Popular Queen Margrethe II - Europe's longest-serving monarch - said she would abdicate on January 14 and pass the baton to her son Crown Prince Frederik.
Margrethe, 83, has reigned for 52 years and has been Europe's only reigning queen after the death of Britain's Elizabeth II.
She has been hailed for subtly modernizing Danish royalty in her half-century on the throne.
The chain-smoking queen has repeatedly said she would never abdicate, but back surgery she underwent last February "gave cause to thoughts about the future - whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation," she said.
The queen, known for her artistic talents, has been hugely popular in Denmark.
With sparkling blue eyes and a broad smile, she is known for her relaxed and playful side, as well as for her involvement in the country's cultural scene.
A painter as well as a costume and set designer, she has worked with the Royal Danish Ballet and Royal Danish Theatre on numerous occasions.
She studied at Cambridge and the Sorbonne in Paris, and is fluent in English, French, German and Swedish.
She has also translated plays, including Simone de Beauvoir's "All Men Are Mortal" with her French-born husband under a pseudonym.
But it is primarily her paintings and drawings that have caught the public's eye.
She has illustrated several books, including a Danish 2002 edition of JRR Tolkien's "The Lord of the Rings," and her paintings have been exhibited in museums and galleries in Denmark and abroad.
When she was crowned almost 52 years ago, only 45 percent of Danes were in favor of the monarchy, most believing it had no place in a modern democracy.
But the cultured Margrethe has managed to stay away from scandal and modernize the institution - allowing her two sons to marry commoners.
The Danish monarchy is now one of the most popular in the world, enjoying the support of more than 80 percent of Danes.
Margrethe is also Europe's only reigning queen, although four countries - Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden - have crown princesses.
But it has not always been plain sailing for Margrethe.
Her French-born husband, Prince Consort Henrik, was known for his outbursts of anger. He repeatedly expressed disappointment that his title was never changed to king when his wife became queen in 1972, even saying he did not want to be buried next to his wife because of it.
Henrik died in February 2018, five months after being diagnosed with dementia.
Queen Margrethe II Reuters
