Prince Henrik Retiring from Official Duties as of January 1, 2016

[Osipi]

If anything, over the years, Henrik has been a colorful figure with a personality that has endeared him to his wife. Just as the Duke of Edinburgh could be counted on to make gaffes that would make the Queen roll her eyes and go "Oh Philip!", Queen Daisy has her match in Henrik. You always wonder what they're going to be wearing because you know they both have a flamboyant, artistic streak in them. (The multicolor raincoat and Henrik's Zorba the Grape outfit recently proves this point). This is one unique couple that have endured for years.

Henrik and Philip also are two men that came to be consorts of a queen at the end of a different kind of era and each had to deal with the difficulties of adjusting to their roles and what to do with them. I think one of the DoE's saving factors was that up until he married into the BRF, he was basically a self made man and took on making his role his own the same way he took on everything else in his life. I don't know much about Henrik's background but I'm of a mind to believe that he was raised with more of a sense of entitlement and that's reflected in his attitudes.

Regardless of his idiosyncrasies that seem to rub people the wrong way, there is obviously a strong relationship between the Danish royal couple. I wish him well and many more years of being by his wife's side.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

That sounds logical. He is an old man now and his health is far from what it was before. It's easy for us to sometimes forget that all royals above 80 are not in the same health as Queen Elizabeth II and The Duke of Edinburgh.

The Prince is admitted in hospital right now, because of an infection in a leg. So his health indeed is not too good.

 

[camelot23ca]

Regardless of his idiosyncrasies that seem to rub people the wrong way, there is obviously a strong relationship between the Danish royal couple. I wish him well and many more years of being by his wife's side.

Margrethe clearly thinks the world of him. I remember thinking there last time I saw them together - possibly Easter? - that there was so much love and affection between them.

I've come to really admire Queen Margrethe in the years I've been following the Danish royals. She's intelligent, witty, dutiful, hardworking. Everything you could ask for in a monarch. I hope she's truly happy with the current setup and that she and Henrik continue to act as support for each other in their private lives for a long time to come!

 

[MidwestMom]

Absolutely agree! From my own experience in a long-term marriage, even though you love the other person, sometimes you just don't like them very much. You adjust and go on; whatever works for the two of you.

 

[Winnie]

The Prince is admitted in hospital right now, because of an infection in a leg. So his health indeed is not too good.

Didn't realize that. I truly hope his stay will be short and all corrected soon. He might be a tad testy at times, but really an interesting person and the Queen does adore him plus a brilliant grandfather. Prayers to his complete recovery.

 

[Mbruno]

I have never really followed the Danish RF very closely and I admit to being most ignorant about Frederik's childhood and youth years, but anyway, I find it curious that everybody on this forum seems to talk about Frederik having to stand up to his dad and so on, so forth, when, on the contrary, from the tiny little bits I read or heard of, it was actually his relationship with his mother that was particularly difficult for him, with QMII having the reputation, which I think she herself acknowledges, of having been a rather distant and coid mum to her children.

Anybody from Denmark would care to comment ?

 

[Hans-Rickard]

I have never really followed the Danish RF very closely and I admit to being most ignorant about Frederik's childhood and youth years, but anyway, I find it curious that everybody on this forum seems to talk about Frederik having to stand up to his dad and so on, so forth, when, on the contrary, from the tiny little bits I read or heard of, it was actually his relationship with his mother that was particularly difficult for him, with QMII having the reputation, which I think she herself acknowledges, of having been a rather distant and coid mum to her children.

Anybody from Denmark would care to comment ?

I think both Frederik and Joachim has had a difficult relation to both of their parents. They love them dearly ofcourse because they are Mom and Dad, but like in every family that's not the same as always going along and like each other. They have said in quite clear words that their children will not get the same upbringing as their parents gave them. That must mean something...

QMII has admitted that she was rarely at home when her children were small kids because she had to become Queen already at 31 and that when she was home, she wasn't a very good wife and mother so she handed practically everything regarding the family over to PH.

I get the impression that PH was very frustrated during the first years in the reign of his wife and that he felt like a babysitter with nothing else to do. I don't know if he has said exactly those words but that's the impression i've got of him.

 

[Muhler]

I have never really followed the Danish RF very closely and I admit to being most ignorant about Frederik's childhood and youth years, but anyway, I find it curious that everybody on this forum seems to talk about Frederik having to stand up to his dad and so on, so forth, when, on the contrary, from the tiny little bits I read or heard of, it was actually his relationship with his mother that was particularly difficult for him, with QMII having the reputation, which I think she herself acknowledges, of having been a rather distant and coid mum to her children.

