Born in Talence in France, a career diplomat, a travel lover, a connoisseur of the Far East, Henri de Monpezat, who became Prince Henrik of Denmark after his marriage to Queen Margrethe in 1967, had always been keen to promote long and unalterable friendship between France and Denmark, two nations whose alliance was never broken.
He made sure in particular that the French language remains employed at Court and remains taught in Denmark, especially at Le Lycée Français Prins Henrik, the largest French high school in Northern Europe, with 950 students.
He had published several collections of poems in French and Danish, including Cantabile (2000), illustrated by his wife, but also memories written with a smiling humor (Destin oblige, 1996), and even a cookbook. He watched lovingly over his vineyard of Château de Cayx.
I think the DRF have had a crash course in dementia and that it didn't just happen overnight. He was, in all probability, not quite in his right mind for several years before his behaviour became outrageous enough for them to see he was more than just eccentric, he was erratic and his outrageous behaviour resulted in him being examined and diagnosed. 
