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

[Emmily]

And now for something unpleasant.

https://www.bt.dk/royale/svensk-uge...lle-paastande-om-margrethe-og-frederik-vi-har

The Swedish discount gossip magazine Hänt has stepped way over the line in regards to the DRF, in connection with the funeral of PH.
So far that the publishing that owns Hänt, Aller, has apologized to the DRF.

The cover on the issue reads:
The family's revenge against Prince Henrik.

With three minor headlines reading:
The son Frederik hated his father.
Henrik was denied a royal funeral.
King Carl Gustav and Queen Silvia disappointed with Margrethe - (for not being invited).

Inside the magazine you can read that QMII smirked at PH's funeral.

The Aller Publishing house has announced that the have apologized to the court.
The court has not yet commented on the story, or the apology.

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

Aller is in a poor position in Denmark right now, because the civil lawsuits against Aller, in connection with the Se & Hør scandal are now being dealt with a court.
Aller intends to deny responsibility and instead refer any economic compensation to those who are suing to the former editors-in-chief (Those who ended up in prison you know).
At least one editor is now saying that he doesn't want to take the beating for something that the publishing house actually did know, he claims.
https://www.b.dk/nationalt/alle-kaemper-mod-alle-i-beskidt-slutspil-i-se-og-hoer-sagen

Despicable. Makes you wonder how the author of these articles can sleep at night.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Your characteristics of the commentators is spot on, Royal Norway.

I think the media coverage of this and similar royal events, (At least in DK - and we can only shudder at how it will be when QEII dies!) was going to the limit of what it could take before it would backfire.
It's a natural and healthy reaction I think. There is only so much you can take before you react against it. For us royal geeks, the tolerance level is no doubt considerably higher than for those who are more moderately royal-inclined.
I think one week of royal carpet bombing is about all it can take, then we all need a break IMO.

Agree! But (as I wrote in the previous post) it was only on the two public service channels (and the news channel), so if people wanted to see something else, they had the opportunity.
And I (for one) think I could have managed yet another week (but thats just me). ?

I can remember one instance here in the US when it did happen. I was 11 years old when President John Fitzgerald Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. It was the first time ever that I remember constant news coverage on all stations available at that time (only three major US channels were available).

It happened during a school day and as soon as the news hit that JFK had been shot, we were sent home and most of us parked in front of our TV sets. We saw Cronkite tearfully announce that the President was dead. We saw Lee Harvey Oswald assassinated by Jack Ruby on live TV. We cried as we saw little John-John salute as his father's coffin passed. The US came to standstill for those days.

With Henrik's passing and his funeral, it was pretty much the same. Henrik became an integral part of all things Danish. It was a nation's loss and a nation responded and drew together to mourn their loss and to remember the person that Henrik was and to console and comfort his Queen he left behind.

Thanks for telling us your story, Osipi!

I also know that the deaths and funerals of former presidents in recent time (such as Reagan and Ford) was extensively covered, but it isn't the same IMO. - Why? Because when a reigning apolitical monarch (or consort) dies, it is a sad, but unifying moment. When a party political president (or former party political president) dies, it isn't.

I remembered something yesterday that Id forgotten about when I wrote about my visit to the Castrum Doloris. Outside of Christiansborg Palace Church was one of the most Danish images of all - baby prams. Empty, although since its in Copenhagen I wouldnt have been surprised to see some babies there. One baby belonging to a woman quite close to me was crying and when she parked her pram by the stairs she asked the guard if her baby would disturb to much inside. The reply was "Just bring him along. The Prince loved children".
As it happened the baby, whod been crying for a good 30 minutes, got quiet as soon as they walked through the doors.

Again, thanks for sharing your experience with us!

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

The Hänt story: Unpleasant, despicable, idiotic and ridiculous, but not surprising (especially when it comes from that bunch).

 

[AdmirerUS]

JMO, but if you can smile as well as mourn at the funeral of a loved one it is a sign of enormous mental stability, strength and a mature ability to celebrate the good in the life of a loved one. Grief is an expression of personal loss. But to smile at the good remembered in a life well lived is the best tribute one can share.

Hant Jerks.

 

[Osipi]

Despicable. Makes you wonder how the author of these articles can sleep at night.

They sleep with visions of golden coins dancing in their heads. A good percentage of the earth's population responds more to sensationalistic claptrap more than "feel good and warm and fuzzy" stories. I'm in the last group.

