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

[Duc_et_Pair]

I have to think about the German lied Angst und Vertrauen (Fear and Reliance).

In dein Erbarmen hülle mein schwaches Herz
Und mach es gänzlich stille in Freud und Schmerz.
Laß ruhn zu deinen Füßen dein armes Kind;
Es will die Augen schließen und glauben blind.

(In your mercy shields my weak heart,
and makes it all silent in joy and pain;
Let rest at your feet, your poor child:
it wants to close the eyes, with a faith blind)



Rest in Peace, Prince Henrik.

[Marika86]

Such sad news! My sincere condolences to Queen Margarethe, Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Joachim and their families. I am glad that Prince Henrik got to spend his last hours surrounded by his loved ones.
May he rest in peace.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Had PH been an ordinary Dane, no one would have lifted even half an eyebrow.

I'd say the vast majority here in DK are cremated. And I'll also say that the majority are buried in an unmarked grave.

It it quite common to have your ashes spread at sea.

Many are buried (usually an urn) in a forest, like PH will be. - Or more correctly PH's urn will be buried among trees in the private part of the park around Fredensborg.

A relative minority prefer to be buried in marked graves or family plots.

Then there are those who belong to other faiths like Jews, Buddhist, Muslims, Asa-followers and atheists of course who have their special plots in the state cemeteries, - which are for all.

What is unusual is that PH's burial wishes is singular among the DRF. Normally they are entombed, or buried in a coffin like Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid.

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

At the press briefing today at 11.00 Lene Balleby was asked what the specific cause of PH's death was.

Lene Balleby referred to the information that had already been supplied in the official press announcements from the court and then she added: "He was (after all) an old man".

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

It will be the royal confessionarius Erik Norman Svendsen, who will head the funeral ceremony.

- Is he still the royal confessionarius?? I thought they had a new one.
If so, perhaps PH preferred Erik Norman Svendsen, who is a very likable man.

Forgive me if I am wrong, but I believe that both Judaism and Islam forbid cremation of the body. It used to be forbidden also by the Roman Catholic Church, but the Church has changed its doctrine on the matter in the past 50 years or so, and Catholics can now be cremated too. Many still choose to be buried though as cremation is still seen by many traditionalists as a "pagan custom".

Of course, from a sanitation point of view, cremation makes more sense than a traditional burial.

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

Fórgive me if I am wrong, but I believe that both Judaísm and Islam forbid cremation of the body. It used to be forbidden also by the Roman Catholic Church, but the Church has changed its doctrine on the matter in the past 50 years or so, and Catholics can now be cremated too. Many still choose to be buried though as cremation is still seen by many traditionalists as a "pagan custom".

Ah, I wasn't clear.
I meant buried as in any form of burial in a cemetery. In a coffin or urn or whatever.

[FasterB]

Originally Posted by Muhler

It will be the royal confessionarius Erik Norman Svendsen, who will head the funeral ceremony.

- Is he still the royal confessionarius?? I thought they had a new one.
If so, perhaps PH preferred Erik Norman Svendsen, who is a very likable man.

Yes, Erik Normann Svendsen is still Royal Confessionarius until 1st April :)

Originally Posted by Muhler

There is a gallery from Fredensborg after the sun went up, shortly before 08.00, this morning.
Including the hearse that must have come to fetch PH's body and take it to the undertaker for preparation.
https://www.bt.dk/royale/se-alle-oej...ra-fredensborg

I think the hearse just came with the casket. We have no traditions in Denmark for preparation of the dead.

[Muhler]

I knew we could count on you, FasterB.

This is very much your area.

[zembra]

The queen just exited Fredensborg castle and went down to look at some of the flowers and greet the crowd, and people stood there taking pictures

Im so disappointed in humanity/people, where is the respect here!! how can you possibly defend the act of taking out your phone and take pictures of a woman who just lost her husband!? It is so very disrespectful

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by zembra

The queen just exited Fredensborg castle and went down to look at some of the flowers and greet the crowd, and people stood there taking pictures

Im so disappointed in humanity/people, where is the respect here!! how can you possibly defend the act of taking out your phone and take pictures of a woman who just lost her husband!? It is so very disrespectful

A twitter user posted the pictures of people seeing Margrethe and I cannot see anyone with their phones out. https://twitter.com/crownprincely/st...83944461172736

It was Margrethes choice to come out and thank the people for leaving flowers.

[Muhler]

TV2 has spoken with PH's friend Kjeld Hillingsø.

Ven om prins Henriks død: - Han ville ikke dø på et hospital - TV 2

"Right after the Prince had come to Denmark, we actually had a discussion about how you would like to end your days. I heroically believed that I must die on the battlefield. The Prince said there was only one thing he wouldn't. He would never die in a hospital. And fortunately that was avoided.
It's endlessly sad. Unfortunately one has reached the age where the old friends begins to fall out. But we had hoped that Prince Henrik would a while longer".

Kjeld Hillingsø and PH, got to know each other through their wives who are friends since school.
"Prince Henrik and I were forced to become friends, because our wives have known each other since the dawn of times. So it was a friendship that was imposed from the beginning but which developed. The Prince was so generous and so positive and always thought: What will this friend in particular appreciate?
He knew how I felt about going hunting and fishing and things like that, so he always made sure I could get to do that. We didn't fish much together, but we often went hunting together.
It was wonderful days in the nature with him. There was only the problem that if you were hunting and began to approach the prey, then he suddenly shouted: No, no, here's a beef tongue!(a mushroom) Or: Here is a cauliflower fungus!
Then you interrupted the hunt and rushed over to have a look at the mushroom. So I learned a lot about mushrooms when we went hunting".

