2024 is proving a momentous year for the Danish royal family.
Queen Margrethe ended 2023 with a bang, declaring in her New Year's Eve address that she would be abdicating the throne, with heir Crown Prince Frederik to become King ¨C with Australian-born wife Mary by his side as Queen.
Two weeks later, their life as King Frederik and Queen Mary began, with their four children by their side.
Here, 9honey is bringing you all the biggest moments, in photos, of this exciting time in Danish ¨C and royal ¨C history.
Queen Mary of Denmark hosted the Elite Research Awards 2024 in Copenhagen at the end of February and looked glamorous as she arrived in a $2000 suit and dainty jewellery.
Hosted by the Ministry of Education and Research, the awards celebrate elite academics in Denmark and Mary was proud to be the one presenting the awards and scholarships on the big day.
But one tiny detail caught the eye of royal watchers as she handed out certificates...
... her bright blue nails!
?It's a common misconception that royals are only allowed to wear nude nail colours, but that rule doesn't apply to Mary - certainly not now that she's Queen.
The Aussie?-born royal has been known to show off brightly coloured nails before and this cobalt hue suited the occasion perfectly.
So where does the 'nude nail' myth come from?
It's widely understood that the late Queen Elizabeth II ?preferred women in the British royal family to wear exclusively nude or subtle pink shades of polish on their nails.
Though it wasn't a hard and fast 'royal protocol', senior royals like Catherine, Princess of Wales were almost only ever seen in nude tones and any deviation would invite scrutiny.
Even now, Kate rarely wears dark polish (possibly in memory of the late Queen's preference for lighter shades).
Queen Margrethe of Denmark has not let her abdication slow her down, attending her first event since stepping down from the throne on January 14, 2024.
One commenter commended the Queen for "still going strong?" after her abdication.
The event she chose to attend was especially meaningful, as she celebrated the Prince Henriks School ¨C named after her late husband ¨C opening in a new building.
Originally founded in 1954 as a small school for the children of the French embassy staff to attend, in 1989 Prince Henrik consented to letting the school use his name.
From 1992 to 2023, the school was based on Frederiksberg alley. Now it will be moving to new buildings located on Rolighedsvej street in Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen.
The Queen dramatically unveiled a bust of her late husband, created by artist Hans Pauli Olsen and looked fondly on. It was just one of the artworks unveiled at the new location.
Today the school has more than 750 students between the ages of three and 18, and the school offers both Danish and French final exams.
Here the Queen looks on as one student sings for her.?
A?nother Danish royal is celebrating a birthday in February.
Queen Mary's sister-in-law ?Princess Marie has officially turned 48 in 2024.
The Danish royal house shared a birthday announcement to Instagram for the princess, who is married to King Frederik's brother Prince Joachim of Denmark.
"Her Royal Highness Princess Marie has a birthday and turns 48 years old today," the statement read alongside an official portrait shared of Marie.
The princess was born on February 6, 1976? and is the second wife of the younger Crown Prince of Denmark.
Princess Marie shares two children, Henrik and Athena, with Prince Joachim.?
Photo: Robin Skjoldborg for Femina??
It's Queen Mary of Denmark's 52nd birthday!
The Danish royal, who is celebrating her first birthday since ascending to the throne, marked the occasion with a sweet photo of herself and her dad, John Donaldson.
"Her Majesty The Queen has a birthday and turns 52 today," the Danish royal house said in a translated Instagram post.
"On this occasion, the Queen has chosen a picture of a special moment with her father from her last trip to Australia in December. His Royal Highness Prince Vincent is the photographer behind it."
The never-before-seen snap shows Mary looking casual with her hair in a braid as she posed next to her father. during a trip back home to Tasmania.
The photo was taken ?by Mary and King Frederik's third youngest child, Prince Vincent.
King Frederik and Queen Mary? attended the first church service of their reign on January 21.
The couple were joined by their children ¨C heir Crown Prince Christian (second from left), Princess Isabella (far right), and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.?
The family rugged up against the cold in complementary colours, with Mary and her daughters wearing shades of pink and purple.?
This is a move we often see from the Prince and Princess of Wales with their children; Kate and her daughter Charlotte in particular tend to wear complementary colours.
It's believed this is a subtle visual trick to show unity and stability in the family.
Queen Mary looked as regal as ever in this purple outfit, which she also wore for King Charles' coronation in 2023.
The church service was held in honour of the new King and Queen's reign.?
The Aussie-born royal beamed as she entered ?Aarhus Cathedral, holding a bouquet of flowers.
The first official portraits of the King and Queen were released almost a week on from the proclamation.
This shot features the couple with King Frederik's heir apparent, eldest son Prince Christian.?
Another official portrait, shared on the Danish royal family's official Instagram, shows the entire family.
Q?ueen Mary needs no practice where the royal wave is concerned.
The new Queen got straight to work the day after the proclamation, attending the Danish Parliament's celebration of the succession to the throne on January 15.
She wore this striking navy blue outfit, with matching accessories.?
For the very first time, Mary didn't have to curtsy to her mother-in-law when they encountered one another at the event.
Queen Mary greeted Queen Margrethe warmly, with a kiss on the cheek, rather than curtsying.
This is because Margrethe is no longer the ruling monarch.?
A little drop of rain didn't dampen the new King and Queen's spirits as they greeted well-wishers outside parliament.
The couple and Queen Margrethe were joined by King Frederik's younger brother Prince Joachim, who is based in the US and flew in to attend the proclamation and associated events.
A new reign begins.
The proclamation of King Frederik and Queen Mary was held on January 14 at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.
Following the formalities, the couple appeared on the palace balcony with their children, greeting the crowd gathered below.?
Frederik was formally proclaimed the new Danish King by the country's Prime Minister, Mette Frederiksen.