I also know that the deaths and funerals of former presidents in recent time (such as Reagan and Ford) was extensively covered, but it isn't the same IMO. - Why? Because when a reigning apolitical monarch (or consort) dies, it is a sad, but unifying moment. When a party political president (or former party political president) dies, it isn't.

This is true. The assassination of JFK was different in the respect that he was gunned down as a sitting president and therefore seen as an attack against the entire nation much like 9/11 was seen. Both those events had a national impact that stunned and paralyzed the nation. Henrik's death and funeral was seen more as a loss of a nation without the senseless violence attached to it so your point is very valid. This is one of the positive aspects of a constitutional monarchy with an apolitical head of state. The monarch serves and represents *all* the people.

 

[Thena]

Finally, some coverage that focuses more on the love between Daisy and Henrik and not all the times he ran his mouth off.

https://www.popsugar.com/celebrity/Prince-Henrik-Margrethe-Denmark-Romance-44611546

 

[Muhler]

PH's good friend for many years, the hotel owner Enan Galaly, at whose hotels PH stayed often and also right before he was flown home, has told a little about PH last time in Egypt.

https://www.bt.dk/royale/prins-henriks-naere-ven-fortaeller-saadan-var-prinsens-sidste-tid-i-egypten

PH was in fine spirit and seemed to enjoy life, while in Egypt.
"Even though he was ill, he did many things which he felt like doing in the last part of his life. He was a man who enjoyed the final time remaining to him in his life. He went for walks on the beach, he drove a beach buggy, he rode a camel. And bought presents for the children in the bazaar and for the princesses".

Then suddenly his condition took a turn for the worse and PH's entourage realized he wasn't well.
PH's valet, the hotel-doctor and the court then decided he should be admitted to hospital in Sharm El Sheik.
He was there for a few days, visited by Enan Galaly, before it was decided to fly him back to DK.

- Enan Galaly is an admirable man. He came to DK from Egypt, when he was young, literally worked himself up from a bell-boy at a hotel and today he owns a number of luxury hotels in Egypt.
I don't know if he still owns hotels in DK.

 

[maria-olivia]

Why did suddenly his condition turn for the worse? lung tumor, infection ? All went so quickly.

 

[Muhler]

My guess would be influenza or pneumonia.

Each weekend a number of editors-in-chief for various major media in DK debate on TV. Having a look at themselves, discussing whether they handled various news the right way or in an ethically correct way. - While they don't have particular problems seeing whether other medias did wrong there is a distinct tendency to dismiss the faults of the media they each represent.
There has been a survey saying that a majority of the Danes believe PH was treated unfairly by the press.
Flertal af danskerne: Medierne gav ikke prins Henrik en fair behandling - TV 2
There is a graph down the page, from left to right:
To the question: (Do you think) The Danish media have overall given Prince Henrik a fair treatment during his time as Prince Consort?
23 % Agree or mainly agree with this.
15 % Don't agree, but don't disagree either.
58 % Disagree or mainly disagree.
3 % Don't know.

- I will however say that a good deal of Danes were not that impressed with PH while he was around. Whether that is contributory to the influence of the media is debatable. I honestly don't think the media should have all the blame here.

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

Billed Bladet this week is almost exclusively devoted to covering PH's funeral.
From the announcement of his death, to him being moved from Fredensborg to Christiansborg.
Castrum Doloris.
What his many friends had to say about him.
The flowers outside the royal palaces.
The ceremony for his friends and finally the funeral ceremony for the family.
- All of that has of course already been well covered here, and there is really very little news.

However, I do not like the cover of BB this week! I find it in poor taste the face of someone in mourning, anyone, should end up on a cover!
There were many other pictures they could have chosen for the frontpage, but not this one.
But you be the judge.
The coverage is mainly chronological, so I suggest when you look at the scans that you start with the cover.

BB #08, 2018

In scan #07, Isabella is seen comforting her mother, when Mary teared up.

There is also a booklet this week, illustrating PH's life with many wonderful photos. I'll scan that when I get around to do it.

 

[Thena]

Why did suddenly his condition turn for the worse? lung tumor, infection ? All went so quickly.

This is just speculation, but I'm seeing firsthand how lung problems can spiral into a serious illness. Even though the tumor was benign, it takes up space in the lung. That's space that can't be used to hold air when one breathes in. The inability to take in air means less oxygen in the bloodstream, which puts strain on the heart. The lung infection would make it worse since the body's immune response is to produce secretions that further block up the lungs.

