Prince Henrik Diagnosed with Dementia: September 2017 & Further Health Issues


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I think its quite common. When my grandpa was dying, everybody went to see him during the day while he was suffering, at night he died peacefully. I truly believe he waited for the night so that no one was present to watch him die, specially my grandma.
 
Sometimes, just sometimes, a death of a beloved one is anything but sorrowful and can be one of peace and joy. Of course we're saddened that our loved one is no longer among us but in so many cases, death is a release from disease and suffering and pain and many of us have a profound faith that its never goodbye but just "until we meet again" and rather than an end of something, its a new beginning and a graduation into a more profound, spiritual existence.

When we really think about it, we're working towards our own death from the very moment we are born. Its times like this that remind us to make the very best of it while we can. :flowers:
 
Osipi said:
Sometimes, just sometimes, a death of a beloved one is anything but sorrowful and can be one of peace and joy. Of course we're saddened that our loved one is no longer among us but in so many cases, death is a release from disease and suffering and pain and many of us have a profound faith that its never goodbye but just "until we meet again" and rather than an end of something, its a new beginning and a graduation into a more profound, spiritual existence.

When we really think about it, we're working towards our own death from the very moment we are born. Its times like this that remind us to make the very best of it while we can. :flowers:
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This I firmly believe. For me when my loved ones passed it was not a goodbye rather I knew I would see them again. I also believe they are always with me; protecting and guiding me each and every moment.
 
:previous: Brother? I assume Ettien since he is the one we have heard from. I know Francoise is too ill to travel. Any word on the other brother (I thought Henrik had two living brothers).
 
The royal family looked in good spirits at the visit - margrethe was smiling, for example. so was the chamberlain. if the situation was more serious, they wouldn't. although maybe they didn't want to show too much emotion next to the press, which would alert the press something is wrong.

he was travelling by himself abroad (to somewhere in africa if i remember well) so i guess if his health was that delicate he wouldn't have. but it is hard to say anyway. it is indeed odd that frederic, being an IOC member, cancelled his time in korea.
 
carlota said:
The royal family looked in good spirits at the visit - margrethe was smiling, for example. so was the chamberlain. if the situation was more serious, they wouldn't. although maybe they didn't want to show too much emotion next to the press, which would alert the press something is wrong.

he was travelling by himself abroad (to somewhere in africa if i remember well) so i guess if his health was that delicate he wouldn't have. but it is hard to say anyway. it is indeed odd that frederic, being an IOC member, cancelled his time in korea.
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He was in Egypt when he was admitted to hospital. A situation can detoriate rather quickly, so, I agree it is unlikely that his health was considered that delicate (nor good).
 
The press reports that QMII has returned to Fredensborg.

On the face of it that's a strange choice, because Fredensborg is 45 minutes from Rigshospitalet, outside rush-hours that is. Amalienborg is considerably closer.
But she did officially move her residence when PH returned to DK, and should he recover, a ward will be set up there.
But there is also a palace church at Fredensborg, and as a devout Christian QMII may feel she needs time for reflection, undisturbed.
 
Muhler said:
The press reports that QMII has returned to Fredensborg.

On the face of it that's a strange choice, because Fredensborg is 45 minutes from Rigshospitalet, outside rush-hours that is. Amalienborg is considerably closer.
But she did officially move her residence when PH returned to DK, and should he recover, a ward will be set up there.
But there is also a palace church at Fredensborg, and as a devout Christian QMII may feel she needs time for reflection, undisturbed.
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That's what i thought too. Maybe she feels that she needs time to "get away from everything" for a while (=court life, protocol and duties in Copenhagen) to be undisturbed and reflect over the situation in private. And maybe also pray.
I thought she would only relocate to Fredensborg when PH was well enough to move in there , but this might explain why she relocated immediately...
 
Hans-Rickard said:
My father died i the middle of the night. During the days leading up to it , my mother, myself, his father, his sister and her family sat at his bedside. When everyone had left, i had left, the doctors and nurses in the night shift wasn't in the room and my mother was asleep in the guest bed he passed peacefully away.

Even though he wasn't awake during the last days, he could hear us according to the doctors and i have always imagined that he didn't wanted to do it with a lot of people there and held out until everyone had left.
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A nurse friend told me it is very common for people to die alone no matter how long family have kept vigil by their bedside. She says it's because the final journey must be made alone with only the angels for company.
 
