point of the sound at Helsingør – Helsingborg , further north of Copenhagen, and some arguing for

693-419: A referendum, which occurred on 27 March 1953. The new Act of Succession permitted female succession to the throne of Denmark, according to male-preference cognatic primogeniture , where a female can ascend to the throne only if she does not have a brother. Princess Margrethe therefore became heir presumptive . In 2009, the law of succession was modified into absolute primogeniture. Margrethe attended

770-402: A second rail tunnel across the Øresund between Helsingør and Helsingborg . However, that project was cancelled in 1978 due to the economic situation, and growing environmental concerns. As the economic situation improved in the 1980s, interest resumed and the governments signed a new agreement in 1991. An OMEGA centre report identified the following as primary motivations for construction of

847-533: A special carriers' liability, forcing carriers (such as bus, train and ferry companies) to check the identity of all passengers from Denmark before they boarded a bus, train or ferry to Sweden. These checks were enforced by a fine of SEK 50,000 as punishment for serving those without such identity documents. This led to the enforcement of checks by private security guards at, for instance, the rail station in Kastrup airport in Denmark, an unpopular move with passengers, due to

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924-684: A terminus at that time. After the 2010 inauguration of the Malmö City Tunnel connection, a tunnel was built at Burlöv , north of Malmö, where the two southbound tracks cross over the northbound pair. The railway in Malmö thus uses the Danish standard. With both Sweden and Denmark being part of the Nordic Passport Union since the 1950s, border controls between the two countries have been abolished for decades and travellers can normally move freely across

1001-430: A tunnel for part of the way, rather than raising that section of the bridge, was to avoid interfering with air traffic from the nearby Copenhagen Airport , to provide a clear channel for ships in good weather or bad, and to prevent ice floes from blocking the strait. Construction began in 1995, with the bridge opening to traffic on 1 July 2000. The bridge received the 2002 IABSE Outstanding Structure Award . Ideas for

1078-414: A year after the wedding, Margrethe gave birth to her first child, a son, on 26 May 1968. By tradition, Danish kings were alternately named either Frederik or Christian. She chose to maintain this by assuming the position of a Christian, and thus named her elder son Frederik . The following year, a second child, named Joachim , was born on 7 June 1969. In 1974, she and Henrik purchased Château de Cayx in

1155-450: Is 20 m (66 ft) high. The connection between Peberholm and the artificial peninsula at Kastrup on Amager island, the nearest populated part of Denmark, is through the 4.05-kilometre (2.52 mi) long Drogden Tunnel ( Drogdentunnelen ). It comprises a 3.51-kilometre (2.18 mi) immersed tube plus 270-metre (886 ft) entry tunnels at each end. The tube tunnel is made from 20 prefabricated reinforced concrete segments –

1232-510: Is a member of the Danish royal family who reigned as Queen of Denmark from 14 January 1972 until her abdication on 14 January 2024. Having reigned for exactly 52 years, she was the second-longest reigning Danish monarch after Christian IV . She is also the world's most recent female reigning monarch. Margrethe was born into the House of Glücksburg , a cadet branch of the House of Oldenburg , during

1309-622: Is commissioned by Skånetrafiken and the Danish Civil Aviation and Railway Authority ( Trafikstyrelsen ) under the Øresundståg brand, with Transdev and DSB being the current operators. A series of new dual-voltage trains was developed, linking the Copenhagen area with Malmö and southern Sweden as far as Gothenburg and Kalmar . SJ operates X2000 trains over the bridge, with connections to Gothenburg and Stockholm . Copenhagen Airport at Kastrup has its own railway station close to

1386-670: The Danish Animal Welfare Society  [ da ] , the Danish Cancer Society  [ da ] , Den Gamle By , Det Classenske Fideicommis , the Danish Bible Society  [ da ] , Det Kongelige Vajsenhus , Diakonissestiftelsen , Foreningen Norden , Land of Legends (Sagnlandet Lejre) , M/S Maritime Museum of Denmark , Moesgaard Museum , National Olympic Committee and Sports Confederation of Denmark , Nyborg Slot , Rebild National Park ,