I'm seeing this firsthand with my dad over the past two months. First, he came down with bronchitis. He was too weak to cough up much of the secretions, and they solidified into a mass in his lungs to the point that he wasn't able to breathe in. At this point, blood tests showed a slight increase in the cardiac enzymes that normally show up in a heart attack. Doctors were able to remove the mass and he was finally able to breathe. They also had to put him on blood thinners to prevent clots in the lungs. After he was home for a week, he developed a gastrointestinal bleed, probably from an ulcer. They had to give him blood transfusions over three days while waiting for the long-lasting blood thinners to wear off. Again, his heart started having issues due to the low blood volume. Even after normal blood volume returned, his heart was showing major signs of distress and he remains in the hospital. On top of everything else, he has existing kidney problems and a lot of diagnostic tests can't be performed because they use dyes that put further strain on the kidneys.

Yesterday, he called me and started giving me instructions for his funeral.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

My guess would be influenza or pneumonia.

Each weekend a number of editors-in-chief for various major media in DK debate on TV. Having a look at themselves, discussing whether they handled various news the right way or in an ethically correct way. - While they don't have particular problems seeing whether other medias did wrong there is a distinct tendency to dismiss the faults of the media they each represent.
There has been a survey saying that a majority of the Danes believe PH was treated unfairly by the press.
Flertal af danskerne: Medierne gav ikke prins Henrik en fair behandling - TV 2
There is a graph down the page, from left to right:
To the question: (Do you think) The Danish media have overall given Prince Henrik a fair treatment during his time as Prince Consort?
23 % Agree or mainly agree with this.
15 % Don't agree, but don't disagree either.
58 % Disagree or mainly disagree.
3 % Don't know.

- I will however say that a good deal of Danes were not that impressed with PH while he was around. Whether that is contributory to the influence of the media is debatable. I honestly don't think the media should have all the blame here.

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

Billed Bladet this week is almost exclusively devoted to covering PH's funeral.
From the announcement of his death, to him being moved from Fredensborg to Christiansborg.
Castrum Doloris.
What his many friends had to say about him.
The flowers outside the royal palaces.
The ceremony for his friends and finally the funeral ceremony for the family.
- All of that has of course already been well covered here, and there is really very little news.

However, I do not like the cover of BB this week! I find it in poor taste the face of someone in mourning, anyone, should end up on a cover!
There were many other pictures they could have chosen for the frontpage, but not this one.
But you be the judge.
The coverage is mainly chronological, so I suggest when you look at the scans that you start with the cover.

BB #08, 2018

In scan #07, Isabella is seen comforting her mother, when Mary teared up.

There is also a booklet this week, illustrating PH's life with many wonderful photos. I'll scan that when I get around to do it.

Thanks Muhler!

Had PH died some days after QMII's 75th birthday in 2015, when he dropped the celebrations for ''health reasons'', but went on holiday right after:
1. Would the danes have been so supportive of him? No way.
2. Would the Danish media have covered his death with so much praise for him? No way.

Was the Danish media unfair in their coverage of him while he was alive? Well, PH was (IMO) a very complicated person with some good sides (which he received a lot of well-deserved praise for while he was alive) and some not so good sides (which he received a lot of well-deserved criticism for while he was alive).

And remember, this was a guy who refused to be buried with his wife because he did not get to be king (something he did know about when he got married in 1967).

But I agree with the people in the article/video (that Muhler posted above), some in the press were constantly after him when he was around while praising him as never before after his passing (hypocrisy at its best).
If they had been more balanced in their coverage of his death, they wouldn't have been exposed to that criticism.
But I reckon it's difficult to be more critical (balanced) when a frail 83-year-old consort with dementia dies.

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

However, I do not like the cover of BB this week! I find it in poor taste the face of someone in mourning, anyone, should end up on a cover!
There were many other pictures they could have chosen for the frontpage, but not this one.
But you be the judge.

I completely agree with you, Muhler. I think it's a very intrusive front page they've chosen. You can convey the sadness of it all without exploiting people.

I also think it's totally out of place to show footage from the funeral where members of the family are crying. Especially the clip of QMII wiping her tears away has been parading across several media platforms and I think that's completely inappropriate. Let them grieve in peace, there's no need, no incitement, to put a family's misery over having lost someone dear to them on display.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I completely agree with you, Muhler. I think it's a very intrusive front page they've chosen. You can convey the sadness of it all without exploiting people.

I also think it's totally out of place to show footage from the funeral where members of the family are crying. Especially the clip of QMII wiping her tears away has been parading across several media platforms and I think that's completely inappropriate. Let them grieve in peace, there's no need, no incitement, to put a family's misery over having lost someone dear to them on display.