Amalienborg always seems so open, the square between all 4 Houses is open to the public and press and each house only has a relatively small garden. Fredensborg seems to be more secluded. 45 mins is a long time but not impossible. It may just be Henrik's condition is stable - though not necessarily good - so QM doesn't think she is going to have to rush back unexpectedly. Though I don't feel comfortable speculating about the worst, it could be Henrik has already passed away and they want Margrethe safely out of the public eye, for her own benefit, when it is announced? Complete speculation there.

At times it seems the situation is a little odd. Henrik's brother said he wasn't rushing to Denmark yet, but Frederik rushed back from Korea & Countess Alexandra released an almost obituary style message. The coverage on Danish websites seems quite heavy and sombre which if was off the mark by now surely the Royal Court would have had a discreet word telling them to dial it back? I can see why a statement was needed to explain why Frederik had to leave the Olympics but they could have worded it or made it clear it wasn't grave if it does not appear to be.
 
TV2 has talked with an old friend of PH, Valdemar Bandalowski, with whom PH went sailing many times.
http://nyheder.tv2.dk/2018-02-10-prins-henriks-sejlerven-jeg-haaber-han-faar-ti-aar-mere

Some years back, PH and Bandalowski were to have taken part in a race in Norway. the race was cancelled due to poor weather, so the two of them decided to drive along the coast to gather clams which the Japanese chef (so it must be at least 15 years ago) aboard Dannebrog could prepare.
"We drive along and then come to an old Norwegian church made from staves, the wooden ones. He wanted to go inside to have a look, so we jumped out of the car and looked around.
Inside we meet a sweet elderly lady and the Prince says to her that: It sure looks very exciting here, and the two of them begin chatting.
The Prince tells the elderly woman that he's up here racing in a sailing competition, to which she replies that she believe she has heard that the Danish Prince is taking part.
Then he says, Yeah, something like that I reckon.
Later on he asks her: The prince, he's a nice guy, isn't he? And she believe he is.
When she walks out the church, she suddenly turns around in the door, and then it's like the penny drops! That one had us laughing a lot afterwards".
 
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tommy100 said:
Amalienborg always seems so open, the square between all 4 Houses is open to the public and press and each house only has a relatively small garden. Fredensborg seems to be more secluded. 45 mins is a long time but not impossible. It may just be Henrik's condition is stable - though not necessarily good - so QM doesn't think she is going to have to rush back unexpectedly. Though I don't feel comfortable speculating about the worst, it could be Henrik has already passed away and they want Margrethe safely out of the public eye, for her own benefit, when it is announced? Complete speculation there.

At times it seems the situation is a little odd. Henrik's brother said he wasn't rushing to Denmark yet, but Frederik rushed back from Korea & Countess Alexandra released an almost obituary style message. The coverage on Danish websites seems quite heavy and sombre which if was off the mark by now surely the Royal Court would have had a discreet word telling them to dial it back? I can see why a statement was needed to explain why Frederik had to leave the Olympics but they could have worded it or made it clear it wasn't grave if it does not appear to be.
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When my father died of cancer a few years ago, the doctor told us, that when a person nears the end it is impossible for the doctors to say how much time is left. It could be hours, days or weeks, sometimes months.

If the Royal Family has gotten a similar message from Prince Henrik’s doctors, it makes sense that Frederik rushes home, while Henrik’s brother says it’s a matter of weeks and Margrethe stays at Fredensborg. It’s simply so unpredictable and you have to handle it, the way that feels right to you.
 
Great anecdote. Mang tak Muhler. Thanks also to An Ard Ri for the link to the photo. I didn't know he had a sister. My 93 yr old Dear dad contracted pneumonia many times before the angels came for him. As we get older some body parts weaken. The muscles in your throat weaken, so when you swallow sometimes food or fluid goes into your lungs causing pneumonia. Patients are then fed thickened fluids - water included. To reduce the risk of leakage into the lung. Water is So thick you have to eat it with a spoon. Depending on the severity of your swallow.
 
:previous: When we were told our sister was near death, we made a roster so that one of us was with her all the time. In the event, one of my other sisters stepped out to refill her coffee and when she came back our sister had gone, all in the space of 5 minutes.

The first anniversary is on Tuesday and I find myself unexpectedly affected now reading about Prince Henrik.
 
