Mary's fairytale...or nightmare?

DENMARK'S UNEXPECTED ABDICATION CAUSES CHAOS

After returning from their pre-Christmas trip to Australia and New Zealand, Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary were no doubt hoping to put a somewhat troubled 2023 behind them.

However, the royal couple are now stepping into 2024 with a dramatic new set of responsibilities, following Queen Margrethe II's shock abdication from the Danish throne.

The 83-year-old monarch will step aside on January 14 after 52 years, paving the way for her eldest son and his Aussie-born wife to be proclaimed HM King Frederik X and HM Queen Mary.

"The time has come to leave the responsibility to the next generation," Queen Margrethe said during her televised New Year's Eve address.