Denmark’s 86-year-old Queen Margrethe hospitalized and unable to attend King Harald V’s funeral

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has been admitted to Copenhagen’s Rigshospitalet after doctors found a new hematoma near her hip and mild dehydration. The royal household said both conditions require treatment.

The 86-year-old queen is “in good spirits and well, considering the circumstances,” the household said. She is expected to remain in hospital through next week for treatment and observation.

Her hospitalization means she will not travel to Oslo on Wednesday for the funeral of Norway’s King Harald V, who died nine days earlier at the age of 89. The Danish delegation will instead include King Frederik X and Queen Mary, Princess Benedikte, Margrethe’s sister, and Crown Prince Christian.

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in good spirits and well, considering the circumstances

Harald’s funeral will take place on Sept. 9 at Oslo Cathedral. The royal household said King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, along with Japan’s Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, have confirmed their attendance.

Margrethe had several hospital stays in May for heart problems and an angioplasty. She was admitted on May 14 with angina and remained for five days. Six days later, doctors detected a blood clot near her hip, linked to an earlier fall, and she stayed in hospital until May 29. She returned to public life in June.

Margrethe abdicated after 52 years on the throne, citing her age, complications from back surgery and the need to make way for a new generation. She continues to hold the title of queen and participate in official engagements. She is also known for her artistic work, including illustrations for the Danish edition of The Lord of the Rings under the pseudonym Ingahild Grathmer.

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for life