Danish monarch who attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral diagnosed with Covid

It is the second time that Queen Margrethe, 82, has tested positive for Covid this year

Queen Margrethe of Denmark, who attended Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral earlier this week, has tested positive for Covid-19, the royal court in Copenhagen said on Wednesday.

The 82-year-old head of state, who has been on the throne for half a century, has cancelled her appointments for the week.

Queen Margrethe, who has been vaccinated against the coronavirus, was also diagnosed with Covid-19 in February this year, showing mild symptoms at the time.

Her half-century reign now makes her Europe’s longest-serving monarch following the death of Elizabeth II, 96, who ruled for 70 years, on 8 September. Out of respect for the late British monarch, Margrethe had asked her court to adjust the programme for her own 50-year anniversary commemorations earlier this month.

Among the events she cancelled at short notice was appearing on the Amalienborg Palace balcony to greet well-wishers and a ride in a horse-drawn carriage through Copenhagen. Margrethe was proclaimed queen in January 1972, a day after her father, King Frederik IX, died following a short illness.

The funeral of Queen Elizabeth took place on Monday amid great pageantry. Queen Margrethe was among the hundreds of world leaders, current and ex-monarchs who attended the event.

Other monarchs in London on Monday included those from the Gulf, while the US president Joe Biden and France’s Emmanuel Macron were among the highest-profile political leaders.

The event was watched widely across Britain and the world, with the BBC claiming a high of 28 million people watched its coverage.

Meanwhile, live footage of the Queen lying-in-state was streamed 25 million times across BBC online, it said.

(With agencies)