Queen Mary of Denmark has issued a statement following the death of a former employee and close friend. Michael Halbye was skiing in the Verbier region on Saturday when he fell off piste and was injured. In a statement after the accident, the company Kirkbi - who also that owns Lego - said that Mr Halbye was immediately airlifted to hospital but he died from internal bleeding shortly afterwards.

Writing on the Mary Fonden website, the Danish Queen - who married King Frederik in 2004 - wrote a statement after his death on April 12. She said: "I have received with great sadness the news of Michael Halbye's sudden death. Michael Halbye was a man who possessed a rare positive energy, extensive knowledge and a strong commitment to making a difference for those outside the community.

"He was also my friend, and he will be missed by many. My thoughts go out to his family and close friends."

The 64-year-old had been a board member of Queen Mary’s Foundation for more than 17 years.

As well as working for the Danish Royal Family, Bild also reported that he had become a close friend of the Queen and King Frederik.

Since 2022, he has been vice-chair at Kirkbi after officially joining the company's board of directors in 2020.