Death and Funeral of Prince Henrik of Denmark: February 13 and 20, 2018


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Somebody said:
It must be strange for Konstantinos as well to be at the funeral of another brother-in-law. Of the three, he is the only one left... and not in good health (nor is his other brother-in-law; the emeritus king of Spain).
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True. He was the first one who married on of the three danish sisters and no he ist last of the three brothers-in-law who is left.
 
Somebody said:
It must be strange for Konstantinos as well to be at the funeral of another brother-in-law. Of the three, he is the only one left... and not in good health (nor is his other brother-in-law; the emeritus king of Spain).
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Have you noticed that the sons-in-law of late King Frederik IX and late Queen Ingrid are dying in the reverse of when they married into the DRF?
Prince Richard was the last to marry into the DRF and he was the first to die.
Prince Henrik was the second to marry into the DRF and he was the second to die.
King Konstantine was the first to marry into the DRF and he is the last one to die.

Hence the word from the Bible: The last ones will be the first and the first ones will be the last.




Other than that: I am not overjoyed with the sermon of Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen. It was a curriculum vitae over Prince Henrik. Where was the comforting words? Where was the christian message?
 
:previous: Yes it was quite a businesslike timetable speech indeed. From a man of the Lutheran Church I expected words about the resurrection and seeing the Lord Creator above. It was quite light in the biblical content. But maybe this was compensated by the hymns, all religious.
 
polyesco said:
The royals leaving the funeral. Nice little moment between the Queen and Frederik, with her tapping his back and sharing a little smile
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Hard to watch the Crown Prince twist and turn during the service. He was struggling with his emotions. He seemed very troubled and less comfortable with his feelings. The Queen seemed to be very in sync with her feelings , Fred seemed so discomfted. Seems to be looking into his fate very uneasy.
 
I thought the whole family held themselves wonderfully well.

It is a bit hard to say, I do not mean it as critic, just an observation, but I found Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie pretty hard. The first one had a stern look and the second one was not very attentive to her husband, who was litterally depending on the support of an aide-de-camp. But maybe they just tried to hold their composure behind a stern face.
 
Duc_et_Pair said:
:previous: Yes it was quite a businesslike timetable speech indeed. From a man of the Lutheran Church I expected words about the resurrection and seeing the Lord Creator above. It was quite light in the biblical content. But maybe this was compensated by the hymns, all religious.
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Or it was in respect of PH not being particularly Christian? Perhaps really only in name?
We do know that he leaned very much to Eastern moral-philosophy.
It's a dilemma I've seen quite a few times. How does a priest give a sermon for someone who either is, or de facto is an atheist? - Just because the family prefer an ending at a church.
Well, they tend, in my experience, to give a speech about the person, rather than a sermon.
 
:previous:

Yes, that flashed through my mind as well: it would be weird to hold a deeply religious sermon when Prince Henrik probably was -as you say- practically an atheïst. The hymns however were pretty religious.
 
Duc_et_Pair said:
:previous:

Yes, that flashed through my mind as well: it would be weird to hold a deeply religious sermon when Prince Henrik probably was -as you say- practically an atheïst. The hymns however were pretty religious.
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Mainly a comfort for the family, I think.

And I think PH, being very musical, knew that and this was perhaps his way of comforting his family, because he would know that such a ceremony would take place, no matter what.
 
FasterB said:
Other than that: I am not overjoyed with the sermon of Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen. It was a curriculum vitae over Prince Henrik. Where was the comforting words? Where was the christian message?
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Perhaps the comforting words were saved for the private moments, when there were no cameras? And I agree with Muhler, it would have been a bit weird to have a heavily Christian message for a man who probably wouldn't be Christian if he'd been free to choose.
 
What i wondered about that the put the earth on the coffin in the Church. Was it because Prince Henrik will be cremated? In a clip from the funeral of Queen Ingrid they did this also in the church. At evangelical-lutheran funerals here in Germany this is done after the coffin has been left into the Grave and then everyone goes there and puts done a flower.
 
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Mr Muhler
Why no daughter of the late Count Christian ?
As far as I remember after the Funeral of the Count or the Countess, Prince Henrik who came with the Queen left the Church in another car because he went hunting ?
I hope it is not for that reason?

Who was the lady at the front row who forgot her hat at home ?
 
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Duc_et_Pair said:
:previous: Yes it was quite a businesslike timetable speech indeed. From a man of the Lutheran Church I expected words about the resurrection and seeing the Lord Creator above. It was quite light in the biblical content. But maybe this was compensated by the hymns, all religious.
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Yes, maybe the hymns compensated for it, but still ... I'm missing something.

Muhler said:
Or it was in respect of PH not being particularly Christian? Perhaps really only in name?
We do know that he leaned very much to Eastern moral-philosophy.
It's a dilemma I've seen quite a few times. How does a priest give a sermon for someone who either is, or de facto is an atheist? - Just because the family prefer an ending at a church.
Well, they tend, in my experience, to give a speech about the person, rather than a sermon.
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But the sermon is not to the deseased, it is to the familiy and friends attending the funeral. And so the comforting words are to the famlily and friends.

