Wednesday, 14 February 2018

Denmark's Prince Henrik, who wanted to be king, dies at 83

Denmark's Prince Henrik, who wanted to be king, dies at 83
Prince Henrik of Denmark, the husband of Queen Margrethe who was famous for his public unhappiness at never being named king, has died at the age of 83. The controversial French-born prince had been diagnosed with dementia last year and was admitted to hospital in January with a lung infection. His flamboyant style was both loved and criticised by Danes.
Frustrated with his royal title, he announced in 2017 that he did not want to be buried next to his wife. The 77-year-old queen accepted her husband's decision, the Royal House said at the time, breaking a 459-year-old tradition of burying royal spouses together. She already has a specially-built sarcophagus in a cathedral west of Copenhagen where the remains of Danish royals are buried.
The prince died "peacefully in his sleep" at the Fredensborg Castle, north of Copenhagen, with Queen Margrethe and their two sons - Crown Prince Frederick and Prince Joachim - at his side. Born Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat on 11 June 1934, Prince Henrik married the then-crown princess Margrethe in 1967.

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