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Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark has been forced to cancel his upcoming engagements after undergoing last-minute surgery.
The Danish palace released a statement, confirming Frederik had undergone a successful operation to correct a slipped disc. The royal has since been discharged from the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen.
Crown Princess Mary’s husband is now recovering at home and will not carry out any official duties in the next couple of weeks.
The future king of Denmark was due to mark Nature Day on Monday as well as take part in an army-related engagement on Wednesday. His trip to Finland, scheduled for next week, has also been postponed.
This is not the first time Frederik has needed medical attention for his back pain.
During a recent family holiday at their summer residence, Grasten Palace, reports claimed the prince constantly had to pause and stretch his back. And when he wanted to get up from either a sitting or lying position, it was clear that Denmark’s future king was struggling.
‘It’s obvious from the pictures that the crown prince is constantly seeking a posture that gives him less pain. His body language reveals that he’s in constant pain,’ Doctor Jerk Langer told Danish publication Se Og Hor (See And Hear).
‘The recovery period is somewhat between 3 to 6 months. There’s no quick fix.
‘These aches in the back torment him day and night,’ Dr Langer added. ‘You have a hard time keeping the body in the same position for a longer period of time. You get up, sit back down, turn and toss, stretch and bend without finding a comfortable position.’
According to the publication, doctors have ordered new tests and new physiotherapists to try and help Frederik with this ongoing back injury.
Meanwhile, a source in Copenhagen tells New Idea that his pains are so severe his wife Princess Mary is concerned.
‘Mary is really worried about Fred’s health and she fears he’s never going to recover,’ the source claimed.
‘He’s been practically bedridden for weeks now with his back injury, and every time Mary thinks he’s improving, he suffers another setback and just gets worse again.’
It’s not the first time the keen sportsman has been injured. Two years ago, the prince suffered from a severe neck injury when he was trampolining at a private event.
Also, in 2009 he fractured his calf bone and was in a cast for six weeks.
‘It just seems to be one thing after another, and Mary is starting to think that his strength will never return – that he’s always going to be plagued with constant injuries,’ the source spilled.
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