General Questions and Information about Danish Titles

[Prinsara]

Not exactly of the period, but the Royal Photographic Archive has her listed as “Princess Maud of Great Britain”, which suggests she was known that way in Denmark and conversely as “Princess Charles of Denmark” in the UK. Den Kongelige Fotografisamling

 

[meeralakshmi]

Also people have brought up the children of Prince Knud but at the time marrying unequally would always cost you your title, that’s why Princess Elisabeth chose not to marry her boyfriend.

Prince Georg of Denmark would have been demoted from a prince of Denmark to a count of Rosenborg when he married Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin Anne Bowes-Lyon but George VI stood up for his niece by telling Frederik IX that if a Bowes-Lyon was good enough for the king of England, a Bowes-Lyon was good enough for a prince of Denmark. Coincidentally Queen Anne was married to Prince George of Denmark.

 

[RabbitRabbit]

Prince Georg of Denmark would have been demoted from a prince of Denmark to a count of Rosenborg when he married Queen Elizabeth’s first cousin Anne Bowes-Lyon but George VI stood up for his niece by telling Frederik IX that if a Bowes-Lyon was good enough for the king of England, a Bowes-Lyon was good enough for a prince of Denmark. Coincidentally Queen Anne was married to Prince George of Denmark.

That sounds very mean and 19th century of the Danish king. I saw a couple of pictures of him at a Brititsh event, very formal and he was darting some unkind looks at younger members of the British family of Royals for no apparent reason. I may have been mistaken but the images and footage looked very strange. No one was out of line, I couldn't understand why it would be.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

That sounds very mean and 19th century of the Danish king.

Responded in this thread (as my response is about the marriage rather than the titles):

Marriage to Commoners in Denmark

That's for Frederik X to decide. Personally, I think he will allow marriage to Danish commoners (like the king of Sweden and Norway before him eventually did as well) - although like many other monarchs, he might encourage especially Christian to find a foreign wife as she will have less history...

www.theroyalforums.com

 

[meeralakshmi]

Does anyone know if Henrik reverting from the prince consort to Prince Henrik when he retired from duties was his decision or the government’s? I do wish that the government had given him the style of His Majesty along with the prince consort title if they didn’t want to make him king consort. I don’t see why he would give up the prince consort title when he retired from duties if he was legally the consort as long as his wife was queen.

Apparently it was his decision, he felt that the title of Prince Henrik better reflected his position when he retired. Still strange of him to do when he felt that simply being Prince Henrik didn’t distinguish his position as husband of the queen from that of the other princes.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Apparently it was his decision, he felt that the title of Prince Henrik better reflected his position when he retired.

That’s right. Then palace spokeswoman Lene Balleby said: “It was His Royal Highness's own decision to change his title to the less formal Prince Henrik. Prince Henrik believes it is better suited to his current situation after retirement”.

Denmark’s Henrik gets new title (but not the one he wants)

Still strange of him to do when he felt that simply being Prince Henrik didn’t distinguish his position as husband of the queen from that of the other princes.

It does seem inconsistent. The possible explanations I can think of are:

A. He may have simply had conflicting feelings and thoughts, perhaps due to the dementia which was diagnosed the next year.

B. He may have been, or felt, pressured to retire. (His retirement was announced by Queen Margrethe II after a year during which the Prince Consort had been strongly criticized for complaining about his treatment by Danish society and deciding to miss the Queen’s birthday celebrations over a minor temporary illness.) If so, his decision may have been intended to send the message “If you all won’t let me do the job of a Prince Consort, then just take away my title of Prince Consort.”

C. Knowing that his title was modeled on the titles of Dutch (and British) queens’ husbands, he may have been following the example of Bernhard, husband of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. When Juliana abdicated, Bernhard’s formal title changed from The Prince of the Netherlands to Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.

 

[meeralakshmi]

Knowing that his title was modeled on the titles of Dutch (and British) queens’ husbands, he may have been following the example of Bernhard, husband of Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. When Juliana abdicated, Bernhard’s formal title changed from The Prince of the Netherlands to Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands.

Is that where his initial title as consort (HRH The Prince of Denmark) came from? For some reason English sources haven’t translated it that way. I’ve said this before but HM The Prince of Denmark (or HM The Prince Consort of Denmark) would have been a good compromise if the government really didn’t want to cede the title king consort.