1463-578: The Danish Parliament , representatives of official Denmark and the Royal Court at Christian VIII's Palace at Amalienborg . On day two, a levée was held at Christian VIII's Palace for the justices of Supreme Court of Denmark and the Officer Corps of The Royal Life Guards and The Guard Hussar Regiment , followed by a levée at Christiansborg Palace for the diplomatic corps . On day three,

1540-412: The Danish political parties . Each party has the choice of selecting a royal investigator to lead these negotiations or alternatively, give the incumbent prime minister the mandate to continue his or her government as is. In theory each party could choose its own leader as royal investigator, as the social liberal Det Radikale Venstre did in 2006, but often only one royal investigator is chosen plus

1617-540: The Great Belt Fixed Link (1988–1998), connecting Zealand to Funen and thence to the Jutland Peninsula , and the Øresund Bridge have connected Central and Western Europe to Sweden by road and rail. The bridge was designed by Jørgen Nissen and Klaus Falbe Hansen from Ove Arup and Partners, and Niels Gimsing and Georg Rotne. The justification for the additional expenditure and complexity related to digging

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1694-687: The Paramount Studios , where they met several celebrities, including Dean Martin , Jerry Lewis and Elvis Presley . She paid her first visit to the Faroe Islands in 1959, alongside her parents and sisters, and to Greenland in 1960. While Margrethe studied in London, she met the French diplomat, Henri de Laborde de Monpezat , who was legation secretary at the French Embassy in London. Their engagement

1771-534: The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment , an infantry regiment of the British Army , following a tradition dating back to 1906 when Edward VII , married to Alexandra of Denmark , appointed his brother-in-law, Frederik VIII of Denmark , colonel-in-chief of the then Buffs (Royal East Kent Regiment) . As sovereign , Margrethe received 42 official state visits and she undertook 55 foreign state visits herself. She and

1848-567: The Royal Danish Academy of Music , Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters , Royal Danish Yacht Club , Rungstedlund Foundation  [ da ] , Sankt Lukas Stiftelsen , Vallø stift and Vemmetofte . A pillar of her reign was an intricate knowledge of and connection to all parts of the Danish Realm . In 2016, she contributed to a book about Denmark's history. Until her abdication, Margrethe served as colonel-in-chief of

1925-628: The Sorbonne in 1963, and was at the London School of Economics in 1965. She is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London . At the time of her birth, only males could ascend the throne of Denmark, owing to the changes in succession laws enacted in the 1850s when the Glücksburg branch was chosen to succeed. As Margrethe had no brothers, it was assumed that her uncle Prince Knud would one day assume

2002-449: The guest workers and their families (...) Then we come with our 'Danish humour' and little cocky remarks. Then we meet them with coolness, and then it is not far to harassment and rougher methods – we cannot allow that. If we want the new year to be better than the old, then here is a good place to start. The term "cocky remarks" ( dumsmarte bemærkninger , lit.   ' dumb-slick remarks ' ) has since become an integrated part of

2079-565: The 14th century Danish regent, Margrethe , who was publicly known as "Queen Margrethe" despite never being crowned. The Queen chose the motto : "God's help, the love of the people, Denmark's strength" (Danish: Guds hjælp, folkets kærlighed, Danmarks styrke ). She relinquished all the monarch's former titles except the title to Denmark , hence her style " By the Grace of God , Queen of Denmark" (Danish: Margrethe den Anden, af Guds Nåde Danmarks Dronning ). The Queen's main tasks were to represent

2156-508: The 4-kilometre (2.5 mi) Drogden Tunnel from Peberholm to the Danish island of Amager . The bridge connects the road and rail networks of the Scandinavian Peninsula with those of Central and Western Europe . A data cable also makes the bridge the backbone of Internet data transmission between central Europe and Sweden. The international European route E20 crosses via road, the Øresund Line via railway. The construction of