Anybody from Denmark would care to comment ?

Yes and no.

It was very much PH who was in charge of Frederik and Joachim's (F&J) upbringing on a day to day basis.
QMII has indeed admitted that she's not good with smaller children and that F&J didn't see that much of their parents in their daily life, but were left very much in the care of their nanny and that was the case until they were past ten years old.
That was how QMII and PH themselves were brought up, but by the early 70's that was pretty archaic.
So yes, they didn't have a close relationship with their parents. That doesn't mean they weren't loved by their parents, good heavens no, but they only developed a close relationship with them when they were in their teens.
That of course meant they looked to their nanny, Else Sørensen IIRC, as their mother and to some part also their father I guess. - Including being rebellious towards her in their early teens. Frederik has told how he and his brother climbed out of their window at Amalienborg and out onto the roof to the great consternation of their nanny!
When F&J were around 13-14 they were shipped off to a boarding school in France, which they did not enjoy! Frederik clearly hated it, Joachim perhaps less so. (*)
They returned home to attend high school and after high school, and probably some time before former Master of Ceremonies, Søren Haslund Christensen, entered the picture. He took Frederik out on trips, including an expedition to Mongolia and it's very clear that he and Frederik developed a very close bond.
Where I think PH is a father with a very "macho-approach" I think Søren Haslund Christensen realized how sensitive Frederik is and I think he very much listened to Frederik. All boys enjoy wrestling with dad, but they also need being listened to. And in that respect you can easily say PH and DoE were similar. Their approach is IMO a "boys don't cry" and "boy's don't fuss" and "be a man!" mentality.

But as F&J grew older they have developed a closer relationship with their parents and perhaps in particular QMII and Frederik.
And while I'm in no doubt PH loves Frederik dearly, I also think he see him as a bit of usurper, a threat to the patriarch.

Joachim is I think more like his dad in his personality. He is also an arch-conservative and indeed a Francophile (**) and I think he quite enjoys being the patron his his little family, as far as our Marie allows him, - without him ever really realizing it...
Like his dad, Joachim is not a man to wear his feelings on the outside. Or at least that's how he used to be, Marie has changed that quite a lot actually.

So the DRF, like most families in fact, is no model family. They've made their shares of mistakes and have their share of faults, but at least QMII has learned from the mistakes and so have F&J, who are much more hands on parents and who have a much more personal approach to bringing up their own children.

(*) The tribal-gossip here in DK, says QMII was jealous on Eva Sørensen's close relationship with F&J and that's why she was dismissed and the boys shipped off to boarding school.

(**) Certainly in regards to the typical French family pattern, but also in the way of addressing other people. Danes can, at least on first appearance, be pretty impolite since the use of formal You has almost gone out of use without something to substitute it.

 

[Curryong]

Muhler, didn't Henrik believe in the saying 'Spare the rod and spoil the child' when his boys were growing up? I believe the adult Frederik has made reference to the use of his father's physical punishments on one or two occasions, including a speech on a family occasion when his parents were present.

 

[JessRulz]

Posts about Prince Henrik's hospitalisation have been moved to the http://www.theroyalforums.com/forum...rent-events-part-5-november-2015-a-39562.html thread.

 

[Muhler]

Muhler, didn't Henrik believe in the saying 'Spare the rod and spoil the child' when his boys were growing up? I believe the adult Frederik has made reference to the use of his father's physical punishments on one or two occasions, including a speech on a family occasion when his parents were present.

Something like that, absolutely. That was evident back in the 70's when it was still acceptable to smack your children on the cheek if they misbehaved.

And Frederik said: "Den man tugter, elsker man, siges det. Far, vi var aldrig i tvivl om din kærlighed til os". = The one you chastise (physically or otherwise) you love, it is said. Dad, we were never in doubt of your love to us".
- So yes, they had an upbringing with considerable discipline.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The Cahors and the Béarn regions where Henri de Laborde de Montpezat and his family originates are amongst the most "la France profonde", let us say: the deepest France.

It is a mix of rural pride, deep attachment to traditions, catholicism and a dislike of the hegemony of Paris. Typically such a region where le père is still the Pater Familias, without neglecting the formidable authority of the wives and mothers, by the way.

