Confirmation of Count Henrik: May 18, 2023

[Somebody]

Ascension day seems a pretty nice day for a confirmation. Is it a national holiday in Denmark or did the young princes and princesses need to rake a day off frommschool to attend this family event?

 

[Muhler]

It's a holiday in DK and traditionally the day where most are confirmed.
The day after is called "blue Friday" in DK, and that's when the new comfirmands dressed in their finest go to town in groups to celebrate and spend money, so it's a busy day for amusement parks and such!

Being a Thursday many companies shut down Friday as well, that usually being counted as a vacation day.

ADDED:

Upon leaving the church the family posed and Count Henrik said a few words to the press.
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongeli...oachim-her-er-hans-ord-om-soennen-grev-henrik
Joachim said: "It's a big day today, it's stepping into the world of adulthood. (confirmation in DK typically making they day when you were counted among the adults, without all the rights though. For boys it also meant you went from wearing shorts to pants.) It's a delight to se how big he has become - not just in regards to his height but also in mind and thoughts, and that we are celebrating today."
Henrik was asked what he had wished for his confirmation: "I just wanted to se may family and friends gathered."
QMII could not attend and to that Henrik said:
"That is of course a pity but I also understand why she couldn't come. But I know that she also congratulates (me)."

https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongeli...e-grev-henrik-oensket-sig-i-konfirmationsgave
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongeli...er-er-grev-henriks-kaerlige-ord-om-sin-farmor
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongeli...aben-alle-grev-henriks-faddere-dukkede-op-til

 

[An Ard Ri]

Ascension day seems a pretty nice day for a confirmation. Is it a national holiday in Denmark or did the young princes and princesses need to rake a day off frommschool to attend this family event?

I'd actually forgotten that its Ascension Thursday and I didn't realise it was a holiday in Denmark.
It sounds like the most appropriate day for the Confirmation Service.

 

[muriel]

Christian is a big, tall lad now.

 

[An Ard Ri]

In the Lutheran church any minister can carry out a confirmation! The
current confessionarius happens to be the bishop of the diocese of
Aarhus. A royal confessionarius need not necessarily be a bishop, however
they usually are!

I didn't know that as in the RC church its the resident Bishop/Archbishop who performs the Confirmation Service.

Parish Priests/Monsignors/Canons carry out Baptisms/ First Communion and Funerals.

 

[Adda]

Congratulations to Henrik.
I can't help but notice Princess Marie is wearing the same Armani outfit Crown Princess Elisabeth wore in Egypt recently.

 

[Blog Real]

Video of the arrival of Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary with their children.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CsYcZBAI4mL/

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

Henrik is such a sweetheart.

When asked if he'd had any wishes for confirmation gifts, he responded "I just wished for my family and friends to all be gathered in one place". (One could hope such a poignant comment could offer the adults in his family some perspective to how their bickering affects the children...) His comments about QMII not being able to be there were also so mature and lovely.

I can't believe he's 14! And now confirmed! It seems like yesterday he was born

 

[iceflower]

Here are some more photos of the confirmation today:


** kongehuset: H.E. Greve Henriks konfirmation **


** robinutrecht.photoshelter gallery ** rex gallery **


** gtresnews gallery ** anp gallery ** tt.se gallery **



** dm article: Princess Marie of Denmark sizzles in a hot pink co-ord as she steps out in Paris with Prince Joachim..**


** hola article: La significativa respuesta de Henrik de Dinamarca al preguntarle qué ha sido lo mejor de su Confirmación..**

 

[Prinsara]

I can't seem to see. Did the two families not take one picture together?

 

[polyesco]

lovely day.
another gallery from the DRF, with inside the church shot as well

https://www.facebook.com/detdanskekongehus/posts/pfbid0takEVPKuc2RRebxXogtEE5Ur8WTSmzv5LUNhnUNhgnFAaYUezRN6ALskq1KxPXwpl

I can't seem to see. Did the two families not take one picture together?

That has not been the practice for the DRF. We usually get a picture of the parents and siblings and grandparents with the confirmed. And a group photo with the godparents. Mary is a godmother to Henrik, Frederik was to Nikolai. Joachim was to Christian but could not attend due to covid restrictions.