2233-461: The 40th year on the throne, on 14 January 2012. This was marked by a church service, concert, carriage procession, gala banquet at Christiansborg Palace and numerous TV interviews. The Queen's Golden Jubilee was marked on 14 January 2022, with celebrations to take place later in the year. In September, following the death of Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, it was announced by

2310-1008: The Aare river, one crosses a highway. During wartime and other emergencies, rail tracks on bridges are sometimes paved to allow road traffic to proceed. Examples include the Ludendorff Bridge at Remagen bridge in Germany. After a landslide on the Stromeferry road in Scotland in 2012, a 150m section of the parallel railway was paved with rubber tiles to allow road traffic to avoid a 250 km detour. Margrethe II of Denmark Queen Margrethe II Margrethe II ( Danish: [mɑˈkʁeˀtə] ; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940)

2387-599: The Council of State ( privy council ), where the acts of legislation which have been passed by the parliament are signed into law. In practice, nearly all of the Queen's formal powers were exercised by the Cabinet of Denmark . It was customary for Margrethe, as the Danish monarch, to host the annual New Year levées . Every year on 1 January, a banquet was held for the government, the Speaker of

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2464-533: The Danes in general have underestimated the difficulties involved in successful integration of immigrants, exemplified with the rules of a democracy not being clarified to Muslim immigrants and a lack of readiness to enforce those rules. This was received as a change in line with the attitude of the Danish people. Margrethe marked her Silver Jubilee in 1997 with a religious service and a gala dinner attended by fellow Scandinavian royals. She celebrated her Ruby Jubilee ,

2541-620: The Danish court disclosed in a press release that the Queen had contracted COVID-19 . On 13 February, the Queen was able to leave home isolation after having had a mild case of the virus. On 21 September 2022, the Danish Royal House disclosed in a press release that Margrethe had tested positive for COVID-19 a second time after attending the state funeral of Elizabeth II , her third cousin, in London. She left home isolation again on 26 September and resumed her official duties immediately, stating that she felt fine. On 22 February 2023,

2618-430: The Danish side, the land connection has domestic benefits, mainly to connect the airport to the railway network. The Malmö City Tunnel has the benefit of connecting the southern part of the inner city to the rail network and allowing many more trains to and from Malmö. According to The Öresund Committee , the bridge has made a national economic gain of DKK 57 billion, or SEK 78 billion SEK (~€8.41 billion) on both sides of

2695-576: The Danish vocabulary. In an interview within the 2016 book De dybeste rødder ( The Deepest Roots ), according to historians at the Saxo Institute of the University of Copenhagen , Margrethe showed a change in attitude to immigration towards a more conservative stance. She stated that the Danish people should have more explicitly clarified the rules and values of Danish culture in order to be able to teach them to new arrivals. She further stated that

2772-481: The Kingdom abroad and to be a unifying figure at home. She performed the latter by opening exhibitions, attending anniversaries and inaugurating bridges, among other things. She received foreign ambassadors and awards, honours and medals. As a constitutional sovereign, Margrethe took no part in party politics and does not express any political opinions. Although she had the right to vote, she opted not to do so to avoid even

2849-649: The Queen addressed the xenophobia experienced by many immigrants in Denmark: We have the peace, the free political life and social relations that make our country a sought-after haven for many. Refugees from very different backgrounds come here, sometimes injured in both mind and body. We welcome them and are probably also a little proud that they have chosen our little paradise, but when we see them fumbling with our way of life and our language, hospitality becomes difficult all too quickly, and disappointment sets in on both sides. There are also others who have felt that, namely

2926-446: The Queen underwent "major back surgery" at Rigshospitalet due to continued back pain. In a statement the following day, a representative for the Queen said that the surgery had gone well and that she had already been up for a walk. She was discharged from the hospital on 2 March, and returned from sick leave on her birthday on 16 April. Margrethe has been a chain smoker and is well known for her tobacco habit. On 23 November 2006,

