Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark

Early life

Henrik was born on 11 June 1934 in Talence, Gironde, France. He was the son of André de Laborde de Monpezat (6 May 1907 in Mont-de-Marsan – 23 February 1998 in Le Cayrou) and his then-partner and future wife Renée-Yvonne Doursenot (24 October 1908 in Périgueux – 11 February 2001 in Le Cayrou ), who was then married to Prof. Louis Leuret (1881–1962) He was the second of 9 children and eldest son. He had an older sister, Françoise (1932–2021); three younger brothers, Joseph "Jason" (1938–1957), Étienne (born 1942) and Jean-Baptiste (born 1944); and four younger sisters, Anne-Marie (1936–1938), Thérèse (1940–1959), Catherine (born 1946) and Maurille (1948–2015).

Henrik spent his first five years in Hanoi in Tonkin in French Indochina (now part of Vietnam), where his father looked after family business interests. In 1939, the family returned to Le Cayrou, where they remained during the Second World War. Between 1952 and 1957 he simultaneously studied law and political science at the Sorbonne, Paris, and Chinese and Vietnamese at the École Nationale des Langues Orientales (now known as INALCO). He also studied in Hong Kong in 1957 and Saigon in 1958. He then joined the French Foreign Ministry, working as a Secretary at the embassy in London from 1963 to 1967. Margrethe and Henrik had two children, King Frederik X and Prince Joachim, and eight grandchildren.

Henrik's native language was French, and his second language was Danish. He also spoke fluent English, German, Chinese, and Vietnamese. Although he quickly learned Danish after marrying Margrethe and spoke it regularly for half a century, Danes joked about his grasp of Danish and his pronounced French accent.

Difficulties with the Danish monarchy

When Queen Margrethe II ascended the throne, Henrik became the first male consort in Danish history. by being relegated to "third place in the royal hierarchy".

"For many years, I have been Denmark's number two", he said. "I have been satisfied with that role, but I don't want to be relegated to number three after so many years." Henrik departed from Denmark to reflect on his status in the Danish Royal Family. Queen Margrethe flew to France to meet her husband. After three weeks, Henrik returned to Denmark from France.

On 30 April 2008, shortly before the wedding of his younger son, Joachim, to Marie Cavallier, the Queen conferred the new Danish title "Count of Monpezat" on both of her sons and made it hereditary for their male-line descendants, both male and female. While being interviewed by the French weekly Point de Vue in October 2005, Henrik raised the issue shortly after the birth of Frederik's first son, Prince Christian, who is expected to inherit the Danish crown one day: "It also makes him very proud and happy that Monpezat will be added to this small grandson's future name as Prince of Denmark. 'It is a great joy for me that his French roots will also be remembered.

In her New Year's speech to the Danish people on 31 December 2015, Queen Margrethe announced that Henrik would slow down and give up most of his official duties beginning on 1 January 2016. On 14 April 2016, Henrik renounced the title of Prince Consort, which he had been given in 2005.

Cultural interests and hobbies

Like his wife, Henrik was deeply interested in art and culture. He was particularly fond of wooden figures and jade, building up collections which he exhibited in 2017 at the museum in Koldinghus. Although he never achieved his ambition of becoming a concert pianist, he continued to play the piano throughout his life. In 2013, he accompanied the pop group Michael Learns to Rock on the piano as they recorded "Echo", a number which was presented to King Rama IX of Thailand.

Henrik was also an excellent cook, inspired by French gastronomic traditions. He usually planned the family meals in collaboration with the court chef, always including his own spices on the table, some from his childhood estates in Asia. In addition to his cookbooks, Henrik often appeared in television programmes showing how he prepared meals in Fredensborg Castle in Denmark or at his French home, the Château de Cayx. The decision is said to have broken a tradition that began in 1559, and at the time, Queen Margrethe is said to have accepted her husband's decision. On 28 January 2018, he was hospitalised at Rigshospitalet following a visit to Egypt. It was later revealed that he had a benign tumor in the left lung. However, his health worsened, causing Frederik to cut short his visit to South Korea where he was about to attend the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. On 13 February 2018, Henrik was transferred from Rigshospitalet to Fredensborg Palace, where the Danish Royal Court stated he wished to spend the remainder of his life. The Royal Court added that the condition of Henrik remained serious. He died later that day, surrounded by his family.

Following his death, the Court announced a month of royal mourning. Henrik's casket was placed in The Palace Chapel at Christiansborg for a castrum doloris, where in the following two days, more than 19,000 people went to pay their respects. After a funeral in the Palace Chapel on 20 February, he was cremated, with half of his ashes scattered across Danish seas and half placed in the private section of the gardens at Fredensborg Palace.