Mary's children learnt about life and death when they lost Ziggy. And now they will have the chance to say goodbye to their beloved granddad. Children generally manage this sort of grief better than adults.
 
Now for something completely shallow: in the pictures of arriving and leaving the Rigshospitalet I see that the gentlemen driving the cars (the three Landrovers) and the security wore jeans and casual wear.

Of course the royal family was in casual wear, but chauffeurs from the Royal Mews and officers from the protection service? Or are these gentlemen not what they seem?

Muhler said:
TV2 has talked with an old friend of PH, Valdemar Bandalowski, with whom PH went sailing many times.
http://nyheder.tv2.dk/2018-02-10-prins-henriks-sejlerven-jeg-haaber-han-faar-ti-aar-mere

Some years back, PH and Bandalowski were to have taken part in a race in Norway. the race was cancelled due to poor weather, so the two of them decided to drive along the coast to gather clams which the Japanese chef (so it must be at least 15 years ago) aboard Dannebrog could prepare.
"We drive along and then come to an old Norwegian church made from staves, the wooden ones. He wanted to go inside to have a look, so we jump out of the car and look around.
Inside we meet a sweet elderly lady and the Prince says to her that: It sure looks very exciting here, and the two of them begin chatting.
The Prince tells the elderly woman that he's up here racing in a sailing competition, to which she replies that she believe she has heard that the Danish Prince is taking part.
Then he says, Yeah, something like that I reckon.
Later on he asks her: The prince, he's a nice guy, isn't he? And she believe he is.
When she walks out the church, she suddenly turns around in the door, and then it's like the penny drops! That one had us laughing a lot afterwards".
Click to expand...

That is so Henrik ! ;-)
 
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Duc_et_Pair said:
Now for something completely shallow: in the pictures of arriving and leaving the Rigshospitalet I see that the gentlemen driving the cars (the three Landrovers) and the security wore jeans and casual wear.

Of course the royal family was in casual wear, but chauffeurs from the Royal Mews and officers from the protection service? Or are these gentlemen not what they seem?
Click to expand...

They smelled to high heaven like PET officers!
They simply dress for the occasion. If the DRF members dress casually, the PET officers dress casually.
If the DRF members dress formally, the PET officers dress formally.
 
My thoughts and prayers are with the family. When my dad died he went from healthy to dead in 8 days.

Around 3 am the day he died he drank a mouthful of tea with a piece of toast. He was found dead at 9 am.
 
Muhler said:
They smelled to high heaven like PET officers!
They simply dress for the occasion. If the DRF members dress casually, the PET officers dress casually.
If the DRF members dress formally, the PET officers dress formally.
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Sorry, what is a PET officer?
Can't find the acronym meaning easily.

Edit to add: thank you, tommy100, for your reply below.
 
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Its the agency responsible for protecting the RF, they are their bodyguards. Can't remember what the letters stand for atm.

Edit - Politiets Efterretningstjeneste
 
Okay protection officers, now I understand. It indeed would have been a bit of a strange image when officers are more formally dressed than their "objects" during private pastime.
 
:previous: True, they would stand out like a sore thumb. Another thing I noticed was that they all seemed noticeably hypervigilant which surprised me because I have never noticed before. However, on further thought, the entire DRF was present in one place, at one time, in a public and open area. Must have been the PET officers nightmare with unpredictable comings and goings and no way to have secured the area ahead of time.
 
so true! Goodness where would the Crown go?
 
Should there be no eligible descendant of King Christian X and Queen Alexandrine, the parliament has the right to elect a monarch and determine a new line of succession.

But today Princess Benedicte wasn't present, so the Crown would devolve to her.
 
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Oh no, poor Henrik - I'm sorry to hear that his dementia has been worsening.
My friend's father recently died after suffering from dementia for a few years after his condition worsened but before that, like so many dementia sufferers, he was very fit, healthy and outspoken.

It's nice to hear that Henrik has been receiving visitors, though the comments about some patients preferring to be alone before death is interesting. When my great-aunt passed away a few years ago she was alone but we had been visiting her regularly before that point and she had company in the hospice she was admitted to.
 
:previous:


I am not sure the Prince's Alzheimer or dementia (there is a difference) has worsened. The Prince suffers respiratory problems, if I understood it correctly. On itself everyone can develop respiratory problems, also healthy people.
 
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