3003-629: The Royal House that it was "Her Majesty The Queen's wish that a number of adjustments be made" to the upcoming celebrations. Between Elizabeth II's death and her abdication, Margrethe was Europe's longest-reigning monarch, the world's only queen regnant , and the longest-serving incumbent female head of state. In July 2023, the Danish Royal House recognized Margrethe II as Denmark's longest reigning sitting monarch. Though Christian IV reigned for over 59 years between 1588 and 1648, he

3080-411: The Swedish state. This owner company has taken loans guaranteed by the governments to finance the connection and the user fees are its only income. After the increase in traffic, these fees are enough to pay the interest and begin repaying the loans, which is expected to take about 30 years. Taxpayers have paid for neither the bridge nor the tunnel, but tax money has been used for the land connections. On

3157-455: The Swiss civil engineering firm Mageba. Vibration issues, caused by several cables in the bridge moving under certain wind and temperature conditions, were combatted with the installation of compression spring dampers installed in pairs at the centre of the cables. Two of these dampers were equipped with laser gauges for ongoing monitoring. Testing, development and installation of these spring dampers

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3234-404: The appearance of partisanship. The Queen held a meeting with the prime minister and the foreign affairs minister every Wednesday, unless either she or the prime minister was outside of the kingdom . After an election where the incumbent prime minister does not have a majority behind him or her, the Queen held a " Dronningerunde " (Queen's meeting) in which she met the chairmen of each of

3311-611: The beginning of Nazi Germany 's occupation of Denmark following the war invasion . Princess Margrethe was baptised on 14 May in the Holmen Church in Copenhagen. Her godparents were her grandfathers, King Christian X of Denmark and Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden; her maternal great-grandfathers, King Gustaf V of Sweden and Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn ; her uncles Prince Knud of Denmark and Prince Gustaf Adolf, Duke of Västerbotten ; as well as her first cousin twice removed, Prince Axel of Denmark . She

3388-413: The bridge and to accommodate movements between the superstructure and substructure, it has bearings weighing up to 20 t (44,000 lb) each, capable of bearing vertical loads up to 96,000 kN (22,000,000 lb f ) in a longitudinal direction and up to 40,000 kN (9,000,000 lb f ) in transverse direction. The design, manufacturing and installation of the bearings were carried out by

3465-1396: The bridge led to an increase in innovation in Malmö. The key mechanism appears to be that high-skilled workers were drawn to Malmö. A 2022 study found that the bridge caused an increase of 13.5% in the average wage of workers in the region, as the bridge expanded the size of the labor market. The underwater parts of the bridge have become covered in marine organisms and act as an artificial reef . List of road%E2%80%93rail bridges Road–rail bridges are sometimes called combined bridges . From upstream to esturay: Yibin Jinsha River Road–Rail Bridge, Lingang Yangtze River Bridge, Linyu Yangtze River Bridge, Second Luzhou Yangtze River Bridge, Dingshan Bridge , Yudong Yangtze River Bridge , Baijusi Yangtze River Bridge, Caiyuanba Bridge , Dongshuimen Yangtze River Bridge, Chaotianmen Bridge , Guojiatuo Yangtze River Bridge, Zhicheng Yangtze River Bridge , Jingzhou Yangtze River Road-Railway Bridge, Wuhan Yangtze River Bridge , Tianxingzhou Yangtze River Bridge , Huanggang Yangtze River Bridge, Jiujiang Yangtze River Bridge , Tongling Yangtze River Road-Railway Bridge, Third Wuhu Yangtze River Bridge, Wuhu Yangtze River Bridge , Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge , Wufengshan Yangtze River Bridge , Husutong Yangtze River Bridge A 1930 report listed 33 bridges and estimated that

3542-460: The bridge. On Peberholm the line switches to Danish signalling, which continues into the tunnel. There is no way of changing between a locomotive for Danish standard and one for Swedish standard. All rail vehicles using the bridge must be custom made for the standards of both countries. Trains run on the left in Sweden, and on the right in Denmark. Initially the switch was made at Malmö Central Station ,

3619-518: The bridge: A joint venture of Hochtief , Skanska , Højgaard & Schultz and Monberg & Thorsen (the same of the previous Great Belt Fixed Link), began construction of the bridge in 1995 and completed it 14 August 1999. Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden met midway across the bridge-tunnel on 14 August 1999 to celebrate its completion. The official dedication took place on 1 July 2000, with Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden as