And that moment, the Queen wiping a tear away, was only a few seconds during a whole funeral in which she held her composure. People who have not seen the service now get the idea the Queen was crying all the way, which was not true at all.

 

[maria-olivia]

You are right , I followed the live which was different as the press pictures.
But I have a great respect of the beaviour of the family de Montpezat.
Etienne de Montpezat said to a french newspaper that he saw unexpected deep sorrow among the danish people.

 

[FasterB]

To me that moment when QMII wiped a few tears away was, although heartwrecking, also sooooo human and understandable. She has lost the love of her life, her husband, her compagnon, her everything - and the hymn with those words:

3) Thanks for every joy that filled our hearts,
every time you made our life a party.
Help us to bear every burden, every pain,
You know alone, what best serves us.

But I also saw the QMII tried to shield herself from the camera in front of her with the booklet - and that is also fully understandable.
I must say that I think it´s good for the Danes to have seen our queen wiping the few tears away - this way the last ones understand the deep sorrow for her.

And yes, the cover of BB - not good. They could have chosen another photo. The one of QMII standing alone in front of Christiansborg Chapel Church for example.

 

[DICALAP]

My condolences to the DRF.
Is there any translation of the speech made by the priest during the funeral ?
I would like to read it.
Thank you

 

[Muhler]

You may be able to find the speech with English subtitles on You Tube.

Here is BB #09. - As the DRF have pretty much shut down during the court-mourning there is very little news that hasn't already bee covered here.
Except - back in 2008 PH said that Chateau Cayz was to go to Frederik, because Joachim "have Schackenborg". - But Joachim don't have Schackenborg anymore and he is now married to a French woman. - So the article suggests that this arrangement could have been changed.

- Apart from that there is also little about Nikolai being a model with additional photos. The article makes it clear that the model-work is only extra money to supplement his studies.

Have a look here:
BB #09, 2018

 

[DICALAP]

I didn't find the speech with English subtitles on youtube.
but i still would like to read it in English. Can anybody help ?
thank you.

 

[ROYALFAN2]

Hello from Canada. This is such a sad story. Beyond the royalty and the glitter, I think we too often forget that these people are human and are devastated . God bless them all

 

[Muhler]

Congratulations on your first post, Royalfan2

Indeed.
However, tomorrow we will see QMII and M&F again in an official capacity.
It will probably feel slightly awkward for them, as it is with most people who attend an event after the death of a close relative. - And I predict it will in a strange way also feel slightly awkward for many of us as well.

 

[roseroyal]

I've just gone through the pictures our Muhler has posted in the Fashion and Style of Royal Men and its prompted me to relate a scenario that keeps flashing through my mind these past few days.

I sincerely believe that when its our time to go Home, we are welcomed and embraced by our loved ones that have gone before us. I picture Queen Margrethe arriving Home when her time comes and not having any trouble at all finding her beloved Henrik in the welcoming committee as he'll be front and center wearing his (what I like to call) Zorba the Grape outfit.

Zorba the grape?

 

[Osipi]

Its an odd moniker for sure but one time I saw Henrik out and about with quite a stand out purple outfit on. So, its a play on words using Zorba the Greek and grape for purple. Its also what I named my purple car when I had it.

 

[Muhler]

I'll let the mods decide whether this should be placed in another thread, since this took place when PH was dying in hospital.

https://www.bt.dk/royale/politiet-e...edspligt-i-forbindelse-med-prins-henriks-doed

The police has launched a criminal investigation about a breach of confidentiality by one or more persons at Rigshospitalet.
On 9th February the court announced that PH's condition was seriously deteriorated and that Frederik was leaving Seoul.
On that day the journalist Trine Villemann said on radio that a source at Rigshospitalet had told her that PH was in fact dying.
- I personally can't recall having seen her being quoted among the myriad of articles that popped up at the time and it was something most of us thought ourselves.

Now someone has reported that to the police and in that context Trine Villemann has been called in to testify as a witness.
The police confirm an investigation is going on:
"We can confirm that Trine Villemann has been here and sign her testimony. She has been questioned on the phone. She is a witness in the case and is not charged. It is correct that an investigation is going on in that context (breach of confidentiality). We would like to confirm that, but apart from that I don't want to say much more".

