The new monarch blinked back tears as he acknowledged the cheering crowds outside Christiansborg Castle in Copenhagen.
Before his coronation, he appeared before massive crowds of tens of thousands come to greet him – numbers which in themselves suggests to the world that the monarchy is by no means a dead institution in fairy tale-esque Denmark.
Denmark’s monarchy traces its origins to 10th-century Viking king Gorm the Old, making it the oldest in Europe and one of the oldest in the world. Today the royal family’s duties are largely ceremonial, reports AP News.
Earlier this month, Frederik’s mother, Margrethe II, abdicated in favor of her son, citing health issues at age 83. She ruled for 52 years.
Frederik is now king of Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands.
