Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark
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| Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat | |
| Prince Consort of Denmark | |
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| Titles | HRH The Prince Consort of Denmark (2005-) HRH Prince Henrik of Denmark (1967-2005) Henri de Laborde de Monpezat (1934-1967) |
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| Born | 11 June 1934 |
| Birthplace |  Talence, Gironde, France |
| Consort | 14 January 1972 - present |
| Consort to | Margrethe II |
| Issue | Prince Frederik, Prince Joachim |
| Father | André de Laborde de Monpezat |
| Mother | Renée Doursenot |
Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark (né Count[1] Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat, b. 11 June 1934), is the husband of the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II.
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[edit] Early life
Henrik was born in Talence, Gironde, France, the son of Count André de Laborde de Monpezat1 (1907-1998) and his wife, the former Renée Doursenot (1908- 2001). He spent his first five years in French Indo-China (now Vietnam) where his father was in charge of family business interests. He returned to Hanoi in 1950, graduating from the French secondary school there in 1952. 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.
After military service with the French Army in the Algerian War between 1959 and 1962, in 1962 he joined the French Foreign Affairs ministry, working as a Secretary at the embassy in London from 1963 to 1967.
[edit] Prince Consort
On 10 June 1967 he married Princess Margrethe, the heiress presumptive to the Danish throne. At the time of the wedding his name was Danicised to Henrik. They have two children, Crown Prince Frederik (born 26 May 1968) and Prince Joachim (born 7 June 1969). Prince Henrik and his wife, Queen Margrethe II, also have three grandsons: Prince Christian, Prince Nikolai, and Prince Felix, and one granddaughter, Princess Isabella.
Prince Henrik's native language is French, though he quickly learned Danish after his marriage, but Danes still joke about his grasp of Danish and his thick French accent. He also speaks fluent English, Chinese, and Vietnamese.
He received somewhat of a press-grilling for admitting that he is fond of the taste of dog[1], this despite the fact that he is honorary president of the Danish Dachshund Club.
[edit] 2002 "Flight" from Denmark
In 2002, Henrik left Denmark and went to stay at the couple's Château de Caïx in Cahors in southern France. The reason for Henrik's departure from Denmark was due to a New Year's Day reception in which his son, Crown Prince Frederik, was appointed host in the absence of Queen Margrethe. Henrik felt "pushed aside, degraded and humiliated"[2] at the fact that he was relegated to "third place in the royal hierarchy."
"For many years I have been Denmark's number two," he said. "I've been satisfied with that role, but I don't want to be relegated to number three after so many years." Henrik "fled" Denmark to reflect on his status in the Danish Royal Family. Queen Margrethe flew to France to meet with her husband.[3] Henrik stressed that neither his wife or son were to blame for the incident. The Prince Consort spent three weeks in Caix, and did not appear with his wife as expected at the wedding of Dutch Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange and Máxima Zorreguieta[4] After three weeks, Henrik returned to Denmark and resumed his Royal duties.
[edit] Publications
Prince Henrik has translated several books into Danish, as well as publishing 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 goose liver), 1999, a selection of favourite recipes.
- Cantabile, 2000, poems.
- Les escargots de Marie Lanceline, 2003.
| Royal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Ingrid of Sweden |
Prince Consort of Denmark 1972–present |
Incumbent |
[edit] Titles
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Other branches
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- Count Henri de Laborde de Monpezat (1934-1967)
- His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark (1967-2005)
- His Royal Highness The Prince Consort of Denmark (2005-present)
[edit] Gallery
 Henrik with Albert II & Queen Paola of Belgium, Bernadette Chirac, President Jorge Sampaio of Portugal, President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush of the United States, President Arnold Rüütel of Estonia, and President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of the Philippines at the funeral of John Paul II. |
[edit] References
- ^ The Laborde de Monpezat family style themselves as counts, though their right to the use of that title is disputed: Pierre-Marie Dioudonnat's Encyclopédie de la fausse noblesse et de la noblesse d'apparence (p. 208) states that Jean de Laborde received royal letters patent of ennoblement in 1655, conditional on his reception as a noble in the Estates of the province of Béarn where his lands were located. But this condition was never fulfilled, as the Estates refused Laborde's petitions in 1703 and again in 1707. Although the comital title has been used by the family as if it were a titre de courtoisie, traditionally the royal court and French society accepted such titles only when used by genuinely noble families. On the other hand, since the title was assumed by Henrik's ancestor prior to the twentieth century, it is possible he was unaware of the misuse until his family's history was scrutinized by genealogists after his engagement. Henrik's 1996 autobiography acknowledges the unsuccessful ennoblement.
- ^ BBC News | EUROPE | Runaway prince returns home
- ^ BBC News | EUROPE | Runaway prince returns home
- ^ BBC News | EUROPE | 'Degraded' Danish prince takes time out
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