3696-550: The children, who were never expected to hold an official role within the royal family, to have normal lives, the Queen wanted "to create a framework for the four grandchildren, to a much greater degree, to be able to shape their own existence without being limited by the special considerations and obligations that a formal affiliation with the Royal House as an institution implies". Her son, Joachim, daughter-in-law, Marie , former daughter-in-law, Alexandra , and eldest grandson, Nikolai , publicly expressed shock and confusion because of

3773-585: The cost of bridge-keepers, extra maintenance for the decks, etc. amounted to £15,500 a year, as against £4,307 paid to NZR. Railway Track under Metro Bus Track on Gate of Rawalpindi City near Marirh Chowk Muree Road Rawalpindi The Bernina railway shares a bridge over the River Poschiavino at Campocologno just north of the Swiss-Italian border. Both railways operated by Aare Seeland Mobil go over three combined bridges each. Four of these bridges cross

3850-417: The decision, after which Margrethe released a statement in which she said that it saddened her that she had upset Joachim's family. Along with her late husband, Margrethe has kept dachshunds since the 1970s. She currently has one dog, the dachshund Tilia, who was Prince Henrik's dog until his death in 2018. On 3 January 1972, three days after King Frederik IX delivered his New Year's address, he suffered

3927-595: The delays imposed. In May 2017, Sweden removed the carriers' liability, but the ordinary border controls carried out by the Swedish Police Authority remained on the Swedish side of the Øresund Bridge. In accordance with the Schengen Borders Code, these border controls are only allowed for a period of six months at a time, and therefore have to be renewed twice a year. The cost for the Øresund Connection, including motorway and railway connections on land,

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4004-727: The discovery of 16 unexploded World War II bombs on the seafloor and an inadvertently skewed tunnel segment – the bridge-tunnel was finished three months ahead of schedule. Although traffic between Denmark and Sweden increased by 61 percent in the first year after the bridge opened, traffic levels were not as high as expected, perhaps due to high tolls. However, since 2005, traffic levels have increased rapidly. This may be due to Danes buying homes in Sweden to take advantage of lower housing prices in Malmö and commuting to work in Denmark. In 2012, to cross by car cost DKK 310, SEK 375 or €43, with discounts of up to 75% available to regular users. In 2007, almost 25 million people travelled over

4081-422: The duties of the head of state on certain occasions, for example during Frederik and Christian's stays abroad. Queen Margrethe II has had a number of health issues. Since the 1990s, she has undergone several operations on her right knee due to injuries and osteoarthritis . In 1994, she was treated for cervical cancer . In 2003, she underwent a 4.5 hour long operation for spinal stenosis . On 9 February 2022,

4158-571: The hostess and host of the ceremony. Because of the death of nine people, including three Danes and three Swedes, at the Roskilde Festival the evening before, the ceremony opened with a minute of silence . The bridge-tunnel opened for public traffic later that day. On 12 June 2000, two weeks before the dedication, 79,871 runners competed in Broloppet , a half marathon from Amager , Denmark, to Skåne , Sweden. Despite two schedule setbacks –

4235-506: The largest in the world at 55,000 tonnes each – interconnected in a trench dug in the seabed. Two tubes in the tunnel carry railway tracks, two carry roads and a small fifth tube is provided for emergencies. The tubes are arranged side by side. The rail link is operated jointly by the Swedish Transport Administration ( Trafikverket ) and the Danish railway infrastructure manager Banedanmark . Passenger train service

4312-493: The past. She cited her extensive back surgery in February 2023, and said that the operation made her reassess her position and consider "whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation". Margrethe's elder son, Frederik, assumed the throne as Frederik X . Mirroring her first New Year Address in 1973, she said of the succession: "The support and assistance which I have received throughout

