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Queen Margrethe, who was hospitalized twice last month, appeared in public yesterday the first time after her health scare. She attended the awarding of the “Prince Henrik Prize,” named for her late husband, at Fredensborg Palace in Copenhagen.
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Queen Margrethe in the audience.
She arrived with a walker, and was in good spirits dressed in pink and with one of her beloved dogs accompanying her. It was a notable appearance, and tied to the memory of her late husband and emphasizes his lifelong passion for the arts and culture. This year’s award was given to Danish author and poet Pia Tafdrup.
“Pia Tafdrup is awarded the Prince Henrik Prize 2026 for having enriched Danish literature over five decades with highly qualified, original and varied poetry that maps countless aspects of human existence,” the jury said of the award. “With her suggestive, perceptive and precise language and her ability to poetically grapple with the big questions of existence, Pia Tafdrup has given us poems that are both beautiful, personal and universally recognizable.”
Margrethe was first hospitalized on May 14 “for observation and further examinations,” following a heart health concern which has subsequently been reported by many outlets as a heart attack. The former queen, now 86, reportedly underwent angioplasty, a procedure to help widen the coronary artery to improve blood flow.
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One of her dogs in the audience.
She was again hospitalized two weeks later “after a CT scan showed a large blood clot in the hip region as a result of a previous fall.” During that second hospitalization, her daughter-in-law Queen Mary told reporters, “Everything went well and as planned. She is in the best hands.”
Emily Burack (she/her) is the Deputy Digital Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, celebrities, the royals, and a wide range of other topics. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma, a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Instagram, Twitter, and other social media platforms.