Very well-regarded by Danes for her discreet modernization of the monarchy, Margrethe has encountered several health challenges in recent years.
The palace announced on Friday that Denmark’s Queen Margrethe underwent an angioplasty after being hospitalized this week due to chest pain.
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According to the court, the queen underwent «balloon dilation of a coronary artery» at Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen’s main hospital, where she was admitted on Thursday.
Having been a lifelong chain smoker, the queen remains in «good condition» and will stay hospitalized for «several more days,» the palace confirmed.
Margrethe, who abdicated in 2024 and celebrated her 86th birthday on April 16, attended Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 80th birthday celebrations in early May.
She ruled Scandinavia for 52 years before passing her crown to her eldest son Frederik in January 2024.
Margrethe is widely admired by Danes for quietly updating the monarchy, despite encountering several health setbacks in recent years.
She had long insisted she would never step down, but a serious back operation in 2023 prompted her to reconsider.
Known for her deep passion for the arts, Margrethe has made a notable cultural impact.
As a costume designer, she received a Danish film award in 2024 and, under a pseudonym, translated Simone de Beauvoir’s «All Men Are Mortal» alongside her late husband, Prince Consort Henrik.
Additionally, she illustrated several books, including JRR Tolkien’s «The Lord of the Rings.»
Additional sources • AFP