The Danish palace updated the public on the well-being of Queen Margrethe on Wednesday, following "extensive" back surgery that is expected to need significant recovery time.
A statement shared to the royal family's official Instagram page read: "The Queen has had surgery. Her Majesty the Queen has today undergone extensive back surgery at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen.
"The operation went according to plan, and the Queen's condition is good and stable under the circumstances".
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The announcement continued: "In the coming time, the Queen will continue to be hospitalized at the Rigshospitalet, and after that a longer period of convalescence and rehabilitation of the back awaits".
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It then revealed that, while her eldest son and heir to the throne Crown Prince Frederik has been acting as regent, from the weekend, the Queen's sister, Her Royal Highness Princess Bendikte, will take on the role of Head of State while her nephew and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, journey to India.
Frederik and Mary will be travelling from 26 February until 1 March, with a Danish business delegation numbering 36 companies.
© Photo: Getty ImagesQueen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik
The mission of the tour is to strengthen the green strategic partnership between Denmark and India, with the royals visiting New Delhi, Chennai and Agra and also experiencing the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort.
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It comes after Frederik's sister-in-law Princess Marie – who has been married to Prince Joachim since 2008 – addressed claims that her family are relocating to the US from Paris later this year. Joachim and Marie stepped back as full-time working royals in 2019 to move to the French capital.
© Photo: Getty ImagesThe Queen's grandchildren were stripped of their titles
The Danish royal family now has an even more slimmed-down monarchy, after the Queen's grandchildren not in direct line to the throne were stripped of their titles in January.
The decision was made last year, coming as a surprise to the Queen's children, and the monarch took the unusual step of publicly apologising for any upset it had caused.
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