King Frederik of Denmark Celebrates Birthday with Balcony Appearance amid Mother Queen Margrethe’s Hospitalization
“I have a pretty cool mom,” King Frederik said about his mother, the former monarch
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NEED TO KNOW
- King Frederik celebrated his 58th birthday with his wife, Queen Mary, and their youngest children on the palace balcony
- The palace announced the day prior that his mother, Queen Margrethe, was hospitalized after a blood clot was found in her hip region
- The sovereign said that he planned to visit his mom, 86, in the hospital
King Frederik of Denmark made a royal appearance on his birthday amid the hospitalization of his mother, Queen Margrethe.
The King of Denmark turned 58 on May 26, and he celebrated the occasion by appearing on the balcony of Frederik VIII’s Palace in Amalienborg.
King Frederik has appeared on the balcony at Amalienborg every year on his birthday since his accession to the throne in January 2024, and he was joined there on Tuesday by his wife, Queen Mary of Denmark, and the two youngest of their four children, 15-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
King Frederik and Queen Mary, 54, are also parents to son Crown Prince Christian, 20, and daughter Princess Isabella, 19, who weren’t seen on the balcony. According to Danish outlet Billed Bladet, Crown Prince Christian was unable to attend as he participated in the last leg of a demanding exercise amid his ongoing military training.
Also missing from the picture was the King’s 86-year-old mother, Queen Margrethe, who the palace announced was hospitalized on May 25.
On Monday, the Danish Royal House announced that Queen Margrethe was admitted to Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen’s largest hospital, after a blood clot was found in her hip area.
“Her Majesty Queen Margrethe has been admitted to Rigshospitalet and has been treated after a CT scan showed a large blood clot in the hip region as a result of a previous fall,” the court said in a statement.
“It is expected that Queen Margrethe will now be hospitalized for a number of days,” it continued. “Her Majesty is doing well under the circumstances.”
The news marked Queen Margrethe’s second hospitalization in less than two weeks, as the palace announced on May 14 that she was hospitalized after having a heart attack.
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A May 15 update said that the former sovereign underwent balloon angioplasty of the coronary artery, a procedure that widens clogged arteries, and would remain at Rigshospitalet for a few more days, as previously planned.
She was then discharged and headed home to Fredensborg Palace on May 19, canceling a planned appearance at the Pantomime Theatre over the weekend on May 23.
King Frederik addressed his mother’s latest hospitalization while speaking to the press at the Royal Run, another annual event tied to his birthday, on May 25.
“It happened as the press release described it. I have a pretty cool mom who doesn’t have to run 10 kilometers [6.2 miles] like me,” he said when asked about Queen Margrethe’s latest admission, according to Billed Bladet, per an English translation.
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The monarch added that he planned to visit his mom in the hospital, commenting, “When the opportunity arises. Maybe even tomorrow afternoon.”
King Frederik acceded to the Danish throne in January 2024 upon his mother’s historic abdication. Queen Margrethe became the first Danish sovereign to voluntarily abdicate in nearly 900 years when she relinquished that power and cited her health as a factor in the speech announcing that decision.
“In February this year, I underwent extensive back surgery. Everything went well, thanks to the competent health personnel, who took care of me,” she said in a speech on New Year’s Eve in 2023. “Inevitably, the operation gave cause to thoughts about the future – whether now would be an appropriate time to pass on the responsibility to the next generation. I have decided that now is the right time.”
Queen Margrethe abdicated on the 52nd anniversary of her accession. However, she retains her Queen title and continues to undertake royal engagements.