Stefan said:
What i wondered about that the put the earth on the ciffin in the Church. Was it because Prince Henrik will be cremated? In a clip from the funeral of Queen Ingrid they did this also in the church. At evangelical-lutheran funerals here in Germany this is done after the coffin has been left into the Grave and then everyone goes there and puts done a flower.
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Yes, it's because PH is being cremated. Otherwise we Danes also do the "earth-thing" at the grave.
I too wondered about this being done in Roskilde Cathedral at Queen Ingrid's funeral. Perhaps that was the most practical way to do it with cameras and so ...?
 
He planned his funeral , so he probably let it be known what kind of service he wanted and what he wanted to be said. His wishes were followed and that is all that matters .
Sometimes the music can say more than just words.
 
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princess carmen said:
He planned his funeral , so he probably let it be known what kind of service he wanted and what he wanted to be said. His wishes were followed and that is all that matters .
Sometimes the music can say more than just words.
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Maybe he had also done a guestlist with all the people he wanted to participate.

Is it known where his coffin was brought after the service?
 
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Muhler said:
But, what is your foreign perspective on this? What worked?
Do you thing other European royal families might be inspired? In other words will PH wish for a more low key funeral be an acceptable, even desirable, option to other royal families? Say Prince Phillip, who in a number of ways is comparable to PH.
Would it work in other monarchies you think?
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I believe that people should have whatever kind of funeral service they want - or none, if that is their wish. PH's funeral struck a good balance, I think. It was intimate and dignified, yet the family allowed the public to show their respect. I was a little surprised that it was televised. As for the French side of the family, maybe some of the service was translated into French (or English) and printed in the service booklet.

Other royal families may take note of this. As I mentioned in a previous post, Prince Phillip has expressed the desire for a simple service.

Now I'm wondering if there will be a larger memorial service at a later date, with extended family and other royals. Maybe on the 6-month or 1-year anniversary.
 
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A gallery from Berlingske: https://www.b.dk/nationalt/billedserie-det-sidste-farvel-til-prins-henrik#slide-1

maria-olivia said:
Who was the lady at the front row who forgot her hat at home ?
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That was Pia Kjærsgaard, the Chairman of the Parliament. She had just come from the Parliament where she gave a speech about PH, in which she teared up. - She is usually particular about how she dress.

maria-olivia said:
Mr Muhler
Why no daughter of the late Count Christian ?
As far as I remember after the Funeral of the Count or the Countess, Prince Henrik who came with the Queen left the Church in another car because he went hunting ?
I hope it is not for that reason?
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I simply don't know.
I cannot imagine they would be petty in such a situation. Perhaps they simply didn't make it on PH's short list?
Or brutally speaking: They were not important enough for PH personally to be invited? That is, he had little, if anything to do with them personally.
 
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Unfortunately, I fell asleep an hour before the funeral started this morning and I'm just now catching up on things. I plan on watching the entire thing in a short while here and thanks to those that have posted the link.

Reading what I have, one thing did impress me. Not only was the entire funeral about Henrik but the essence of his soul very much permeated everything from start to finish. He was a man that had given this time a lot of thought and that, to me, shows a man that reflected deeply on death and what it meant for him and his funeral service reflected that man.

It wasn't about being Catholic, or Lutheran or any earthly belief system but about his own spirituality and his personal relationship with his Creator. It was about emotions and about love and about caring. The "blooming garden" said it all for me. Henrik incorporated a way to comfort his wife and remind her of something very close and personal between the two of them. What better way of stating that although he is gone, memories and emotions don't die but are still there to comfort.

This was a funeral service that went beyond the proper protocols and the requisite prayers and hymns and deeply reflected the man that Henrik was. It was almost as if he was definitely a presence felt throughout the entire thing.
 
The queen is such a dignified lady ,the Dames blessed to have Her Majesty as monarch and all the royal children were so well behaved.Its was nice to see the (very frail) Greek King and Queen as well as Prince Henriks family.

Here's a video from Euronews

 
Was it necessary to mention that Henrik said his wife didn't acknowledge him as her equal?
 
I honestly don't think that there was anyone at the funeral or anyone even following the funeral that wasn't aware of Henrik's thoughts on that matter. He expressed them during his lifetime and often.

As I've seen here in the forums debating the issue and then seeing Henrik and Margrethe together over the years and witnessing the thought that Henrik, himself, put into his service to surprise and comfort his wife, it made me realize that Henrik's issues with being lesser than the Queen as a consort weren't directed in peevishness or anger at his wife, herself, but the sense of inequality that a consort faces when married to a Queen Regnant.

It was part and parcel of who Henrik was and what he stood for. I don't think there was anything about mentioning this that was disparaging to his wife or his family but just reflected who Henrik was in life.

He was flamboyant and had his match in his Daisy. He was as outspoken in his thoughts sometimes as his clothing was. He, in short, is unforgettable and his service was a celebration of that.
 
Wow a lot of emotions running watching videos and seeing the photos. Hard day for the family and for the people of Denmark :sad:

Glad to see Benedikte and AM there to support their sisters. Could see it meant a lot. Constantine is so frail, I hope we don't see his loss soon.

