Denmark's former Queen Margrethe hospitalized at 86 following weakness spell

Admission to Rigshospitalet

Former Queen Margrethe of Denmark was admitted to Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen on Sunday, 6 September 2026, after suffering a sudden weakness spell. Medical teams at the hospital began treatment for a haematoma located in her hip region alongside mild dehydration. The Royal House in Copenhagen announced her admission later that day, confirming that the 86-year-old former monarch is expected to remain in the clinic under observation throughout the coming week. Palace representatives noted that she remains in stable health despite the physical setback, with doctors planning to monitor her recovery closely over the next several days. The hospitalisation comes two years after she stepped down from royal duties to manage her health.

The palace issued a formal statement on Sunday addressing her hospitalisation.

Queen Margrethe is in good spirits despite the circumstances and is doing well.

Absence from Oslo state funeral

Her hospitalisation prevents Margrethe from travelling to Norway for the funeral of King Harald V, which is scheduled for Wednesday in Oslo. King Harald V died at the end of August at the age of 89. Margrethe was expected to attend the memorial service in Oslo alongside foreign delegations before suffering the medical incident on Sunday. The Danish royal court confirmed that her scheduled week-long stay at Rigshospitalet precludes her presence at the ceremony. Medical personnel advised against international travel while she undergoes clinical care and rest in Copenhagen. The service in Oslo will bring together Scandinavian and European royal houses to commemorate the late Norwegian monarch.

Sequence of hospital stays in 2026

The admission on Sunday represents Margrethe's third hospital stay during 2026. In mid-May, the former monarch was admitted for a heart operation involving an angioplasty, which required several days of inpatient care at the hospital. Shortly after returning home from that cardiac procedure, she suffered a fall that resulted in a large haematoma in her hip area and led directly to a second hospitalisation. The latest admission in Copenhagen addresses a newly formed haematoma in the same hip area alongside the dehydration that triggered her weakness attack. Her medical team continues to provide treatment for both the localised bleeding and fluid depletion during her stay at Rigshospitalet.

Abdication and health history

Margrethe celebrated her 86th birthday in April, continuing a period marked by health issues after more than five decades as Denmark's head of state. She reigned as Queen of Denmark for 52 years, building broad public esteem for subtly modernising the monarchy while pursuing a dedicated interest in the arts. For decades, Margrethe maintained that she would never abdicate the throne during her lifetime. However, an extensive back operation in 2023 prompted her to reconsider that position and step down in January 2024. Her eldest son Frederik succeeded her as King of Denmark following the abdication, while Margrethe retained the title of queen.