4389-548: The prime minister, before each election. The leader who, at that meeting, succeeds in securing a majority of the seats in the Folketing , is, by royal decree, charged with the task of forming a new government. (No party has held an absolute majority in the Folketing since 1903.) Once the government had been formed, the Queen formally appointed it. Officially, it was the monarch who was the head of state , and she therefore presided over

4466-477: The principal residence of the Danish royal family in the district of Frederiksstaden in central Copenhagen . She was the first child of Crown Prince Frederik (later King Frederik IX) and Crown Princess Ingrid (later Queen Ingrid). Her father was the elder son of the then-reigning King Christian X , while her mother was the only daughter of Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden (later King Gustaf VI Adolf). Her birth took place just one week after

4543-504: The reign of her paternal grandfather, King Christian X . She is the eldest child of King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid . She became heir presumptive to her father in 1953, when a constitutional amendment allowed women to inherit the throne. In 1967, she married Henri de Laborde de Monpezat , with whom she had two sons, Frederik and Joachim . Margrethe succeeded her father upon his death in January 1972. Margrethe has worked as

4620-519: The reintroduction of temporary internal border controls. As such, travellers into Sweden from Denmark (but not travellers into Denmark from Sweden) must show a valid passport or national ID card (citizens of EU / EEA countries) or passport and entry visa (if required) for nationals of other non-EU/EEA countries. The move marked a break with 60 years of border control free travel between the Nordic countries. In January 2016, these border measures were extended by

4697-440: The royal family have made several other foreign visits. As queen, her official residences were Amalienborg (where she resides at Christian IX's Palace ) in Copenhagen and Fredensborg Palace near Hillerød . Her summer residences were Marselisborg Palace near Aarhus and Gråsten Palace near Sønderborg , the former home of her mother, Queen Ingrid, who died in 2000. In her annual New Year's Eve address in 1984,

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4774-696: The royal family in her parents' summer residence at Gråsten Palace in Southern Jutland . On 20 April 1947, following the death of Christian X, Margrethe's father ascended the throne as Frederik IX. Margrethe was educated at the private school N. Zahle's School in Copenhagen, from which she graduated in 1959. She spent a year at North Foreland Lodge , a boarding school for girls in Hampshire , England, and later studied prehistoric archaeology at Girton College, Cambridge , during 1960–1961, political science at Aarhus University between 1961 and 1962, attended

4851-424: The strait by increased commuting and lower commuting expense. The gain is estimated to be SEK 6.5 billion per year but this could be increased to 7.7 billion by removing the three biggest obstacles to integration and mobility, the two largest being that non-EU nationals in Sweden are not allowed to work in Denmark and that many professional qualifications and merits are not mutually recognised. A 2021 study found that

4928-439: The throne. The process of changing the constitution started in 1947, not long after Margrethe's father ascended the throne and it became clear that Queen Ingrid would have no more children. The popularity of Frederik and his daughters and the more prominent role of women in Danish life started the complicated process of altering the constitution. The law required that the proposal be passed by two successive Parliaments and then by

5005-580: The traditional New Year Courts for the first time in 1956. On her eighteenth birthday, 16 April 1958, Margrethe was given a seat in the Council of State . She subsequently chaired the meetings of the Council in the absence of the King. In 1960, together with her first cousin, Princess Margaretha of Sweden , and Princess Astrid of Norway , she travelled to the United States, which included a visit to Los Angeles, and to

5082-406: The tunnel section. There were challenges related to the difference in electrification and signalling between the Danish and Swedish railway networks . The solution chosen is to switch the electrical system from Swedish 15 kV, 16.7 Hz to Danish 25 kV, 50 Hz before the eastern bridgehead at Lernacken in Sweden. The line is signalled according to the standard Swedish system across the length of

5159-567: The unobstructed Drogden Strait above the Drogden Tunnel. The cable-stayed main span is 491 m (1,611 ft) long. A girder and cable-stayed design was chosen to provide the specific rigidity necessary to carry heavy rail traffic, and also to resist large accumulations of ice. The bridge experiences occasional brief closures during very severe weather, such as the St. Jude storm of October 2013. Due to high longitudinal and transverse loads acting over

