Queen Margrethe’s difficult year continues as she is hospitalized for third time

Concern is growing over Queen Margrethe’s health following another hospitalization, marking the third time the former Danish monarch has been admitted to hospital this year.

The 86-year-old royal was admitted to Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen on Sunday, September 6, after feeling unwell, the Danish Royal House confirmed. Doctors subsequently detected a new blood accumulation in the hip region as well as mild dehydration, both of which are currently being treated.

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Despite the latest health setback, the Palace offered a reassuring update on Margrethe’s condition, revealing that she remains “in good spirits” and is doing well under the circumstances.

However, the Queen is expected to remain hospitalized throughout the coming week for observation and treatment, an extended stay that comes after a particularly challenging few months for her health.

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Her hospitalization has also forced Margrethe to miss an especially poignant royal occasion. She had been due to travel to Oslo on Wednesday, September 9, to attend the state funeral of Norway’s King Harald V, but her attendance has now officially been canceled.

King Frederik X and Queen Mary will instead travel to Norway alongside Crown Prince Christian and Princess Benedikte to represent the Danish royal family.

A difficult year for Queen Margrethe's health:

Margrethe’s latest hospitalization is her third since May and follows two significant health scares within the space of just a few weeks.

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On May 14, the former monarch was admitted to Rigshospitalet after experiencing heart-related symptoms. The following day, the Royal House announced that she had undergone a balloon angioplasty of a coronary artery. At the time, officials said the procedure had gone well and that Margrethe was making a good recovery.

She returned to Fredensborg Palace on May 19 but was hospitalized again less than a week later. A CT scan had revealed a larger blood accumulation in her hip region following an earlier fall, requiring further treatment and another hospital stay.

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Margrethe was discharged on May 29, with the Palace saying that she was doing well but would need to continue taking things easy. Her participation in upcoming engagements was to be assessed on an ongoing basis.

Now, just over three months later, the discovery of a new blood accumulation in the same general region has once again placed the Queen’s health in the spotlight.

Health played a role in her historic abdication:

The latest setback comes more than two years after Margrethe made the historic decision to step down from the Danish throne after 52 years as monarch.

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Her health had increasingly become a consideration in the years leading up to her abdication. In February 2023, she underwent major back surgery, an experience she later acknowledged had prompted her to think about whether the time had come to hand responsibility to the next generation.

Margrethe officially abdicated on January 14, 2024, allowing her eldest son to become King Frederik X.

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She has nevertheless remained an active and highly visible member of the Danish royal family, continuing to attend selected engagements and major family and state occasions.

Her increasingly frequent health setbacks have now raised renewed attention around how much she will be able to participate in public life going forward.

For now, the Danish Royal House has emphasized that Margrethe is responding well to treatment and remains in good spirits. Officials said another announcement will be made when there is further news about her condition.