Prince Henrik Diagnosed with Dementia: September 2017 & Further Health Issues

[maria-olivia]

To the Moderator of the Royal Family of Denmark.
I don't know if Dement in English is the same as dement in french ? In French it as a mad, wild, tremendous person.
The Prince will not pass away because of his Diagnose with Dementia but from an ilness we don't know exactly how this happened so quickly.
Could you delete the word Dementia from his thread.
He was during 50 years Prince of Denmark, gave two Princes to Denmark, and Her Majesty's beloved husband.
Grateful thanks
Maria Olivia

[Hans-Rickard]

Originally Posted by kalnel

I'm curious how the news about Prince Henrik is being covered in Denmark (and throughout Scandinavia). Are TV channels breaking in with updates whenever something happens? Is it the top news story? Is it something most Danes are interested in?

It is not the top story here in Sweden but the swedish media is writing about it on a daily basis.

From what i've read in Norwegian media it is the same there. Not the top story but it is covered on a daily basis.

[An Ard Ri]

Yes it was on Euronews earlier today too!

Denmark's Prince Henrik's condition 'greatly worsened' | Euronews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkPTmyISCMs

[HereditaryPrincess]

Originally Posted by kathia_sophia

Once the brain starts not to function the same way as before, a person's health starts deteriorating really fast. From many people who had Alzheimer's or Dementia, most died from other health problems, though these health problems are associated with the disease because the brain is weak and doesn't function correctly anymore. We can compare (just a reference of example) with AIDS, people don't exactly die from AIDS, but die from health problems associated with AIDS. The "main" disease is the trigger of health problems that come after.
I don't know if I explained well because english is not my mother tongue.

Yes, unfortunately it is true that this is the case; and reports had also said that his health is worsening which would indicate the visitors Henrik has been receiving lately. We're not getting off to good start of the year in the DRF. At least Henrik is having company during his days in the hospital. I'm sure that seeing the grandchildren will have made him smile during his times of hardship.

[Nordic]

Originally Posted by Muhler

I had a look at the DRF calendar. The school winter holiday has started, so there is hardly anything scheduled.

The next item on the agenda for QMII is a public audience on the 19th. Frederik can easily stand in here as I doubt that will be cancelled.
Then on the 21st QMII is supposed to meet the retiring and the new regimental secretary for the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment. - That can be postponed as well, if need be.

On the 23th she is to receive new ambassadors. Something she's likely to leave to Frederik.

Thursday next week the calendar is updated again, which means we only know whats happening for the next week or so.

[mydeardrsattler]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

To the Moderator of the Royal Family of Denmark.
I don't know if Dement in English is the same as dement in french ? In French it as a mad, wild, tremendous person.
The Prince will not pass away because of his Diagnose with Dementia but from an ilness we don't know exactly how this happened so quickly.
Could you delete the word Dementia from his thread.
He was during 50 years Prince of Denmark, gave two Princes to Denmark, and Her Majesty's beloved husband.
Grateful thanks
Maria Olivia

Dementia is a type of brain disease that Henrik has been diagnosed with. Google translate suggests in French it's called démence? It may be wrong.

It's a medical term, it's not a description of him or his character.

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by mydeardrsattler

Dementia is a type of brain disease that Henrik has been diagnosed with. Google translate suggests in French it's called démence? It may be wrong.

It's a medical term, it's not a description of him or his character.

Congratulations on your first post.

Agree. This is an international board, where the common language happens to be English.
There will inevitably be words and expressions that even when translated will be offensive or have a totally different meaning in other languages.
That is unfortunate (and sometimes amusing), so we should look at things in perspective.

I don't think anyone here who use the words dement or dementia in connection with PH would even dream of being demeaning. On the contrary in fact. - Such people wouldn't last long here on TRF anyway.

Dementia is a word an international audience can understand and know what means. It's the context of the word that matters IMO.

Ekstra Bladet reports that PH's second surviving brother, Jean Baptiste, will also go to DK in the next days. His other brother, Etienne, seems to be underway, if not already here.

[gerry]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Congratulations on your first post.

Agree. This is an international board, where the common language happens to be English.
There will inevitably be words and expressions that even when translated will be offensive or have a totally different meaning in other languages.
That is unfortunate (and sometimes amusing), so we should look at things in perspective.

I don't think anyone here who use the words dement or dementia in connection with PH would even dream of being demeaning. On the contrary in fact. - Such people wouldn't last long here on TRF anyway.

Dementia is a word an international audience can understand and know what means. It's the context of the word that matters IMO.

Mange tak Muhler for your explanation, with which I totally agree. However, I can also see the point of the francophone poster (whose name I have unfortunately forgotten-mes excuses!) in that one hopes that the Prince's family is not driven to demence by intrusive journalists during this difficult time. I trust and hope that any news gathering is done respectfully and that the Danish Queen and her family understand the outside world's prayers are with them.

