Okay, I watched the DR news and I have again glanced the various comments and articles. That it is also hitting the international news is unsurprising but nevertheless embarrassing, also for me as a Dane.
I've set my crap-filter to high, which means I only include people who are serious and who at least have a good idea of what they are talking about. Some of them are people who have interviewed PH personally.
While there is some understanding for his feelings of being the number two, there is no understanding for the way he has done it. In fact even some of these serious commentators are pretty harsh. One suggesting that he is not of sound mind! Another suggesting that his fixation and stubbornness is age-related.
All of them are in agreement that this will backfire seriously on PH! Some worry that this might damage QMII otherwise very fine legacy.
All agree that QMII will be showered in sympathy.
There is a general shock among the commentators that his is refusing to buried next to his wife, not just his Queen, but his
wife!
Others have pointed out that despite this they still believe PH is very fond of his wife and does feel Danish.
- Well, I'm embarrassed. But is nothing to how embarrassed the DRF and in particular QMII must be! Also it must hurt QMII's feelings so much. Her husband is refusing to lie beside her in eternity! QMII is a devout Christian, so this is not a minor thing. She must also feel immensely betrayed. She has within the Constitutional boundaries, almost stood on her head in order to accommodate him.
It's not a question of titles. Even if PH got the title of emperor of Denmark, or great khan or whatever, he will never be equal to the head of state and there can be only one head of state!
In the public eye, it's safe to say, that PH has way too far this time!
He will not be forgiven by the Danes for hurting his wife in this way. And it will be very difficult to forgive him for embarrassing the Queen, the royal family, Denmark and the Danes.
Most Danes simply cannot understand the issue about titles! If a title is empty it's meaningless.
One comment pointed out this since PH's burial site in DK is yet to be disclosed, there are still negotiations going on between PH and QMII in that regards. I find that very plausible and I believe it will end up on PH wanting to be buried in France with his family. - If that is announced PH will not only have turned his back on his wife and Queen but also the Danish tribe and then he's out. Seriously out! That to the extent that politicians and papers will openly tell PH to stay away!
Several have pointed out that PH still loves his wife and still feels as a full-blooded Dane. He issue is with the monarchy and the Constitution. That IMO is a load of bull-dust!
In my book you do
not treat your wife like that! You do
not hurt your wife's feelings by refusing to be buried next to her, when that was the plan all along. You do
not p*ss down the back of your wife, while telling her you love her!
You do
not call yourself a Dane and in the same breath deeply embarrass the foremost representative of Denmark.
And keep in mind, he has also made things much more difficult for Frederik. Frederik is a sensitive man, this must be hurtful for him as well, and also embarrassing. Not to mention the distress this is causing within the family. Frederik cannot side with PH, even if he agreed with his father. He must side with QMII. He can't even be afforded the relative luxury of remaining fairly neutral between his parents.
There is also the question of PH's staff and apanage. I think it's safe to say that if this turns even more ugly, there will be serious political calls, not to mention a public outcry, for his apanage to be cut substantially and his staff as well. He will get a much more limited pension-apanage and in so many words be "advised" to stay in France, preferably forever.
Currently PH and QMII are now on "holiday" together in France. I think they are having some very deep conversations about what is going to happen now!
Will QMII abdicate? IMO that is now a definite possibility.
If PH continues to make a spectacle of himself and/or he wants to be buried in France, QMII who has a very sense of duty, may feel that she and her husband is now such a big liability for the DRF. In other words this issue overshadows the work the DRF is doing or is getting too embarrassing for the DRF, then I think she might very well decide to step back. To start a new chapter.
When she's no longer the Monarch, then PH's continual rants about being equal is irrelevant as well. PH cannot be equal to his son, the king.
That may very well happen around Frederiks' 50th birthday. And I think that option has been at least considered.
Right now I'll estimate these probability at around 40 %, if PH want's to be buried in France that goes up to 50 or 60 %. If he continues to babble away about how unfairly he has been treated and bou hou, we go up 70 % probability for QMII abdicating.
How about Mary? Will she, based on PH's grumblings, become princess-consort instead?
I don't believe that for a moment. Mary is deeply respected in her own right. Most people will feel it would be wrong to "punish" Mary because one man could not accept his position. Also, there is no tradition for a princess consort in Denmark. With extremely few exception the rule is that if you marry the king you become queen, period! No mistake and no confusion.
We shall see.
I wonder if this was announced it part to tie in with Philip's retirement, maybe it was Henrik leaking it and he thought he would get all the platitudes that Philip did yesterday.
IMO this is just an awful decision as its almost saying that everything he and the Queen have done and the family they have created together is worth nothing to him. I think he has done it in part to ensure he goes down in history, just sadly it will be as the first consort in decades to be buried apart and that ensures history books will take note of him for decades/centuries to come.
In many ways I would love the Queen to divorce him if that is what she wants but I'm not sure she does but how she puts up with someone being so unfair, manipulative and down right horrible to her I do not know!
That is very plausible IMO. BB's Trine Larsen was on the news and she told there had been rumors for some time but that she didn't take them seriously.
I think this is very like something PH has hinted to various reporters. A bit like the little boy saying he will run away from home. So yes, I don't think it was a coincidence that the story surfaced now. The DRF's hands has IMO been forced. Why else come out,
before it has been decided where PH is going to be buried?
Some thoughts on this matter:
I wonder why, given that HM the Queen (and presumably the rest of the family) have known about, and accepted, this for some time, the decision has been released to the press either at all (it could have been announced after his death) and in particular why right now.
I don't seem to be clear about who actually instructed the palace to make the announcement.
While Denmark followed precedents in the UK and The Netherlands regarding the title of Prince Henrik as a consort, it is also the case that precedents exist for the husband of a queen regnant to be a "king", Maria II (da Gloria) and Mary I of England being two examples.
Maybe, in our age of increasing (not there yet) gender equality, there is a logical case for having 'matching' titles of "Queen Consort" and "King Consort" to apply to the spouses of a reigning monarch.
I feel sorry for the Queen that the sorry saga of Prince Henrik's "issues" with his role, title and position are once again the source of public gossip and indignation.
Wherever he's buried, he'll decompose like the rest of us and ultimately, it will be of absolutely no consequence whatsoever.
Yes, but in Denmark there is no precedence for the husband of a monarch being king. There is only one king, the monarch. QMII is a "female king". In the Constitution "the king" = the monarch.
In fact PH is the first prince consort in DRF, ever. Not even QMI, who was really only Regent, had a consort. (She was a widow).
And gender equality. Bah. PH don't give one hoot for gender equality. That's a tool to be used as an argument to further
his cause.
Of Henrik not being buried with QMII.