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

A twitter user posted the pictures of people seeing Margrethe and I cannot see anyone with their phones out. https://twitter.com/crownprincely/st...83944461172736

It was Margrethes choice to come out and thank the people for leaving flowers.

I doubt we will see a "Diana scenario" where the RF will be criticized for not having a big public funeral to "allow the people to grieve " also.

It is a controversial topic, but I understand why, in Diana's case, a public funeral was called for given her iconic status and the deep feelings triggered by her passing . Henrik's case is completely different and most Danes probably agree to respect his last wishes of a private, low-key funeral.

[Muhler]

Here is a TV2 clip, with QMII, her LiW and her (unarmed) adjutant, going out to look at the flowers and greet people.
I think it must have been a spontaneous thing, because I can't see any PET officers.
Of course there is a sentry posted right a few meters away, but they are not trained as protection officers, but as military guards.

Dronning Margrethe hilste på danskerne foran Fredensborg - TV 2

[Appleich]

May the Prince rest in peace and my deepest condolences to HM the Queen and the royal family.

[Moonmaiden23]

Oh wow...I was not expecting this so soon. Believe it or not I thought there would be a miracle and that he would pull through.

I cringe when I remember all the unkind remarks I made about him last summer when he was ranting about wanting to be King-Consort. Of course none of us knew he was ill, but it still makes me want to be more careful in the future about voicing criticism without knowing all the facts.

RIP Prince Henrik. His suffering is over but poor Margrethe and Fred and Joachim and all his grandchildren, who seemed to adore him. And I am also glad that he came home to make his transition in the lovely fairy tale palace of Fredensborg instead of the hospital.

Also my condolences to all the Danish monarchists who post here at TRF.

[Duke of Marmalade]

I am sure Margrethe doesnt mind. She's a public person, not only a woman who lost her husband but a Queen of Denmark who lost her consort, the Danes feel with her and she has to share that grief in public. Having your picture taken in unpleasant situations is part of the job, she's been there before.
I am also sure they are all in peace of mind. Henrik lived life to the full, they were a love match, and he made it to old age surrounded by family.

[zembra]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

A twitter user posted the pictures of people seeing Margrethe and I cannot see anyone with their phones out. https://twitter.com/crownprincely/st...83944461172736

It was Margrethes choice to come out and thank the people for leaving flowers.

They showed it on tv, and people in the back (I counted three) were raising their phones and taking pictures from bird perspective.

I just think it is beyond disrespectful. She only wanted to come down an look at all the flowers and notes that were left, and I don't think she needed a camera/phone "showed" in her face

[principessa]

Do you think that Countess Alexandra will be invited to the funeral?

[Archduchess Zelia]

Originally Posted by principessa

Do you think that Countess Alexandra will be invited to the funeral?

I can't imagine she wouldn't be. She's the mother of two of his grandchildren and I'm fairly certain she and Henrik retained a good relationship after the divorce between her and Joachim.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by principessa

Do you think that Countess Alexandra will be invited to the funeral?

I am pretty sure she will.

[Biri]

There will also probably be his nephews and nieces (there are 14 of them as I know), Princess Benedikte of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg, King Constantine & Queen Anne-Marie of Greece with their respective children.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Originally Posted by Muhler

PH is getting a lot of praise right now. - Without omitting the controversies as well, including his dissatisfaction about him not being titled king.
As such many personal messages from ordinary Danes call him "king Henrik" - a little wry last honor.

He has been praised up in the skyes (rost opp i skyene, as we says it in Norway) on Danish television today and in some of the papers.

Commentators, experts (with exception of some) and ordinary people says that they regret the way he's been treated etc, they also describe him as warm and generous (especially BILLED-BLADETs court reporter Trine Larsen, who has followed him closely over the years), but they also describe him as strict.

What do I think? That we have reasons to both criticize and praise him.

I also liked the comments from Lally Hoffmann (TV2's former court reporter) and the excellent Christian Eugen-Olsen (former master of ceremonies at the court).

The Danish television coverage:
TV 2 (a publicly owned subscription television channel and the largest in Denmark): They ceased all programming and started with special broadcasting at 05:15 (who still airs now at 17:00).
Watch the coverage here:
TV2 live

DR1 (the flagship television channel of the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR): They ceased all programming and started with special broadcasting at 06:00 (who still airs now at 17:00).
Watch the coverage here:
DR live

In Norway:
TV2 has sent a reporter to Denmark who says that ''he has a BIG place in the Danish people's hearts).

The royal expert Kjell Arne Totland said that ''PH is the one who made QMII the amazing Queen she is for Denmark''.

TV2 News Channel have also described PH as the most folksy royal in the world (along with King Harald).

Originally Posted by eya

Condolences from the King Harald

Prins Henriks bortgang - kongehuset.no

Thanks eya!

Transelation:

The royal family has with great sorrow received the message that his Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark has passed away.

''Our thoughts go to Queen Margrethe and the closest family after Prince Henrik’s passing. Our condolences also go to the Danish people''.

His Majesty The King has decided that in connection with the death, the Flag on the Palace Balcony will be be flown at half-mast today and the day on the funeral.

Article from Royal Central with video of the palace:
Norway shows solidarity with Denmark following the death of Prince Henrik – Royal Central

Royal Central‘s Europe Correspondent Oskar Aanmoen passed the Norwegian Royal Palace just an hour ago. A significant crowd had stopped in front of the palace and watched the flag. Most of them had received the message of Prince Henrik’s death and thought it was a lovely thing for the Norwegian Royal Family to do to show their respect.