Editing Margrethe II (section)

=== Constitutional role ===
[[File:Dmitry Medvedev in Denmark 27 April 2010-4.jpeg|thumb|left|Margrethe hosting Russian President [[Dmitry Medvedev]] in Denmark, April 2010]]

The Queen's main tasks were to represent the Kingdom abroad and to be a unifying figure at home. She performed the latter by opening exhibitions, attending anniversaries and inaugurating bridges, among other things. She received foreign ambassadors and awards, honours and medals.

As a constitutional sovereign, Margrethe took no part in party politics and does not express any political opinions. Although she had the right to vote, she opted not to do so to avoid even the appearance of partisanship.<ref name="r1"/>

The Queen held a meeting with the [[Prime Minister of Denmark|prime minister]] and the [[Minister of Foreign Affairs (Denmark)|foreign affairs minister]] every Wednesday, unless either she or the prime minister was outside of the [[Danish Realm|kingdom]].

After an election where the incumbent prime minister does not have a majority behind him or her, the Queen held a "{{Lang|da|Dronningerunde}}" (Queen's meeting) in which she met the chairmen of each of the [[Danish political parties]].<ref name="Todays">{{cite web |url=http://kongehuset.dk/english/the-monarchy-in-denmark/the-monarchy-today |title=The Monarchy today |publisher=Kongehuset.dk |access-date=11 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150215082552/http://kongehuset.dk/english/the-monarchy-in-denmark/the-monarchy-today |archive-date=15 February 2015 }}</ref>

[[File:P060811SA-0016 (5813178454).jpg|thumb|Margrethe with Michelle Obama at the White House, June 2011]]

Each party has the choice of selecting a royal investigator to lead these negotiations or alternatively, give the incumbent prime minister the mandate to continue his or her government as is. In theory each party could choose its own leader as royal investigator, as the social liberal {{Lang|da|[[Det Radikale Venstre]]|italic=no}} did in 2006, but often only one royal investigator is chosen plus the prime minister, before each election. The leader who, at that meeting, succeeds in securing a majority of the seats in the [[Folketing]], is, by royal decree, charged with the task of forming a new government. (No party has held an absolute majority in the Folketing since 1903.)

Once the government had been formed, the Queen formally appointed it. Officially, it was the monarch who was the [[head of state]], and she therefore presided over the Council of State ([[privy council]]), where the acts of legislation which have been passed by the parliament are signed into law. In practice, nearly all of the Queen's formal powers were exercised by the [[Cabinet of Denmark]].

It was customary for Margrethe, as the Danish monarch, to host the annual New Year [[Levee (ceremony)|levées]]. Every year on 1 January, a banquet was held for the government, the Speaker of the [[Danish Parliament]], representatives of official Denmark and the Royal Court at Christian VIII's Palace at [[Amalienborg]]. On day two, a levée was held at Christian VIII's Palace for the justices of [[Supreme Court of Denmark]] and the Officer Corps of the [[Royal Life Guards (Denmark)|Royal Life Guards]] and the [[Guard Hussar Regiment (Denmark)|Guard Hussar Regiment]], followed by a levée at [[Christiansborg Palace]] for the [[diplomatic corps]]. On day three, a levée was held for officers from the Defence and the Danish Emergency Management Agency, the I., II. and III. ranking classes as well as invited representatives of major national organisations and the royal patronages.<ref name="nytår">{{cite web |url=https://www.kongehuset.dk/monarkiet-i-danmark/begivenheder-i-kongehuset/nytarstafler-og-kure |title=Nytårstafler og -kure |publisher=Kongehuset.dk |language=da-DK |access-date=2 January 2024 |archive-date=2 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240102070641/https://www.kongehuset.dk/monarkiet-i-danmark/begivenheder-i-kongehuset/nytarstafler-og-kure |url-status=live }}</ref>