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

[XeniaCasaraghi]

Was it necessary to mention that Henrik said his wife didn't acknowledge him as her equal?

[Osipi]

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.

[Countessmeout]

Wow a lot of emotions running watching videos and seeing the photos. Hard day for the family and for the people of Denmark

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

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.

[Thena]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Two very strong photos from this day:
https://bt.bmcdn.dk/media/cache/reso...he-service.jpg
https://bt.bmcdn.dk/media/cache/reso...ace-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/kongelig...aa-saerlig-vis

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.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by XeniaCasaraghi

Was it necessary to mention that Henrik said his wife didn't acknowledge him as her equal?

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.

[MARG]

Originally Posted by Muhler

. . . . . 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?

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.

[fandesacs2003]

A nice tribute from Paris Match

La famille royale en larmes pour son dernier adieu au prince Henrik http://www.parismatch.com/Royal-Blog...larmes-1464524

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by principessa

Maybe he had also done a guestlist with all the people he wanted to participate.

Thats very likely. I found it a bit strange to see neither inlaws there, Donaldson or Cavallier.

(..)

[Muhler]

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.

-----------------------

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/kongelig...-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.

[FasterB]

Originally Posted by principessa

Is it known where his coffin was brought after the service?

My best guess is that the coffin were taken to Bispebjerg Crematory. It is one of the two crematories in the municipality of Copenhagen.
LINK: https://www.kk.dk/artikel/sådan-fore...-i-krematoriet

[Minea]

Originally Posted by LadyFinn

Flowers also from Victoria and Daniel
https://www.svenskdam.se/wp-content/...d3-700x394.jpg

Whose monogram is the one below Victoria and Daniel's?

A beautiful, simple service. "The flower garden" is wonderful.

[Barbara21]

thank you for all the links.
I was a little surprised that the show was televised live, but the funeral was nonetheless intimate and touching.
In the most important Estonian TV news was also brief overview. There emphasized that Henrik was well-known for being straightforward.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by Barbara21

[...]
I was a little surprised that the show was televised live
[...]

"show" ?

[FasterB]

Originally Posted by Minea

Whose monogram is the one below Victoria and Daniel's?

Could it be the joint monograms of the Prince Couple and Princess Couple of Sweden?

[W.Y.CII]

Originally Posted by FasterB

Could it be the joint monograms of the Prince Couple and Princess Couple of Sweden?

That one seems like the joint monogram of CP and Sofia, probably the joint monogram of Madeleine and Chris is on the bottom.

Originally Posted by Duc_et_Pair

"show" ?

Don't need to be that sensitive. I think Barbara21 only want to say that the funeral is shown on tv.

Whenever I saw Q Margrethe smiles I feel sad about her. Maybe it's like some poster above said, she just thought of the wonderful memories with Henrik. The photo that Margrethe passed by the flowers is heartbreaking, the last gift from him to her. The farewell bows and curtsies from his kids and grandkids are very touching.

[LadyS]

I found the service very moving and the family were especially brave having to have their grief on display it is never easy saying goodbye to a loved one and even more difficult in public.

I noticed the cameras focussed at one point on two men sitting together with Prince Henrik's monogram on their jackets - were they his personal staff? They both looked very upset -I'm assuming the minister was speaking about them?
What happens to their roles now will they be placed elsewhere within the royal household? (If this question shouldn't be here please remove it?)

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by LadyS

I found the service very moving and the family were especially brave having to have their grief on display it is never easy saying goodbye to a loved one and even more difficult in public.

I noticed the cameras focussed at one point on two men sitting together with Prince Henrik's monogram on their jackets - were they his personal staff? They both looked very upset -I'm assuming the minister was speaking about them?
What happens to their roles now will they be placed elsewhere within the royal household? (If this question shouldn't be here please remove it?)

Where were they sitting? PH first valet was sitting in the back row to the far right.

PH's staff, only a handful left by now, will retire, be transferred to other duty, offered a similar job within the DRF they can apply for or offered jobs from the job-bank within the state. There is a considerable degree of job-security for public employees. Others may seek employment elsewhere.
Those who were employed as nurses will be laid off.

---------------

Added four truckloads of flowers have been driven to Kastellet and arranged there as you can see in this video: http://nyheder.tv2.dk/2018-02-21-dro...-til-kastellet

[LadyS]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Where were they sitting? PH first valet was sitting in the back row to the far right.

PH's staff, only a handful left by now, will retire, be transferred to other duty, offered a similar job within the DRF they can apply for or offered jobs from the job-bank within the state. There is a considerable degree of job-security for public employees. Others may seek employment elsewhere.
Those who were employed as nurses will be laid off.

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They were on the end of the middle row seated next to a lady wearing a cloche style hat - I think on the video they can be seen at 3:00:18 (sitting behind a gentleman in a military uniform)

Thank you for the information Muhler

[princess carmen]

Now the hard part getting on with life without your husband ,father and granddad.

[FasterB]

Originally Posted by Muhler

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

The flowers from Gråsten Castle will be/has been laid at the memorial for F.B. Paludan-Müller.

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