Denmark's Queen Margrethe II has announced her surprise abdication in a New Year TV address.

Axar.az reports that she will abdicate on 14 January, which will be 52 years to the day since she became queen.

"I will leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik," she announced.

The 83-year-old is the longest-serving monarch in Europe, taking the throne after the death of her father King Frederik IX in 1972.

She revealed the decision was made after a period of reflection following surgery on her back in early 2023.

"The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future - whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation," she said.

"I have decided that now is the right time," she added and offered her thanks to the Danish public for their support over the years.

Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen thanked the queen for her service.

"On behalf of the entire population, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Her Majesty The Queen for her lifelong dedication and tireless efforts for the Kingdom," she said in a statement.

"Queen Margrethe is the epitome of Denmark and throughout the years has put words and feelings into who we are as a people and as a nation."