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by maria-olivia

To the Moderator of the Royal Family of Denmark.
I don't know if Dement in English is the same as dement in french ? In French it as a mad, wild, tremendous person.
The Prince will not pass away because of his Diagnose with Dementia but from an ilness we don't know exactly how this happened so quickly.
Could you delete the word Dementia from his thread.
He was during 50 years Prince of Denmark, gave two Princes to Denmark, and Her Majesty's beloved husband.
Grateful thanks
Maria Olivia

Dementia is a medical diagnosis. It does not mean mad or wild. It means a loss of cognitive brain function. It is not at all disrespectful if it is meant as a medically diagnosed condition. As explained by others earlier, dementia, or in Henrik's case actually Alzheimer's, can cause complications of other diseases- in this case a lung infection that sounds as though It has not responded to treatment.

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Originally Posted by kalnel

I'm curious how the news about Prince Henrik is being covered in Denmark (and throughout Scandinavia). Are TV channels breaking in with updates whenever something happens? Is it the top news story? Is it something most Danes are interested in?

The coverage in Norway:

On Friday:

Originally Posted by ROYAL NORWAY

Thanks to eya and Muhler!

The coverage of it in Norway:

The main story on TV2 News Channel. - They also have it as a breaking news story in the bottom of the TV screen.

They are now talking to their royal expert Kjell Arne Totland.

Also the main story on the NRK (Norway's public broadcasting company) and VG (one of Norway's two largest papers) websites.

On Saturday (yesterday):
Not that much, but TV2's royal expert Kjell Arne Totland (who has met PH many times) was live on TV2 News Channel and talked about it.
Also an article in VG about PH's funeral plans etc.

On Sunday (today):
Not much, but NRK and (especially) TV2 News Channel will go mental if something were to happen.

[carina_a]

The title of the thread is totally appropriate imo (if that's what is being discussed)

No one is saying he's going to pass away just "because of his Diagnose with Dementia", that why there is an additional part of "further health issues".

He was diagnosed with dementia, that's a fact, according to the court communication last September. Just because he is a Prince of 50 years does not exempt him from illness and mortality.

Furthermore, many people on this forum does not have English as their first language (myself included), and it's not realistic to accomodate every other language. We just have to try and communicate as clearly as possible.

[PetticoatLane]

Maybe maria-olivia is mistaking dementia for the term 'demented' which the Oxford English Dictionary describes as 'behaving irrationally due to anger, distress, or excitement.' It can also informally mean to go mad, usually as a result of something really annoying like a car alarm that won't stop or a baby that won't stop crying etc.

Not the same as dementia obviously but similar words anyhow.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by carina_a

The title of the thread is totally appropriate imo (if that's what is being discussed)

No one is saying he's going to pass away just "because of his Diagnose with Dementia", that why there is an additional part of "further health issues".

He was diagnosed with dementia, that's a fact, according to the court communication last September. Just because he is a Prince of 50 years does not exempt him from illness and mortality.

Furthermore, many people on this forum does not have English as their first language (myself included), and it's not realistic to accomodate every other language. We just have to try and communicate as clearly as possible.

I think Maria Olivia's point is that there should be a separate thread for Prince Henrik's current health problems and hospitalization as his lung infection is not necessarily directly linked to what, until recently, was understood to be early symptoms of dementia or, more precisely, Alzheimer's disease.

Prince Henrik is 83 and, at that age, it is not uncommon for people to have aggressive cases of pneumonia regardless of cognitive decline. It is also true, however, that, in advanced cases of Alzheimer's, pneumonia occurs frequently, mostly as a consequence of an increasing difficult to swallow, but we don't know for a fact if that was what happened to Henrik.

[Duc_et_Pair]

Originally Posted by sophie25

A bit off topic but what lovely names his brothers have.

The De Laborde de Monpezat's siblings are / were:

Anne-Marie (died 1938)

Joseph (died 1957)

Thérèse (died 1957)

Maurille (died 2015)

Françoise

Henri

Étienne

Jean-Baptiste

Cathérine

[Osipi]

One of the debilitating effects of Alzheimer's is that it doesn't only affect the intellectual and mental functions of the brain. It can also cause the brain to "forget" to tell the body how to swallow or how to have reflexes or send messages to the body to fight infections. One of the last things that Alzheimer's will do is cause the brain to forget to tell the body to breathe and the heart to beat.

The brain is like the supercomputer of the body which regulates and automatically controls what the body needs to do without our conscious thought. A person with a more advanced stage of the disease could put their hand into a fire and not feel any pain because the brain has stopped sending the message to alert the person to pain. This is why people with advanced stages of the disease need constant supervision and care. Its also a reason why a person diagnosed with Alzheimer's or dementia often come down with other health problems.

