Denmark's Queen undergoes knee replacement surgery

The 66-year-old monarch has struggled with knee and back problems for years. Since 1992, she has undergone surgery on both knees and her back on several occasions for osteoarthritis.

Photo: Denmark's Queen undergoes knee replacement surgery

During an official trip to Greece last week, Margrethe told reporters about the surgery at the Aarhus City Hospital, 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of the capital, Copenhagen.

She said she would significantly scale back on her duties and hand over tasks to her son, Crown Prince Frederik, and husband, Prince Henrik.

A statement from the palace about the surgery was expected later Thursday.

In June 2005, doctors found that osteoarthritis in the queen's back had worsened and ordered her to cut down on her official duties. Margrethe didn't need surgery but received medical treatment, the AP reports.

However, Margrethe has been sitting down during official tasks when she would normally stand up. When U.S. President George W. Bush visited Denmark in July, Margrethe sat on a chair when she and Bush greeted Danish dignitaries arriving for a lunch at a palace north of Copenhagen.

In 1992 and 1993, the popular monarch underwent surgery on both knees and small pieces of loose cartilage were removed.