Vi kan bekræfte, at Trine Villemann har været inde hos os og skrive under på sin forklaring. Hun er blevet afhørt telefonisk. Hun er vidne i sagen og er ikke sigtet. Det er korrekt, at der pågår en efterforskning i den forbindelse. Det vil vi gerne bekræfte, men ud over det, vil jeg ikke sige så meget mere,

Trine Villemann writes on her Facebook site:
"At 10.00 today I have to show up at the police. As someone may remember there is an investigation going on in order to find one of my sources. >someone< have reported something - that's all I can be told at present. I will of course under no circumstances reveal my source and in this family we generally have a strict view on that about trying to intimidate people to shut up".

Kl 10 i dag skal jeg møde op hos politiet. Som nogen måske husker er der en efterforskning i gang for at finde en af mine kilder. "Nogen" har anmeldt noget - mere kan jeg på nuværende tidspunkt ikke få at vide. Jeg vil naturligvids under ingen omstændigheder røbe min kilde og her i familien ser vi generelt ret stramt på det der med at forsøge at intimidere mennesker til at holde kæft

After the visit to the police, she wrote:"Update: Now I've been to the police. It's a politikommissær (*) no less (i.e. a pretty high ranking police officer) who is heading the investigation in this case. I'm not charged in the matter but a witness. That's why I for example can't be told who has filed a socalled >open complaint< (**) against Rigshospitalet for breach of the confidentiality, but you are allowed to guess".
OPDATERING: Nu har jeg været hos politiet. Det er såmænd en politikommissær (altså en ret højtstående politibetjent), der står for efterforskningen af denne sag. Jeg er ikke sigtet i sagen, men vidne. Derfor kan jeg f.eks. heller ikke få at vide, hvem der har indgivet en såkaldt "åben anmeldelse" mod Rigshospitalet for brud på tavshedspligten, men man har jo lov at gætte.'

(*) Don't know what the equivalent title would be in other countries. AFAIK a politikommissær heads a sub-department like fraud, homicide and so on, under the department of criminal investigation at the police.

(**) An open complaint = a compliant filed against an unspecified person.
------------

As for who could file a compliant, your guesses are as good as mine. A superior at Rigshospitalet, the court or the department under PET that is in charge of VIP protection are my best guesses.

Trine Villemann has a very poor reputation among the more serious journalists and whenever she credits "sources" they are often very questionable. However even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Now, will Trine Villemann herself face charges? No, I don't think so. After all she only reported what a source had told her.
Had she published PH's medical journal it would have been an extremely serious breach of the laws of privacy and confidentiality. Such a thing can only be excused if it is of vital public interest. - And even then...
She may have to appear in front of the Press Ethics Committee, but I doubt that as well.

As for anyone found breaching the confidentiality: Well, since this is now a police matter, rather than an internal matter, the person in question will at least get a fine, perhaps even a suspended sentence, depending on the person's position. And the person will no doubt be sacked and find him/herself pretty unemployable within the public hospital sector in Scandinavia. All employees at hospitals, even down to interns, sign a pledge of confidentiality. The breaching of which is a criminal offence.

- There are two things that are monumentally stupid to do in a small country like DK: Steal from your workplace and breach of confidentiality.
Employers talk among themselves you know. The higher your position, the more they talk.

You can be forgiven for cutting off the head of your mother-in-law and use it as table-decoration while you host a dinner for your boss, but stealing (a breach of trust) won't be forgiven!

 

[Muhler]

https://www.bt.dk/royale/tavshedspl...-straffen-hvis-man-har-laekket-oplysninger-om

BT has asked a professor what would be the likely outcome, should the police find the leak and the person in question is found guilty.
It's pretty much what I wrote in my last post.

This falls under §152 in the Penal Code.
At this level of indiscretion there will be no difference between PH and any other patient in the eyes of the court.
It's a fine of up to 10.000 DKK and or prison for up to six months. Under grievous circumstances it's prison up to two years.

- However the person in question is still almost certain to lose the job.

- There is another thing to consider. Trine Villemann's sources have previously been questioned. (She once used a hairdresser as a source in one of her books. A hairdresser that had heard something from one of her costumers mind you!) I'm not at all certain Trine Villemann did have a source at Rigshospitalet. I cannot free myself from the thought that she might have "quoted" "a source" in order to put extra weight on her statement that PH was dying - which after all most people I know of thought was likely when the statement from the court was released.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

I know sometimes people who work in hospitals do sell information for money (stupid if they care about their job as it is a serious breach of confidentiality but for some people cash is too tempting) but in this instance I too have doubts that there actually was a source. To me it sounds like Trine Villemann may have just assumed and made up a "source." Which is horrible for the hospital employees now being suspected.