Beautiful flowers from Victoria and Daniel, and others not there :flowers:

The grandkids were still composed, but you can see how hard the loss is on them. They obviously were very close to their grandfather.

Fred and the queen I just wanted to each out and support.

Glad his siblings all made it, including his sister who is ill.
 
Muhler said:
Two very strong photos from this day:
https://bt.bmcdn.dk/media/cache/res...2836-prince-henriks-funeral---the-service.jpg
https://bt.bmcdn.dk/media/cache/res...--arrival-at-christiansborg-palace-church.jpg

Today as well, King Harald decreed that the Norwegian flag should fly at half mast at the royal palace in honor of PH:
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongelige/danmark/kong-harald-aerer-prins-henrik-paa-saerlig-vis
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:previous:My favorite part of that first photo is Mary turning around to check on the kids. I was a little nervous when I saw the seating arrangement left the little ones in a separate row from the adults. But then I saw how Nikolai and Felix spread out to sit next to their younger siblings and cousins. Nikolai is pretty much an adult these days anyway.

It was very touching to see the whole family saying goodbye to Henrik. I couldn't be sure, but it felt like Queen Margrethe seemed a little deflated without Henrik. I started questioning if she's lost weight due to stress, because she just seemed so much smaller than before.

I don't think we'll ever find out the final cause of death, but I can believe that once the infection took hold, Henrik was too weak to fight it off. I've been a little behind because my own father is hospitalized again. While he was being treated last time for breathing difficulties, they gave him blood thinners to prevent clots in his lungs. Now he's developed a gastrointestinal bleed that won't stop, so he's receiving blood transfusions. I can easily see why a benign tumor could cause a cascade of other health problems that quickly led to Henrik's death.
 
XeniaCasaraghi said:
Was it necessary to mention that Henrik said his wife didn't acknowledge him as her equal?
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I am sure in marriage they were 100% equal.

The late Prince observed that a difference was made in titulature, precedence, protocol and ceremonial when looking to female and male spouses of a monarch. And that observation was 100% correct anyway.

His "solution" for that "discrimination" is another discussion.
 
Muhler said:
. . . . . Well, this actually worked IMO.

This subdued funeral service as well as the events in the days leading up to this made it seem much more intimate than a state funeral might have been.
It wasn't a big show, rather it was boiled down to the essentials; A family mourning a loved one.

But, what is your foreign perspective on this? What worked?
Do you thing other European royal families might be inspired? In other words will PH wish for a more low key funeral be an acceptable, even desirable, option to other royal families? Say, Prince Phillip, who in a number of ways is comparable to PH.

Would it work in other monarchies you think?
Click to expand...
I think this really did work, the whole thing went off like clockwork, just as Prince Henrik planned. Interestingly enough, you hit the mark with Prince Philip who has made it known that he doesn't want a State Funeral but a simple one in St Georges Chapel at Windsor followed by a burial at Frogmore at Windsor and that could work just as Heinrik's did except for the final part.

One thing to mention that distressed me a lot. Queen Margrethe wore a hat and veil and, in the chapel didn't need it, she was stoic most of the time, and even though she cried, she didn't break down. She was every inch a Queen. However, because of the divergence from the usual procedure as was followed for her parents, this time they had to stand at the top of the stairs and wait for the casket to be lowered into the hearse and depart for the crematorium seemed like forever.

That wait seemed so long and endless even the children were restive and upset. But oh how I wished Queen Margrethe had thought to lower her veil. Her face was set in a rictus of inexpressible anguish and grief and she had to stand and wait with cameras on her. I don't know what she would have done without her sons' support.

It was so painful and raw to see that I felt as though I had intruded on her privacy by even watching, and in that watching, I was brought to tears for her loss and the family's loss. Frederik looked carved in stone and Joachim looked shattered.
 
principessa said:
Maybe he had also done a guestlist with all the people he wanted to participate.
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Thats very likely. I found it a bit strange to see neither inlaws there, Donaldson or Cavallier.

(..)
 
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Today the many flowers laid at the royal palaces will be removed.
The flowers at the palaces in and near Copenhagen will be placed at the memorial for fallen soldiers at Kastellet, about a kilometer from Amalienborg.

At Marselisborg in Aarhus, the flowers there will be placed in the Remembrance Park, right next to the manor. In honor of the ethnic Danes who were killed during WWI.
Dronningen har bedt om at selv den mindste lille bamse bliver tørret og gemt - TV 2
QMII has ordered that every card and every little teddy bear, is to be dried and kept at Marselisborg, so that she can see them when she goes to Marselisborg at Easter next month.

There are also flowers at Gråsten, but what will happen to those is as yet not known to me.

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Speaking of flowers. PH had one special surprise for his wife. The flowers being arranges as though the floor was a flower garden.
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongelige/danmark/prins-henriks-sidste-kaerlige-hilsen-til-margrethe
That is a direct reference to the speech he gave on their wedding day. - Which roughly said that he came to Denmark and found a garden full of flowers, but the prettiest flower of them all was the girl he found there.
 
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