Danish In Memoriam

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Her Highness Princess Elisabeth (1935-2018)

photo: Krestine Havemann, Billed-Bladet; source: Danish Royal House

Her Highness Princess Elisabeth of Denmark passed away at 6:15 pm on June 19, 2018, at her home at Sorgenfri Palace. The Princess, a first cousin of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, had been ill for some time and was surrounded by her family when she died. She was the last person in the line of succession to the Danish throne, and the only one not descended from The Queen.

Princess Elisabeth Caroline-Mathilde Alexandrine Helena Olga Thyra Feodora Estrid Margrethe Désirée was born in May 1935, the eldest child of Hereditary Prince Knud of Denmark and Princess Caroline-Mathilde of Denmark, and had two younger brothers – Ingolf and Christian. She went on to work for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, retiring in 2001 after a 45-year career. She also carried out royal duties, although unlike her brother Ingolf, she did not receive an appanage from the State.

Elisabeth never married and stated several times that she never had any desire to have children. She did, however, have a long-term relationship with Danish filmmaker Claus Hermansen. The couple lived together for over 20 years, until his death in 1997. After many years living in Holte, north of Copenhagen, the Princess returned to Sorgenfri Palace in 2015, moving into a detached wing called Damebygningen.

Her funeral was held on June 25, 2018, at the Lyngby Church, near Sorgenfri Palace, where the Princess had been baptized and confirmed. The service was conducted by former royal Chaplain-in-Ordinary Erik Norman Svendsen, and the coffin was born by officers of the Danish Royal Navy. Following the funeral, Princess Elisabeth was laid to rest beside Claus Hermansen.

Attendees included:

Queen Margrethe of Denmark – first cousin
Princess Benedikte of Denmark – first cousin
Queen Anne-Marie of Greece – first cousin
Count Ingolf and Countess Sussie of Rosenborg – brother and sister-in-law
Countess Josephine of Rosenborg — niece (daughter of Count Christian)
Countess Camilla of Rosenborg — niece (daughter of Count Christian)
Countess Feodora of Rosenborg — niece (daughter of Count Christian)

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His Royal Highness Prince Henrik (1934-2018)

photo: Torben Eskerod, Danish Royal House

His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, February 13, 2018, at 11:18 pm, at Fredensborg Palace at the age of 83.  Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II and their two sons Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim were at his side. Prince Henrik had been hospitalized on January 28, 2018.  Later it was determined that he had a benign tumor in his left lung.  On September 6, 2017, it had been announced that Prince Henrik was suffering from dementia.

Born in France in 1934 as Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, he entered the French foreign services and was working as the third secretary at the French embassy in the Department of Oriental Affairs in London when he met his future wife in 1965, who was studying at the London School of Economics.

In 1967, Henri married the then Princess Margrethe of Denmark and the couple had two sons Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim. After the wedding, Henri began to be known by the Danish version of his name, Henrik.  His wife became Queen of Denmark upon the death of her father King Frederik IX in 1972.

In April 2016, Prince Henrik renounced the title of Prince Consort, which he had been given in 2005. He retired from public life and decided to participate in official events to a very limited extent.

In August 2017, Prince Henrik made news when he declared that he did not want to be buried with his wife at Roskilde Cathedral, the traditional burial site of the Danish Royal Family. He had been vocal about the difficulties he has experienced as a male consort (a historically female role) in terms of his personal income and his role in the affairs of the country.

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Her Majesty Queen Ingrid (1910-2000)

 

Queen Ingrid, the wife of King Frederik IX of Denmark and mother of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, died at Fredensborg Palace on November 7, 2000, at age 90. She was born Princess Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta of Sweden on March 28, 1910. Her parents were Crown Prince Gustav Adolf of Sweden (later King Gustav VI Adolf of Sweden) and his first wife, British Princess Margaret of Connaught, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria. Princess Ingrid married Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark on May 24, 1935, and became Queen Consort of Denmark when he acceded to the throne on April 20, 1947.

King Frederik and Queen Ingrid had three children:
1) Princess Margrethe, born in 1940, succeeded her father as Queen Margrethe II
2) Princess Benedikte, born in 1944, married Prince Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg
3) Princess Anne-Marie, born in 1946, married former King Constantine II of Greece

Grave of Queen Ingrid and her husband outside Roskilde Cathedral; Credit – Susan Flantzer