It's a notable week for the Danish royal family.
On Wednesday, the monarch, Queen Margrethe, will undergo major surgery on her back – as confirmed by the royal palace at the start of the month.
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The official statement read: "For quite some time, Her Majesty has been affected by problems with her back, and the situation has worsened recently.
"After consultation with Rigshospitalet's specialists, The Queen has decided to undergo extensive surgery.
© Photo: Getty ImagesQueen Margrethe will undergo extensive surgery on Wednesday
"The operation is planned for Wednesday, 22 February at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, where The Queen will thus also be hospitalized afterwards. Consequently, a longer sequence of physical rehabilitation is expected.
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"This means that Her Majesty’s official program in the near future will be postponed, cancelled or handled by other members of The Royal Family."
© Photo: Getty ImagesFrederik and Mary are expected to step in to cover her engagements
It's thought that her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, will step in to cover most of the Queen’s engagements.
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Margrethe's youngest son, Prince Joachim (who currently resides in Paris with his wife, Princess Marie), and the monarch's sister, Princess Benedikte, can also take on responsibilities.
© Photo: Getty ImagesMargrethe with her two sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim
It comes after Princess Marie broke her silence on reports that she and her husband were planning to relocate to the US later this year.
The rumours surfaced at the start of the year – shortly after Joachim's four children all lost their HRH titles at the behest of the queen.
The decision, when it was announced, caused great controversy amongst the royal family, with Joachim, Marie, and his ex-wife Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, all speaking publicly of their upset.
© Photo: Getty ImagesJoachim's four children have lost their HRH titles
Joachim and Marie stepped back as full-time working royals in 2019 to move to the French capital.
Prior to that, he completed military training before taking up the job at the Danish Embassy in Paris as defence attaché. His position is set to come to an end this summer.
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