Denmark's Queen Margrethe leaves hospital

Denmark's 85-year-old Queen Margrethe, who abdicated last year, left Copenhagen's main hospital on Saturday, two days after being admitted for observation for a cold, the palace said.

"H M Queen Margrethe was discharged from Rigshospitalet on Saturday morning.

"Her Majesty is well and is now back in her residence at Fredensborg Palace," the palace said.

The queen had been admitted to the hospital as "a precaution".

Margrethe, who turned 85 on April 16, was last seen in public on May 4 at a service commemorating the 80th anniversary of Denmark's liberation from Nazi occupation.

She reigned in the Scandinavian country for 52 years before passing the throne to her eldest son, Frederik, in January 2024.

Hugely popular among Danes for subtly modernising the monarchy, Margrethe has faced multiple health problems in recent years.

Last autumn, she was hospitalised for several days due to a fall.

She had long vowed she would never abdicate but major back surgery in 2023 led to a change of heart.