The Danish queen, Elizabeth’s third cousin, has cancelled a carriage procession through Copenhagen and a palace balcony appearance, while a reception and lunch at City Hall has been postponed.

A scaled-down gala theatre performance in her honour will go ahead at Copenhagen’s royal theatre on Saturday evening.

A lunch with Nordic royals will go ahead as planned on Sunday, as will as a downsized gala banquet at the Christiansborg Palace.

“In light of the sad announcement about Queen Elizabeth II’s death yesterday, it is Her Majesty The Queen’s wish that a number of adjustments be made to the weekend’s planned celebration of the 50th Jubilee of The Queen’s Accession to the Throne,” the palace said in a statement.

This is the second time Margrethe, who acceded to the throne in January 1972, has had to put off her jubilee celebrations, marking the actual anniversary last January with a smaller celebration due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The full festivities had been postponed until this weekend.

With the death of Elizabeth, Margrethe is now Europe’s longest-serving monarch, just ahead of Sweden’s Carl XVI Gustaf who has been king for 48 years.

Margrethe is also Europe’s only reigning queen, though four countries — Belgium, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden — have crown princesses next in line to the throne.

On Thursday evening, in a letter addressed to King Charles III and published on the Danish palace website, Queen Margrethe said she was “deeply moved by the sad news of your beloved mother’s death.”

“You mother was very important to me and my family. She was a towering figure among the European monarchs and a great inspiration to us all. We shall miss her terribly,” Queen Margrethe wrote.

“Denmark and I are grateful for her continuous efforts to further strengthening the close and warm relations between our two nations.

“God bless you both and give you strength and hope in your future life and duties,” she wrote, also addressing Camilla, the Queen Consort.