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Danish queen out of hospital after back surgery

Denmark's Queen Margrethe II was discharged from hospital on Thursday after back surgery last week though a full recovery is expected to last months, the Danish Royal House announced.

Danish queen out of hospital after back surgery
Denmark's Queen Margrethe has been discharged from hospital after recent back surgery. File photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

The 82-year-old, Europe’s longest reigning monarch, underwent a “major” back operation last Wednesday at Rigshospitalet, the country’s largest
hospital.

“The medical team responsible for the operation and the subsequent hospitalisation is satisfied with the process and with The Queen’s condition,”
the court said in a statement.

The Danish monarch is now staying at her palace in Amalienborg and will undergo “a lengthy physical rehabilitation process, which may extend over the
next few months”, the court warned.

Crown Prince Frederik will “continue as regent for the time being.”

The palace had already announced that a number of events in its official programme would be postponed, cancelled or attended by other members of the
royal family as a result of her operation.

The exact nature of the operation has not been specified. The queen had undergone a lumbar canal operation 20 years ago.

The queen, who was widowed in 2018, is extremely popular in Denmark. More than 80 percent of Danes say they support the monarchy, with thousands turning out to celebrate her 50th anniversary on the throne last year.

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ROYAL FAMILY

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe recovering after back surgery

Queen Margrethe of Denmark is in “good and stable” condition after undergoing surgery on her back at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen yesterday afternoon.

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe recovering after back surgery

“The operation proceeded to plan and the Queen’s condition is good and stable under the circumstances,” the royal palace said in a statement.

The 82-year-old Queen is set for a period of convalescence after the surgery, with Crown Prince Frederik standing in on regent duties beginning with an upcoming official visit to India.

The operation is the second time the Queen has undergone a surgical procedure on her back, after being treated for spinal stenosis in the early 2000s.

It is unclear whether the current operation is related to that condition although this is a likely scenario, according to a medical specialist in back conditions.

“Many people have operations on their backs each year. As the years go by, things degenerate in there so many can benefit from an operation,” the specialist, Professor Tom Bendix, told news wire Ritzau.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal or pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots and is a relatively common condition in persons over the age of 60.

Most people come through surgery with good results according to Danish health platform sundhed.dk.

READ ALSO: Denmark’s Queen Margrethe to undergo ‘serious’ back operation

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