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Denmark's chain-smoking Queen Margrethe II has quit smoking cigarettes in public and has drastically cut down on the habit in private ahead of a Danish ban on smoking in public buildings, media reported on Thursday.
"You will never see the queen smoking in public any more," Danish court spokeswoman Lis Frederiksen was quoted as saying in the tabloid Ekstra Bladet.
The monarch had cut down in private but did not intend to give up cigarettes entirely, Frederiksen added, according to report.
Questioned by AFP, Frederiksen refused to confirm the reported remarks but said a ban for employees on duty at the royal court was under consideration.
The reports came ahead of the introduction of a Danish ban on smoking in all public buildings from April 1, 2007.
Rumours surrounding the queen's decision spread after she attended an event at Copenhagen university last week and was not once seen lighting up.
Queen Margrethe has frequently been criticised by Danes and health organisations for her heavy smoking.
An estimated 1,000 Danes die of secondhand smoke each year and many others suffer from smoking related illnesses, according to the Danish Lung Association.
Some 25 percent of Danes aged 13 and above smoked every day in 2004, according to the country's health ministry.
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AFP 231614 GMT 11 06
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