Queen Margarethe of Denmark tests positive for Covid-19 after Queen’s funeral

Queen Margrethe of Denmark has tested positive for Covid-19 just 24 hours after attending the Queen’s funeral and mourning events in London.  

Vaccinated Margrethe, 82, who is Europe’s longest serving current head of state, and the only current queen regnant,  tested positive for the virus on Tuesday evening, the royal household said.

Earlier this week, she was in attendance at Westminster Abbey along with her son Crown Prince Frederik, and the two went on to the Queen’s Committal Service in Windsor afterward. 

The monarch also paid her respects to the Queen by visiting her coffin in Westminster Hall on Sunday night, and also attended a reception at Buckingham Palace where she chatted with Prince Charles. 

On Monday, Westminster Abbey was packed fill of 2,000 people including world leaders, foreign royals and several hundred ordinary Britons chosen by the Queen for her funeral. 

Representatives of more than 20 Royal Families were present at the service including the reigning monarchs of the Netherlands, Spain and Norway. 

Earlier this week, she was in attendance at Westminster Abbey along with her son Crown Prince Frederik, and the two went on to the Queen’s Committal Service in Windsor afterward 

The Queen is believed to have travelled to London ahead of the funeral over the weekend.

On Sunday, she joined other foreign royalty in paying respect to the late Queen as she went to view her coffin in Westminster Hall.

The following day, she attended the Queen’s State Funeral at Westminster Abbey. 

After the event, the Danish royal household shared a number of images from the funeral – including one of King Charles III – as well as one of Margrethe and Frederik arriving at Westminster Abbey.

On Sunday, she joined other foreign royalty in paying respect to the late Queen as she went to view her coffin in Westminster Hall 

The caption read: ‘For seven decades, Queen Elizabeth II was Head of State for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, as well as the British Commonwealth Society.

‘Queen Elizabeth died on the 8th September, and Westminster Abbey in London today formed the frame for the former monarch’s state funeral.

‘From the Danish side, Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince participated in the ecclesiastical ceremony, which included both the sermon, Bible readings, two minutes of silence and where the church guests finally sang the national anthem “God save the King” in honour of the empire’s new monarch, His Majesty King Charles III.’ 

A statement shared by the palace today read: ‘Her Majesty the Queen tested positive for COVID-19 last night and is now staying at Fredensborg Castle. The Queen’s activities this week have thus been cancelled.

Kings and Queens from around the worlds sat side-by-side in Westminster Abbey today as they mourned the death of Queen Elizabeth II during her state funeral (pictured: 1. Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands 2. Queen Maxima of the Netherlands 3. King Willem-Alexander 4. Queen Silvia of Sweden 5. King Carl Gustaf of Sweden 6. Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark 7. Queen Margrethe II of Denmark 8. King Harald of Norway 9. Queen Sonja of Norway 10. Queen Sofía of Spain 11. King Juan Carlos of Spain 12. Queen Letizia of Spain 13. King Felipe of Spain 14. Tsar Simeon of Bulgaria 15. Princess Charlene of Monaco 16. Prince Albert of Monaco 17. Grand Duchess Maria Teresa of Luxembourg 18. Grand Duke Henri of Luxembourg 19. Queen Mathilde of Belgium 20. King Philippe of Belgium 21. Prince Radu of Romania 22. Margareta of Romania 23. Marie-Chantal, Crown Princess of Greece 24. Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece 25. Hereditary Princess Sophie of Liechtenstein 26. Hereditary Prince Alois)

‘Friday’s evening party at Christiansborg Castle for the Danish members of the government, the Folketing and the European Parliament will be held with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess as hosts.’

Denmark’s Queen, who received a third dose of the vaccine in November, has previously had Covid-19, having tested positive for the virus in February.  

Queen Margrethe held a close relationship with Queen Elizabeth II and was among the first international monarch to pay tribute to Her Majesty.

She was also spotted shedding a tear in front of the Queen’s coffin before the funeral on Monday.

Both Queens are great-great granddaughters of Queen Victoria – making them third cousins – with Margrethe often looking up to Elizabeth like a big sister.

In May, Margrethe told the UK’s ITV news that Elizabeth, 14 years her senior, was a ‘huge inspiration’ to her as the only other living Queen.

‘[Queen Elizabeth] was 26 when she became Queen. When I was growing up, I hoped I wouldn’t be as young as that when my father died. It made an enormous impression on me. The fact that she was dedicating her life. I understood what that meant. This is for life. That is the whole point of my life. And I know she sees that too,’ she said.

‘When I was growing up, my mother and father said to me, ‘look at what they do in England’ and I could see that it could be done and it was worthwhile and you could live a very full life with it, even with a heavy schedule and demanding job.’

The mother-of-two added that both Queens see their roles as ‘dedication’ and ‘a job’ and the way that Elizabeth ‘faced her duties’ ‘inspired her’.

‘The way she has faced her duties, the way she has dedicated her life, and she does it with a smile. She has been through many things,’ she added.

‘When you get to my age, you don’t have the emptiness, what am I going to do tomorrow? I know jolly well what I am going to do tomorrow, and the next day, and the following year.’

The pair, also had sweet nicknames for one another. Margrethe called Elizabeth by her childhood nickname ‘Lilibet’ while Elizabeth called Margrethe ‘Daisy’.

The Danish monarch is known as ‘Aunt Daisy’ to many in her family as she was named after her grandmother, Princess Margareta of Sweden, and her name is similar to the Nordic word for the daisy flower.

‘We are definitely affectionate, but I don’t want to splash it all over the place,’ she told ITV of Elizabeth II.

The pair also have a love of dogs in common. While Elizabeth will forever be associated with corgis, Margrethe is known in Denmark for her love of dogs.

While Elizabeth got her first corgi as a child, it was Margrethe’s late husband Prince Henrik who introduced her to dachshunds.

Margrethe was also among the first royals to pay tribute to the Queen upon her death last week.

In a statement she wished the new King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla her ‘deepest thoughts and prayers’ after Elizabeth II passed away peacefully at Balmoral.

Speaking on behalf of the Danish family she was ‘deeply moved’ by the sad news of her ‘beloved mother’s death’.

‘I send you and Camilla my warmest thoughts and prayers,’ she said.

‘She was a towering figure among the European monarchs and a great inspiration to us all. We shall miss her terribly.

‘Her 70 years of reign and service to the people of the United Kingdom, the Realms and the Commonwealth are an unprecedented and remarkable achievement.

‘We shall always remember her important contributions to their development and prosperity.’