“The operation proceeded to plan and the Queen’s condition is good and stable under the circumstances,” the royal palace said in a statement.

The 82-year-old Queen is set for a period of convalescence after the surgery, with Crown Prince Frederik standing in on regent duties beginning with an upcoming official visit to India.

The operation is the second time the Queen has undergone a surgical procedure on her back, after being treated for spinal stenosis in the early 2000s.

It is unclear whether the current operation is related to that condition although this is a likely scenario, according to a medical specialist in back conditions.

“Many people have operations on their backs each year. As the years go by, things degenerate in there so many can benefit from an operation,” the specialist, Professor Tom Bendix, told news wire Ritzau.

Spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal or pressure on the spinal cord or nerve roots and is a relatively common condition in persons over the age of 60.

Most people come through surgery with good results according to Danish health platform sundhed.dk.

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