 

[Muhler]

The Cahors and the Béarn regions where Henri de Laborde de Montpezat and his family originates are amongst the most "la France profonde", let us say: the deepest France.

It is a mix of rural pride, deep attachment to traditions, catholicism and a dislike of the hegemony of Paris. Typically such a region where le père is still the Pater Familias, without neglecting the formidable authority of the wives and mothers, by the way.

Which includes grandmothers, I presume? I remember Joachim asking our Marie's grandmother to ensure her support before marrying Marie.
Joachim is a stickler for formalities and showing respect for the matriarch of the family in that way is I understand the proper thing to do, certainly in that part of France?

The tribal gossip back in the 70's and 80's here in DK says it was Queen Ingrid who, shall we say, corrected PH when he made a mistake in regards to the protocol. - Like going in front of his wife. I imagine he would have had an tremendous respect for Queen Ingrid who was very much the matriarch of the DRF.

 

[Muhler]

Summary of article in Billed Bladet #38, 2017.
Written by Trine Larsen.

PH's valet for many years, Anker Andersen, has written an autobiography, encouraged by PH.

The now 85 year old, Anker Andersen, served the DRF for 40 year. 33 of them as valet for PH.
During those years he has of course been almost as close as you can be to both King Frederik IX - and his wife, Queen Ingrid. And PH, and as such also QMII. But also King Harald and Queen Sonja, to whom he was seconded when they were visiting DK.
He retired in 1999 and on hearing that Queen Sonja, kissed him on both cheeks and thanked him. The sight of that made the former Chief of Court, Søren Haslund Christensen to dryly remark: "Well Anker, it's probably a good thing you are retiring, now that you've started fraternizing the queens".

After being educated as a tailor, he served in the military before staring his 40 year career with the DRF. First as a footman and later he became a valet for Frederik IX. Today he now lives in an apartment very close to Amalienborg. (A number of buildings and apartments around Amalienborg is owned by the state and reserved for present and former employees of the DRF. Such apartments are otherwise next to impossible to get for ordinary people or at the very least very, very expensive).

And during his career he has experienced quite a lot, like bathing with PH. Can he tell about such a personal thing?
"Yes, because in all the years I have worked for the DRF, I can with peace of mind say that there has never been anything that cannot be told openly. Of course the royals have a private life and they should have, but they don't do things in secret that would shock or which I can reveal.
The thing about the bath stems from back when the Prince after his back-surgery in 1995 was critically ill and for example needed help bathing. So I jumped into the shower, wearing a pair of underpants and helped him.
The Prince was incredibly easy to work with and very grateful when you did something for him. And I was delighted on his behalf over the progress he made, because I could see very close up how many and severe pains the Prince was in and how much he worked on getting better.
That's how the Prince is today as well, even though he has become more than 20 years older".

But there has always been a distance. He has never addressed neither Frederik IX nor PH with anything but third person. It's always been Your Majesty or Your Royal Highness - and that's how it should be.

In fact he transferred from Frederik IX to PH, while PH and then princess Margrethe danced their wedding waltz.
He says about Frederik IX: "The King taught me everything. - I was very happy during my time with the King. He was a very fine person, very jovial and easy, but things had to be in order. There everything ran like a ruler and on time".
When he had transferred to PH, he had to teach the new Prince everything about uniforms and orders and what not.

He says about PH: "... He's a fantastic person and I've had so many funny and fantastic experiences together with him, yes, and the Queen. I'm very fond of them".

Q: What has surprised you the most in working for the DRF?
AA: "Well, perhaps that it in the daily life isn't as solemn/aloof as you might believe.
It was of course fantastic to be a part of the whole thing, a part of history, but you sense that in a different way, because the royals are all so sweet. They become like your own family".

Q: Do your have a favorite among the royals?
AA: "King Harald... yes, and Queen Sonja, they are fantastic both of them.
Here at home it's of course the Prince, my former employer. Prince Henrik has been fantastic to me! Always"!

https://app.box.com/s/7nv2ofnz0uik4eae18g7qkf98vjv6wqj
https://app.box.com/s/om8knu9255ucnyuwwj8o425ce8dtetbw
https://app.box.com/s/uxsn5bcff10qqwmqw9jw3o595bd27eg5
https://app.box.com/s/f1hhgoj3wso83br3yyutb6o1a7q95seh

 

[Osipi]

Thanks Muhler. Its so nice to see such a personal wave of affection for Prince Henrik. He's not totally the ogre that he's been made out to be lately.

