Queen Margrethe has been admitted to Copenhagen’s Rigshospitalet after suffering from angina pectoris, the Danish Royal House (Kongehuset) said on Thursday afternoon. The 86-year-old former Danish monarch will remain in hospital over the weekend for observation and further examinations. According to the Royal House, she is tired, but in good spirits.
Queen Margrethe will remain under observation over the weekend
The Danish Royal House confirmed in a short press statement that Her Majesty Queen Margrethe had been admitted to Rigshospitalet, Denmark’s leading hospital, because of hjertekrampe, the Danish term for angina pectoris.
The court said she would stay in hospital through the weekend while doctors carry out further checks. No additional details were released about her condition, and the Royal House said it would provide updates when there is new information.
The announcement prompted concern in Denmark, where Margrethe remains one of the country’s most recognisable public figures despite having stepped down from the throne in January 2024. Acting Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said she was deeply affected by the news and wished the Queen a swift recovery, sending her warmest thoughts to the Royal Family.
Angina pectoris is not the same as a heart attack
Danish media initially reported the hospitalisation using the term hjertekrampe, which refers to angina pectoris. The condition is usually associated with chest pain caused by reduced oxygen supply to the heart muscle, often because the coronary arteries have become narrowed.
For that reason, the episode should not automatically be described as a heart attack. Angina can require medical observation and further tests, especially in older patients, but it is medically distinct from a myocardial infarction unless doctors state otherwise.
The Royal House has not said that Queen Margrethe suffered a heart attack. Its official statement only referred to angina pectoris, observation and further examinations.
A former monarch who has remained active after abdicating
Queen Margrethe abdicated on 14 January 2024 after 52 years on the Danish throne, handing over the monarchy to her eldest son, now King Frederik X. She retained the title of Queen and continues to be referred to as Her Majesty, although she is no longer Denmark’s reigning monarch.
Her abdication was one of the most significant transitions in modern Danish royal history. Margrethe had previously said that age and health had made her reconsider her role, particularly after undergoing major back surgery in 2023.
Since then, she has continued to carry out selected official duties. According to the Royal House calendar, her most recent public engagement took place on 6 May, when she visited the Sankt Lukas Foundation (Sankt Lukas Stiftelsen) in Hellerup. Earlier this spring, she also attended celebrations in Sweden for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 80th birthday.
Recent health concerns have not ended her public role
Queen Margrethe has had several hospitalisations in recent years. In 2023, she underwent back surgery and took time away from royal duties. In 2024, she was hospitalised after a fall and was on sick leave for an extended period. In May 2025, she was admitted to Rigshospitalet for observation following a cold and was discharged a few days later.
Despite those episodes, Danish royal commentators have noted that she has remained visibly active. Her post-abdication role has been reduced compared with her years as monarch, but it has not been a full retirement from public life.
That continued presence matters in Denmark and across the Nordic monarchies, where royal families still play a ceremonial and symbolic role. Margrethe’s hospitalisation is therefore being followed closely, not because it changes the constitutional order, but because of her long public life and her enduring place in Danish society.
Denmark waits for the next royal update
The Danish Royal House has said it will issue a new statement when there is further information. Until then, the central facts remain limited: Queen Margrethe has been hospitalised in Copenhagen with angina pectoris, she will stay under observation over the weekend, and she is described as tired but in good spirits.
For Denmark, the news is a reminder of the delicate balance that has defined Margrethe’s life since abdication: no longer the reigning sovereign, but still a central figure in the country’s public memory and in the wider Nordic royal landscape.