Issue

Prince Henrik surrounded by his family waving to crowds on Queen Margrethe II's 70th birthday in April 2010. From left to right: the Crown Princess, Prince Felix, the Crown Prince, Prince Christian, Queen Margrethe II, Prince Nikolai, Prince Henrik, Prince Joachim and Princess Isabella Henrik had two sons and eight grandchildren, all born at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen:

King Frederik X (born 26 May 1968). He married Mary Donaldson on 14 May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral, Copenhagen. The couple have four children: Crown Prince Christian (born 15 October 2005) Princess Isabella (born 21 April 2007) Prince Vincent (born 8 January 2011) Princess Josephine (born 8 January 2011) Prince Joachim (born 7 June 1969). He married Alexandra Manley on 18 November 1995 at Frederiksborg Palace Church, Hillerød. They divorced on 8 April 2005. He married secondly Marie Cavallier on 24 May 2008 at Møgeltønder Church, Møgeltønder. Joachim has four children, two out of either marriage: Count Nikolai (born 28 August 1999) Count Felix (born 22 July 2002) Count Henrik (born 4 May 2009) Countess Athena (born 24 January 2012)

In 2008, Queen Margrethe II announced that her male-line descendants would bear the additional title of Count or Countess of Monpezat, in recognition of Henrik's ancestry. In 2023 Joachim's children were stripped of their princely titles. They will be known as Counts of Montpezat.

Titles, styles and honours

Titles and styles Before 10 June 1967: Count * Henri de Laborde de Monpezat 14 April 2016 – 13 February 2018: His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark

Neither the French nobility of the de Laborde de Monpezat family nor this French title of "count" are acknowledged as historically or legally valid by most recent reference authors, specialists of the French nobility who do not consider that the de Laborde de Monpezat family belongs to the French nobility. This family is listed in the Encyclopédie de la fausse noblesse et de la noblesse d'apparence ; his name is not in the Catalogue de la noblesse française (2002) from Régis Valette and the author Charondas describes in his book À quel titre (Volume 37, 1970) the Laborde de Monpezat as "false nobles, low folk in the 17th century, not received in the states of Béarn due to 'alleged nobility and as having never had nobility in their family. The family's surname was "Monpezat" by the time of the French Revolution, without title, until 14 July 1860, when it was changed by imperial decree to "de Laborde-Monpezat", and legally changed again on 19 May 1861 to "de Laborde de Monpezat".

Henrik with Queen Margrethe, President George W. Bush and Laura Bush in 2005 Although Danish law never required that royal spouses be of aristocratic origin, no heir's marriage to a person who lacked male-line descent from royalty or titled nobility had been accepted as dynastic by the sovereign in the course of Denmark's history as a hereditary monarchy, until the marriage of the heir presumptive, Princess Margrethe, in June 1967 to "Count" Henri de Laborde de Monpezat. Six months later Margrethe's first cousin, Prince Ingolf of Denmark, married an untitled commoner and was demoted to a count, and when another cousin, Prince Christian of Denmark, also wed a Dane, Anne Dorte Maltoft-Nielsen, in 1971, he forfeited his dynastic position.

Honours

National honours and awards National honours: Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold I Grand Cross of National Order of the Southern Cross Grand Cross of the Order of the Balkan Mountains Grand Cross of the Grand Order of Queen Jelena with Sash and Morning Star Grand Cordon of the Order of the Nile Member 1st Class of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the White Rose of Finland Grand Cross Special Class of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Grand Cross of the Order of Honour Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Renaissance Commander Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars Grand Cross of the Order of Vytautas the Great Knight of the Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau Sash of Special Category of the Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle Grand Cross of the Order of the Throne Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Nepalese Royal Family: Member of the Order of the Benevolent Ruler Grand Cross of the Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav Grand Cordon of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland Grand Cross of the Military Order of Christ Grand Cross of the Military Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania Grand Cross of the Order of the White Double Cross Grand Gwanghwa Medal of the Order of Diplomatic Service Merit Knight Grand Cross of the Royal and Distinguished Spanish Order of Charles III Knight of the Royal Order of the Seraphim Recipient of the 85th Birthday Medal of King Gustaf VI Adolf Recipient of the 50th Birthday Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf Recipient of the Ruby Jubilee Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf Knight Grand Cross of the Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Honourable Order of the Bath Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George Honorary Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order Great Star of the Order of the Yugoslav Star

Publications Prince Henrik translated several books into Danish and published several other books.

In 1981, under the pseudonym H.M. Vejerbjerg he and the Queen translated Simone de Beauvoir's Tous les hommes sont mortels. Chemin faisant, 1982, a volume of French poems. Destin oblige, 1996, his memoirs as Prince Consort. Ikke Altid Gåselever (not always foie gras), 1999, a selection of favourite recipes. Cantabile, 2000, poems. Les escargots de Marie Lanceline, 2003. Murmures de vent, 2005, poems. Frihjul, 2010, poems.