I never realized that Henrik had such painful health issues. It takes a lot to get through those kind of things.

 

[Muhler]

No, he's a man with nuances.

He is certainly very much conforming to the old rule of nobility: Treat your staff and servants correct, with courtesy and kindness. - something many modern celebs and nuveau riche could learn!
I'm also certain that he, being the in many way old-fashioned man he is, will always treat his daughters-in-laws like they were his own beloved daughters.

However, as we all know he hasn't always been kind to his wife and sons...

- That's of course why PH is such a fascinating character, who we can debate endlessly.

 

[ROYAL NORWAY]

Q: Do your have a favorite among the royals?
AA: "King Harald... yes, and Queen Sonja, they are fantastic both of them.

Thanks Muhler! No surprises there. They are amazing and other royals don't even come close to their amazingness. And yes, I'm biased, but all the Danes and Swedes I know, agrees with me.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Summary of article in Billed Bladet #38, 2017.
Written by Trine Larsen.

PH's valet for many years, Anker Andersen, has written an autobiography, encouraged by PH.

The now 85 year old, Anker Andersen, served the DRF for 40 year. 33 of them as valet for PH.
During those years he has of course been almost as close as you can be to both King Frederik IX - and his wife, Queen Ingrid. And PH, and as such also QMII. But also King Harald and Queen Sonja, to whom he was seconded when they were visiting DK.
He retired in 1999 and on hearing that Queen Sonja, kissed him on both cheeks and thanked him. The sight of that made the former Chief of Court, Søren Haslund Christensen to dryly remark: "Well Anker, it's probably a good thing you are retiring, now that you've started fraternizing the queens".

After being educated as a tailor, he served in the military before staring his 40 year career with the DRF. First as a footman and later he became a valet for Frederik IX. Today he now lives in an apartment very close to Amalienborg. (A number of buildings and apartments around Amalienborg is owned by the state and reserved for present and former employees of the DRF. Such apartments are otherwise next to impossible to get for ordinary people or at the very least very, very expensive).

And during his career he has experienced quite a lot, like bathing with PH. Can he tell about such a personal thing?
"Yes, because in all the years I have worked for the DRF, I can with peace of mind say that there has never been anything that cannot be told openly. Of course the royals have a private life and they should have, but they don't do things in secret that would shock or which I can reveal.
The thing about the bath stems from back when the Prince after his back-surgery in 1995 was critically ill and for example needed help bathing. So I jumped into the shower, wearing a pair of underpants and helped him.
The Prince was incredibly easy to work with and very grateful when you did something for him. And I was delighted on his behalf over the progress he made, because I could see very close up how many and severe pains the Prince was in and how much he worked on getting better.
That's how the Prince is today as well, even though he has become more than 20 years older".

But there has always been a distance. He has never addressed neither Frederik IX nor PH with anything but third person. It's always been Your Majesty or Your Royal Highness - and that's how it should be.

In fact he transferred from Frederik IX to PH, while PH and then princess Margrethe danced their wedding waltz.
He says about Frederik IX: "The King taught me everything. - I was very happy during my time with the King. He was a very fine person, very jovial and easy, but things had to be in order. There everything ran like a ruler and on time".
When he had transferred to PH, he had to teach the new Prince everything about uniforms and orders and what not.

He says about PH: "... He's a fantastic person and I've had so many funny and fantastic experiences together with him, yes, and the Queen. I'm very fond of them".

Q: What has surprised you the most in working for the DRF?
AA: "Well, perhaps that it in the daily life isn't as solemn/aloof as you might believe.
It was of course fantastic to be a part of the whole thing, a part of history, but you sense that in a different way, because the royals are all so sweet. They become like your own family".

Q: Do your have a favorite among the royals?
AA: "King Harald... yes, and Queen Sonja, they are fantastic both of them.
Here at home it's of course the Prince, my former employer. Prince Henrik has been fantastic to me! Always"!

https://app.box.com/s/7nv2ofnz0uik4eae18g7qkf98vjv6wqj
https://app.box.com/s/om8knu9255ucnyuwwj8o425ce8dtetbw
https://app.box.com/s/uxsn5bcff10qqwmqw9jw3o595bd27eg5
https://app.box.com/s/f1hhgoj3wso83br3yyutb6o1a7q95seh

Lovely to see confirmed that Prince Henrik is so much more than the clown he is often delicted as.