5236-485: The western bridgehead. Since December 2022, trains operate typically every 15 minutes during the day, reducing to once an hour during the night in both directions. Additional Øresundstrains are operated at rush hour. Freight trains also use the crossing. The rail section is double track 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) standard gauge and capable of speeds of up to 200 kilometres per hour (120 mph), but slower in Denmark, especially in

5313-533: The wine district of Cahors in Southern France . Margrethe announced in 2008 that her male-line descendants would bear the additional title of Count or Countess of Monpezat in recognition of her husband's ancestry. In 2022, the Queen announced that, from the start of 2023, the descendants of Prince Joachim will only be able to use their titles of Count and Countess of Monpezat, their previous titles of Prince and Princess of Denmark ceasing to exist. To allow

5390-456: The years, have been crucial to the success of my task. It is my hope that the new King and Queen will be met with the same trust and devotion which have fallen to my lot." Since her abdication, Margrethe has been referred to as "Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II" or "Her Majesty Queen Margrethe". Margrethe is eligible to serve as regent in the event of the incapacity or absence of the King and Crown Prince Christian. As regent, Margrethe can perform

5467-611: The Øresund Bridge. In 2001, both countries also joined the Schengen area , and since then the abolition of border controls is primarily regulated by European Union law , more specifically the Schengen acquis . However, in November 2015, during the European migrant crisis , Sweden introduced temporary border controls at the border to Denmark in accordance with the provisions of the Schengen acquis on

5544-468: The Øresund Bridge: 15.2 million by car and bus and 9.6 million by train. By 2009, the figure had risen to 35.6 million by car, coach or train. At 7.85 km (4.88 mi), the bridge covers half the distance between Sweden and the Danish island of Amager, the border between the two countries being 5.3 km (3.3 mi) from the Swedish end. The structure has a mass of 82,000 tonnes and supports two railway tracks beneath four road lanes in

5621-452: Was DKK 30.1 billion (~€4.0 billion) according to the 2000 year price index, with the cost of the bridge expected in 2003 to be recouped by 2037. In 2006, Sweden began work on the Malmö City Tunnel , a SEK 9.45 billion connection with the bridge that was completed in December 2010. The connection will be entirely user-financed. The owner company is owned half by the Danish state and half by

5698-443: Was announced on 5 October 1966. They were married on 10 June 1967, at the Holmen Church in Copenhagen, and the wedding reception was held at Fredensborg Palace . Laborde de Monpezat received the style and title of "His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark" because of his new position as the spouse of the heir presumptive to the Danish throne. They were married for over fifty years, until his death on 13 February 2018. Less than

5775-475: Was carried out by specialists European Springs. The bridge joins Drogden tunnel on the artificial island of Peberholm (Pepper Islet). The Danes chose the name to complement the natural island of Saltholm (Salt Islet) just to the north. Peberholm is a designated nature reserve built from Swedish rock and the soil dredged up during the bridge and tunnel construction, approximately 4 km (2.5 mi) long with an average width of 500 m (1,640 ft). It

5852-911: Was named Margrethe – the Danish variation of her late maternal grandmother Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden 's name – Alexandrine after her paternal grandmother, Queen Alexandrine , and Ingrid after her mother. Since her paternal grandfather was also King of Iceland at the time of her birth, she was given the Icelandic name Þórhildur. Like her maternal grandmother, Margrethe is known affectionately as "Daisy" to her family and close friends. The birth of Margrethe's younger sisters Benedikte and Anne-Marie followed in 1944 and 1946 respectively. The princesses grew up in apartments at Frederik VIII's Palace at Amalienborg in Copenhagen and in Fredensborg Palace in North Zealand . Margrethe spent summer holidays with

5929-431: Was not officially installed until 1596, ruling with a "guardian government" up until then. In her annual live broadcast New Year's Eve address on 31 December 2023, Margrethe announced her abdication, which took place on 14 January 2024, the 52nd anniversary of her accession to the throne. She said that time had taken its "toll", that her number of "ailments" had increased, and that she cannot undertake as many duties as in

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