 

[Muhler]

Yes. But Trine Villemann is freelance. She can't afford to pay sources.

https://www.bt.dk/royale/kongehus-j...-politiet-i-sag-om-prins-henriks-indlaeggelse
Here is more.

Trine Villemann finds it grotesque that the police use resources on investigating such a trivial matter. - Especially as she had deduced from the statements from the court that PH hardly suffered from flu. (He might actually, but let's leave that.) And that he was dying. (*)
While at the same time no doubt basking in the attention she is getting...

BT has been in contact with the police who says they got a complaint from a "citizen who heard Trine Villemann on the radio".
It is not a complaint from the court.

The police has a duty to investigate every complaint they receive. To what extent they investigate is a matter of assessment from case to case.
So far though they haven't questioned anyone but Trine Villemann.

(*) That's pretty much the thoughts most people made at the time. Which to me personally lends credit to the thought that Trine Villemann's source might be herself perhaps?

 

[King of the Jungle]

The investigation sounds a little petty in this case.
We are all dying. To deduce that Henrik was deteriorating fast and to believe there was a greater chance of him dying sooner rather than later (based on the fact that Frederick left the Winter Olympics) seems logical.

 

[Muhler]

Indeed.
However, investigating what is basically a potential security leak is of course a police matter.

Summary of a Q&A in Billed Bladet #11, 2018.
Where a Magnus Andersen would like to know more about the length of a court mourning.
Jon Bloch Skipper replies that it is up to the Monarch to decide.
At the death of Frederik V in 1766 it lasted a whole year.
At the deaths of Frederik VII, Christian IX and Frederik VIII in 1863, 1903 and 1912 it lasted for 24 weeks.
At the death of a Christian X in 1947 it was reduced to 16 weeks and at the death of Frederik IX it was 8 weeks.
Queen Ingrid anf PH each got 4 weeks.
- Which leads me to conclude that should QMII die tomorrow the court mourning would likely be for 8 weeks.

During a court mourning, the members of the DRF will dress in dark clothes at official events and the employees at the court will wear black bands of mourning on their arms.
The DRF will refrain from taking part in festive events and celebrations.

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

Okay, what I'm going to say now may be considered controversial by some, so be it.
I think the DRF have interpreted the court mourning very strictly, almost to the point of making a statement IMO.
I can completely understand the DRF not attending celebratory events. And I totally understand QMII taking a few weeks off for reflection, I would also take time off in her place. That's natural.
However, the DRF went almost completely under ground for these past four weeks, only attending what was absolutely necessary.
To me it is almost like they are saying: PH was not universally appreciated while he was alive, but this is how important he was to us. Get it!?!

There is a good deal of truth in that one, but the DRF is a business, and like all businesses, life has to go on. So you go to back to work even though you are grieving.
They don't have to attend openings and cutting ribbons, or attend galas, that's fair enough, but there are people in need they could do something for. Things that can hardly be called festive.

 

[Nordic]

Okay, what I'm going to say now may be considered controversial by some, so be it.
I think the DRF have interpreted the court mourning very strictly, almost to the point of making a statement IMO.
I can completely understand the DRF not attending celebratory events. And I totally understand QMII taking a few weeks off for reflection, I would also take time off in her place. That's natural.
However, the DRF went almost completely under ground for these past four weeks, only attending what was absolutely necessary.

There is a good deal of truth in that one, but the DRF is a business, and like all businesses, life has to go on. So you go to back to work even though you are grieving.

I completely agree. I am very surprised by the very strict interpretation.

As for QM's two weeks of winter holiday, she has done the same for years now. I think the timing of her holiday (about a week later than usual) could have more to do with the fact that Frederik was (probably) supposed to return after the Olympics (and she would have left after that) than PH's death.

 

[gerry]

I completely agree. I am very surprised by the very strict interpretation.

As for QM's two weeks of winter holiday, she has done the same for years now. I think the timing of her holiday (about a week later than usual) could have more to do with the fact that Frederik was (probably) supposed to return after the Olympics (and she would have left after that) than PH's death.

I wonder if the "strict interpretation" period of mourning will also give time for internal family reflection/discussion/resolution. I agree with you Muhler that the passing of grandpapa meant a great deal to a family that had perhaps been made uncomfortable by an increasingly unreliable and irrascible paterfamilias. Who knows what the next weeks will bring, but I will not count out some new and surprising directions from these very interesting people!

 

[muriel]

Do we have some dates for a memorial for Prince Henrik?