Queen Margrethe Gives Ingrid Prize to Arthritis Researcher

Queen Margrethe presented the 2026 Queen Ingrid Research Prize to nurse-researcher Jette Primdahl on Oct. 12 at Fredensborg Palace.

The ceremony took place in the Garden Hall, or Havesalen in Danish, in connection with World Arthritis Day on Oct. 12. The Danish Royal House confirmed the Oct. 12 presentation in that hall at Fredensborg Danish Royal House.

Primdahl is a professor, nurse and researcher affiliated with the Danish Rheumatology Hospital in Gråsten, where she has worked since 2008. She was recognized for work in rheumatological rehabilitation. That is the long-term care that helps people with arthritis and other joint and muscle conditions manage pain, movement and daily life.

The prize includes a research grant of 250,000 Danish kroner (approximately $37,000). The money funds further research.

The award is named for Queen Ingrid, Queen Margrethe's mother. The Danish Rheumatism Association, known in Denmark as Gigtforeningen, established the prize in 1978 to honor Ingrid Town & Country. It was created to mark 25 years of Ingrid's work as the association's patron.

Queen Margrethe then took up that cause herself. She became patron of the association in 2001, a royal sponsor who lends her name and appears at key events. The year 2026 marks 25 years in that role.

The prize is given each year to a leading figure in Danish arthritis research. Past recipients have included hospital physicians and university professors working on diagnosis, treatment and rehabilitation.

What makes this stand out is the family thread. A daughter is still handing out a prize named for her mother, nearly 50 years after it was created. The name on the award is personal history, not just tradition.

The Fredensborg presentation was Queen Margrethe's second major public appearance in less than a week.