The surgery was performed at Rutnin Eye Hospital in Bangkok on Sunday afternoon. At 11.25pm yesterday, the Queen left the hospital in a buoyant mood though with her right eye covered. She headed to the Chitralada Palace.

The announcement said the Queen would need about six weeks of rest to fully recover from the surgery.

The Queen underwent the operation to treat a minor condition in the retina of her right eye. Doctors discovered a tiny tear in the retina when Her Majesty visited the hospital on June 15 as part of her annual medical check-up. The tear, however, did not affect the Queen's vision, the statement said.

In addition to the retinal surgery, the surgical team, which was set up specially to treat the Queen, also treated a cataract in the same eye. The doctors used ultrasound to dispose of the cataract and implant a lens.