Here is Nikolai's
https://www.kongehuset.dk/menu/foto--video/officielle-billeder-fra-hh-prins-nikolais-konfirmation
https://www.kongehuset.dk/menu/foto--video/fotografering-efter-hh-prins-nikolais-konfirmation
Felix's
https://www.kongehuset.dk/foto-video/officielle-billeder-fra-prins-felix-konfirmation

Christian's
https://www.kongehuset.dk/foto-video/hkh-prins-christians-konfirmation
Isabella's
https://www.kongehuset.dk/foto-video/h-k-h-prinsesse-isabellas-konfirmation

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

I see the DRF has released "official" pictures from Frederikskirken's garden but no official portraits so far. Since Billed Bladet mentioned that all of Henrik's godparents were able to attend, I hope they've also done a group portrait of him and his godparents.

Otherwise, this will be the first DRF confirmation without one

I do love the official picture of Marie and Henrik though!

I can't seem to see. Did the two families not take one picture together?

As polyesco says, they've not done big group photos at any of the previous confirmations. The confirmand's family will pose for pictures afterwards with QMII (and big Henrik when he was alive) but since QMII wasn't able to attend, it was "only" little Henrik, his parents and siblings who posed for pictures after the confirmation.

I would have loved a group photo of all the cousins though.

 

[Reinosa]

I can't seem to see. Did the two families not take one picture together?

That's exactly what I thought.

Anyway I adore Joachim and Marie's family. They are lovely and my favorites.

Did the Queen send any message or any congratulations?

 

[polyesco]

As has been pointed out, it has never been the practice of the DRF to release a group shot. Maybe one was taken but they have never been released for any of the confirmations.

Two more official photos in this gallery. Inside the church
https://www.kongehuset.dk/foto-video/officielle-billeder-fra-h-e-greve-henriks-konfirmation

 

[Prinsara]

As has been pointed out, it has never been the practice of the DRF to release a group shot. Maybe one was taken but they have never been released for any of the confirmations.

This is the first confirmation to take place in a foreign country with one of the families expressly traveling to attend it, and most of the other family moving even further abroad in a few months.

Given there are innumerable shots of one family strolling the streets together, it feels weird that they did not all take one picture together, even an unofficial one.

I find it hard to believe Joachim and Fred's reasoning was "it's never been done before".

Why not simply get a shot of the eight cousins?

 

[polyesco]

This is the first confirmation to take place in a foreign country with one of the families expressly traveling to attend it, and most of the other family moving even further abroad in a few months.

Given there are innumerable shots of one family strolling the streets together, it feels weird that they did not all take one picture together, even an unofficial one.

I find it hard to believe Joachim and Fred's reasoning was "it's never been done before".

Why not simply get a shot of the eight cousins?

Maybe they took a picture at their reception but just has not been released. It has not been the practice of the DRF.

The attention should be on Henrik, (just like the attention was on Nikolai, Felix, Christian and then Isabella on their days) not on feeding the media.
For me the focus is on Henrik, photos and him answering questions from the press not on the 8 cousins.

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

This is the first confirmation to take place in a foreign country with one of the families expressly traveling to attend it, and most of the other family moving even further abroad in a few months.

Given there are innumerable shots of one family strolling the streets together, it feels weird that they did not all take one picture together, even an unofficial one.

I find it hard to believe Joachim and Fred's reasoning was "it's never been done before".

Why not simply get a shot of the eight cousins?

The DRF just follows the same procedure they have followed for the past 4 confirmations of focusing on the confirmand. As for them all "strolling the streets", they didn't arrive together – actually they arrived about 20 minutes apart, making an unofficial group photo a bit difficult.

However, had J&M insisted that a group photo was taken and put out alongside the rest of the pictures released, I find it hard to believe the DRF would refuse to do so.

 

[Muhler]

For ordinary confirmands there are usually a couple of photos taken outside the church and they are the confirmand alone, the confirmand with parents and siblings and sometimes godparents if there are any around.

Posing with friends, cousins, grandparents, uncles and aunts that's usually more informal and later on during the private celebration.

It's bad enough for the poor confirmand that dad is stammering his way through a speech and the slightly inebriated uncle Aage is giving an improvised speech, including a toe-curlingly embarrassing anecdote, told for the zillionth time.

Not to mention the five homemade songs, to the same tune BTW, that aunt Oda and mormor have had made and which the whole party with varying degree of harmony is singing to you while you just want to cry yourself to sleep.
Not to mention that you are being asked about 84 times how it is to enter "the ranks of the adults."
Your are at the center of attention for hours and you hate being the center of attention.

The confirmation celebration is really a cruel and subtle way for the whole family to be mean to you.
And you sit there swearing that when you have children, they are so much gonna pay for this day! ?

 

[kalnel]

Did any of the Monpezats attend the ceremony? I wonder if any are still living in Paris.