[O-H Anglophile]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

I think Maria Olivia's point is that there should be a separate thread for Prince Henrik's current health problems and hospitalization as his lung infection is not necessarily directly linked to what, until recently, was understood to be early symptoms of dementia or, more precisely, Alzheimer's disease.

Prince Henrik is 83 and, at that age, it is not uncommon for people to have aggressive cases of pneumonia regardless of cognitive decline. It is also true, however, that, in advanced cases of Alzheimer's, pneumonia occurs frequently, mostly as a consequence of an increasing difficult to swallow, but we don't know for a fact if that was what happened to Henrik.

While Henrik was only diagnosed last autumn, the disease was already at work, possibly for a number of years. It was only when he displayed enough symptoms that he was finally tested and diagnosed.

[An Ard Ri]

Prince Henrik with his late parents Andre de Monpezat & Renee Doursenot with his late sister Madame Maurille Beauvillain de Monpezat who died in 2015.

https://bt.bmcdn.dk/media/cache/reso...er-alt---3.jpg

[MidwestMom]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

I wonder if, as a nun, Catherine of Monpezat doesn't regret that Henrik, having converted to Lutheranism, could not receive the sacraments from a Catholic priest at this particular crucial moment of his life.

My Luther's Small Catechism seems to have gone astray. But if I remember correctly, Holy Communion may be administered as long as the recipient is aware. It probably also 'counts' if the elements are only touched to the lips of a person unable to swallow. I'd have to ask my Pastor for specifics on this. My husband died rather unexpectedly even though he was in a nursing home. I was, regrettably, not with him at the time. So I asked the home not to call the mortician until I had seen him. My son, nephew, and I were there when the Pastor arrived, and he said a brief liturgy and some lovely prayers which were a great comfort to us.

[Tarlita]

Wow that's a great photo. Many thanks for it.

[kalnel]

Thanks for the notes on the Danish coverage. I wondered how prominent the story was there.

Do you think Princess Benedikte might step into some of these visits? She wouldn't be as directly affected as Frederik or Mary, if they want to spend more time with Henrik.

Originally Posted by Muhler

It's among the top stories in the papers, and there is a segment about the coming and goings of the DRF in every of the main news. i.e. noon, early evening, prime time and so on.
And the tabloids have a live update whenever there is activity. So yes, it is very well covered here in DK.

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

I had a look at the DRF calendar. The school winter holiday has started, so there is hardly anything scheduled. Except for the cancelled visit to a hospice tomorrow by QMII. (The hospice is located in Herlev, which is just north of Copenhagen, so strictly speaking she wouldn't lose time, should she suddenly get a call from Rigshospitalet. But of course that's hardly the main reason for this cancellation.)
The next items on the agenda is on Friday, where Mary is to go to Lithuania. Unless PH could die any second, I don't think she will cancel that. It's an event that will take a few hours and Mary can be there and back the same day. She's probably flying in with an air force Challenger anyway. So IMO she would be unfortunate if PH should die while she's in Lithuania.
But QMII also has an event on Friday. She is attending a 10th anniversary of a theater. Something that can easily be cancelled - or taken over by another member of the DRF if need be.
The next item on the agenda for QMII is a public audience on the 19th. Frederik can easily stand in here as I doubt that will be cancelled.
Then on the 21st QMII is supposed to meet the retiring and the new regimental secretary for the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment. - That can be postponed as well, if need be. But it's basically nothing more than a hello and thank you and a cup of tea and a little small talk. All parties are IMO so professional that this need not be cancelled either, unless PH really is on the verge of dying any second at that point.
On the 23th she is to receive new ambassadors. Something she's likely to leave to Frederik.

Thanks! I wondered how the story was being covered elsewhere in Scandinavia. Is there usually an interest in the Danish royals?

Originally Posted by Hans-Rickard

It is not the top story here in Sweden but the swedish media is writing about it on a daily basis.

From what i've read in Norwegian media it is the same there. Not the top story but it is covered on a daily basis.

I saw your post about the coverage in Norway the other day, which is what made me interested in asking how the story is being covered throughout Scandinavia.

Has Prince Henrik's health over the past few months been a big story in Norway?

Originally Posted by ROYAL NORWAY

The coverage in Norway:

On Friday:


On Saturday (yesterday):
Not that much, but TV2's royal expert Kjell Arne Totland (who has met PH many times) was live on TV2 News Channel and talked about it.
Also an article in VG about PH's funeral plans etc.

On Sunday (today):
Not much, but NRK and (especially) TV2 News Channel will go mental if something were to happen.