HereditaryPrincess
Imperial Majesty
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Svendborg looks like a beautiful little place; it must have been lovely sailing around the town.
Where would they normally leave the Dannebrog yo go to Fredensborg? Would that suggest they would have gone up north instead of sail south?
A memorial concert will take place on 20 February for the Prince Henrik
Memorial concert for Prince Henrik in Fredensborg Palace Church | The Danish Monarchy - Front Page
A nice gallery shared by the DRF of Henrik
Øjebliksbilleder | Kongehuset
Prins Henrik af Danmark | Kongehuset
I'm glad that close friends of Prince Henrik are expected to attend. I understand that the sole friend at his funeral was sent as a representative of all of his friends, but the others will surely appreciate the opportunity to formally bid him farewell.
They did have an opportunity to bid him farewell on the 19th of February last year when friends and patronages had been invited for a special event.
Castrum Doloris for særligt indbudte gæster | Kongehuset
They did have an opportunity to bid him farewell on the 19th of February last year when friends and patronages had been invited for a special event.
Castrum Doloris for særligt indbudte gæster | Kongehuset
I was outside the church during the memorial ceremony and paid my respects before the castrum doloris afterwards. It was very dignified and very grand.Thank you, that is an appropriately meaningful memorial indeed. It is a relief to have been wrong regarding the inclusion of his friends. [emoji2]
I'm glad that close friends of Prince Henrik are expected to attend. I understand that the sole friend at his funeral was sent as a representative of all of his friends, but the others will surely appreciate the opportunity to formally bid him farewell.
A nice way to pay tribute to the prince.
Given that Prince Henrik was principally raised in Vietnam and that he was brought up speaking Vietnamese, it is notable that he was apparently perceived as simply a Frenchman by the Danes. Did he indeed lose his ties to Vietnam after he completed his education?
Since Vietnam was a French colony during the period of Henrik's childhood, it is more likely that he grew up with French as his primary language and learned to speak Vietnamese as well...particularly as French was the language of the upper classes in colonial Vietnam.
Maybe that is why he was always perceived as principally a Frenchman. He was part of the large group of French expatriate aristocrats living in Southeast Asia.
I'm glad that close friends of Prince Henrik are expected to attend. I understand that the sole friend at his funeral was sent as a representative of all of his friends, but the others will surely appreciate the opportunity to formally bid him farewell.
A nice way to pay tribute to the prince.
Given that Prince Henrik was principally raised in Vietnam and that he was brought up speaking Vietnamese, it is notable that he was apparently perceived as simply a Frenchman by the Danes. Did he indeed lose his ties to Vietnam after he completed his education?
He wasn't principally raised in Vietnam though. He moved back to France when he was 5 years old (where he was born). Of 18 years of childhood, he spent 11 in France. He returned in 1950 for two years where he finished school. He was a French born citizen, born to French parents, who lived for a time in a French colony. As an adult he served in the French army and in the French foreign office. He was exactly that, a French citizen. He was an expat at best during his time in Vietnam. It would be odd IMO if anyone considered him anything but French.
You're right! I misread the dates in the obituary and stand corrected.
Odd perhaps, but in some other monarchies it would have been more noticed - Prince Philip in the United Kingdom has been referred to as "German" though neither he nor his parents were German citizens and he lived in Germany for a mere year. In comparison, despite Prince Henrik's relatively short time in Vietnam, he has given the impression that his years living there significantly affected him and influenced his perspectives, as the bishop mentioned in his sermon.
Lovely gallery of Henrik from the DRF. In the second photo he looks so much like little Josephine!
The IMO currently best royal reporter on BB, Trine Larsen, has been remembering PH and the relationship between them, that over the years developed into a professional friendship.
Each year on her birthday, he sang the birthday song for her.
- A nice touch you rarely see between royals and royal reporters.
Had PH been an ordinary Dane, no one would have lifted even half an eyebrow.
I'd say the vast majority here in DK are cremated. And I'll also say that the majority are buried in an unmarked grave.
It it quite common to have your ashes spread at sea.
Many are buried (usually an urn) in a forest, like PH will be. - Or more correctly PH's urn will be buried among trees in the private part of the park around Fredensborg.
A relative minority prefer to be buried in marked graves or family plots.
Then there are those who belong to other faiths like Jews, Buddhist, Muslims, Asa-followers and atheists of course who have their special plots in the state cemeteries, - which are for all.
What is unusual is that PH's burial wishes is singular among the DRF. Normally they are entombed, or buried in a coffin like Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid.
DR: The former master of ceremonies Christian Eugen-Olsen (the guy I mentioned in the above post) said on DR1 that he's glad that PH whises to be cremated, with half his ashes being spread over the sea, and the other half being put in an urn and buried at Fredensborg. - Why? Because that shows that he saw himself as Danish. He repeats that ''PH is a Dane and has always felt like a Dane''.
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!?!
I completely agree. I am very surprised by the very strict interpretation.
So whilst his burial plans were singular for a very senior royal, they conformed to the experiences of most ordinary Danes. I wonder if it was his riposte to his acquired reputation as a "vain Frenchman"?
Was mourning interpreted more leniently in connection with Queen Ingrid's passing?
Thank you. It is always interesting to hear the thoughts of people who were residents of the country at the time.
QMII who was a keen painter hasn't painted much since the death of her husband. She appears to miss the artistic inputs from her husband.
https://www.bt.dk/royale/prins-henriks-doed-aendrede-alt-dronningen-mistede-lysten-til-at-male
"I have painted very little, since he died." Adding that she missed the artistic sense of PH.
"That might be the reason for me having painted very little for the past two-three years."
That was said during a recent documentary.