An abstract painting by Denmark's Queen Margrethe, who abdicated earlier this year, was recently sold at a Copenhagen auction for 160,000 kroner ($23,300), surpassing the estimated price range of 75,000-100,000 kroner ($11,000-14,550). Queen Margrethe, aged 83, is known for her artistic talents, with several of her paintings exhibited in museums in Denmark and abroad.
The unnamed acrylic painting from 1998, initially priced at 45,000 kroner ($6,550), was acquired by an undisclosed buyer at Denmark’s main auction house. The painting, which was a gift to a former aide who passed away in 1989, had been in the family's possession.
Niels Boe-Hauggaard of the Bruun Rasmussen Auction House mentioned that Queen Margrethe's works are rarely available for sale, and the recent abdication may have added a unique historical significance to the painting.
Queen Margrethe's unexpected abdication announcement on New Year's Eve, citing health reasons, surprised the nation. On January 14, she became the first Danish monarch in nearly 900 years to voluntarily step down from the throne, with her son, King Frederik X, succeeding her after the formal abdication.
Having undergone significant back surgery in February 2023, Queen Margrethe resumed her duties in April. Denmark's monarchy, tracing back to the 10th-century Viking king Gorm the Old, is one of the oldest in Europe and the world, with the royal family primarily performing ceremonial roles.
This recent auction is not the first time Queen Margrethe's artwork has been sold. In 2021, the same auction house sold one of her paintings for 230,000 kroner ($33,500).
