Queen Margrethe of Denmark has made her first public appearance since a hospital stay last month. The 86-year-old joined her son King Frederik and his wife Queen Mary on Wednesday evening at a concert in Fredensborg Church marking the building’s 300th anniversary. Her sister, Princess Benedikte, was also in the congregation.
Margrethe looked cheerful in an electric blue outfit, although she appeared to have a plaster across her nose. Queen Mary chose a gold midi skirt with a long-sleeved black V-neck blouse. The programme featured works by Bach, Hasse and Purcell alongside a new piece by the Danish composer Louise Alenius. The church was built between 1724 and 1726 by the architect J.C. Krieger, who also designed Fredensborg Palace and its baroque gardens, and it opened on 11 October 1726.
The building holds a personal connection for the former monarch. She helped with its restoration in the 1970s and designed three liturgical vestments for it, which were embroidered by her mother, Queen Ingrid, and by Benedikte. Her presence at the anniversary concert was her first engagement in some time. Her last official appearance had been the World Ballet event at Møllerup Manor on 10 July, although she was photographed at a market in France in August and the Royal House shared pictures of her receiving an honorary award on 3 October.
On 6 September, the Danish royal household announced that Margrethe had been admitted to Rigshospitalet after feeling unwell. Doctors found a new blood clot in her hip area and mild dehydration. She returned to the palace on 10 September and was told to rest and reduce her activities for several weeks. As a result she missed the funeral of her close friend King Harald V of Norway, and earlier this week she also stayed away from the opening of the Danish Parliament, a break with tradition.
Her health has been fragile for some time. In May she was admitted to hospital with angina and returned a week later. In September 2024 she fell at Fredensborg Palace, injuring her cervical spine and breaking her left hand, and in 2023 she underwent complex back surgery. She stepped down after 52 years on the throne in her New Year’s Eve address at the end of 2023, citing her age and health, and was succeeded by Frederik.
