Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark
Encyclopedia
Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark (ˈhɛnˀʁæg̊), (né
Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat; born 11 June 1934) is the husband of the Queen
of Denmark
, Margrethe II
.
, Gironde
, France
. He was the son of Count André de Laborde de Monpezat (Mont-de-Marsan
, 6 May 1907 – Le Cayrou, 23 February 1998) and his wife, Renée Doursenot (Périgueux
, 26 October 1908 – Le Cayrou 11 February 2001), (married religiously Cahors
, 6 January 1934 and civilly Cahors 22 January 1948), who was previously married firstly civilly in Paris
on 29 September 1928 and divorced at the Tribunal Civil Français de Saigon on 21 September 1940 Louis Leuret (Châteauneuf-sur-Loire
, 18 March 1881 – Saigon, South Vietnam
, 29 December 1962). He was raised as Catholic.
He spent his first five years in French Indochina
(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.
. At the time of the wedding his name was Danicised to Henrik and he was created HRH Prince Henrik of Denmark. Before the wedding, the Prince converted to Protestantism with the Vatican's consent.
The Queen and The Prince Consort have two children and seven grandchildren:
Prince Henrik's native language is French
, and his second language is Danish
. Although he quickly learned Danish after marrying Margrethe, Danes still joke about his grasp of Danish and his thick French accent. He also speaks fluent English
, Chinese
, and Vietnamese
.
In 2006 the Danish railway magazine Ud&Se brought an interview with Prince Henrik, in which he talked about his dogs, food and his childhood in Vietnam, among other things. The prince mentioned having eaten dog meat once, on an occasion where it was served for him. A month later a Danish tabloid used part of this interview in a critical article with the front-page headline 'Prince Henrik eats dog'. Other tabloids and newspapers picked up on this and Prince Henrik was subject to somewhat of a press-grilling for "eating dog meat" despite being honorary president of the Danish Dachshund Club.
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" 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. 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 Dutch
wedding of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange
and Máxima Zorreguieta
After three weeks, Henrik returned to Denmark and resumed his royal duties.
On 30 April 2008, shortly before the wedding of his younger son, Prince Joachim, to Miss Marie Cavallier
, the title
"Count of Monpezat" , was conferred by the Queen on both of her sons, and made hereditary for their male-line
descendants, both male and female. The Queen's Private Secretary
Henning Fode
commented, "The Queen and the Prince Consort have considered this for quite some time, and it has led to the belief that it was the right thing to do."
In fact, Henrik had mentioned this possibility as long ago as 1996, in his published memoir
, "During our generation the future sovereign will perhaps receive approval to see 'Monpezat' added to the dynastic name of 'Oldenbourg-Glücksbourg'". While being interviewed by the French weekly Point de Vue in October 2005, Henrik raised the issue shortly after the birth of Crown Prince 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.'" Although no announcement was made at that time, Prince Christian does now include (part of) his French grandfather's surname among his hereditary titles. The grant does not extend this Danish comital title to Henrik himself.
(2000), Les escargots de Marie Lanceline (2003), and Murmures de vent (2005).
* Use is disputed, see section "French title controversy" below
style themselves as count
s, though their right to the use of that title is disputed: The Encyclopédie de la fausse noblesse et de la noblesse d'apparence (Encyclopedia of False and Seeming Nobility) states that Prince Henrik's ancestor, Jean 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. 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". 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 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 marriage. Henrik's 1996 autobiography acknowledges the unsuccessful ennoblement.
Danish law never specified that royal spouses be of aristocratic origin. Nonetheless, no prince's marriage to a person who lacked male-line descent from royalty or nobility had been accepted as dynastic by the sovereign in the course of Denmark's history as a hereditary monarchy, prior to Crown Princess Margrethe's marriage in June 1967. Six months later, Margrethe's cousin Prince Ingolf of Denmark
wed an untitled commoner and was demoted to a count, and another cousin, Prince Christian of Denmark
, also wed a Dane, Anne Dorte Maltoft-Nielsen, in 1971. Christian later commented on the dynasty's marital rules in the Danish periodical, Billed-Bladet:
Decades later, Henrik's sons Frederik
and Joachim
both married foreign commoners without any serious doubt about their eligibility to the throne being raised.
Grand Commander of the Order of Dannebrog Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (France) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit
(France) Commander of the Order of Agricultural Merit
(France) Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) Grand Cross of Order of the Southern Cross
(Brazil) 1 Class of the Order of Stara Planina (Bulgaria) 1 class of the Order of the Nile
(Egypt) Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
(Estonia) Grand Cross of the Finnish Order of the White Rose
(Finland) Médaille d'commemorative Algeria (France) Grand Crosses of the Order of Honour (Greece) Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
(Iceland) Grand Cross of the Italian Republic Order of Merit
Chain of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
(Japan) Grand Cross of Supreme Order of the Renaissance (Jordan) Grand Order of Queen Jelena
(Croatia) Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars
(Latvia) Order of Vytautas the Great
(Lithuania) Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (Luxembourg) Grand Cordon of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Morocco) Cross of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
(Mexico) Grand Cross of the Order of the Dutch Lion
(Netherlands) Order of Rajanya (Nepal) Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (Norway) Grand Decoration of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (Portugal)
Grand Cross of the Order of Aviz
(Portugal) Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania
1 Class 23 August-order (Romania) 1 class of Order of Abdulaziz al Saud
(Saudi Arabia) Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (Spain) 1 class of the Order of the Bath
(United Kingdom) 1 class of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (United Kingdom)
NE
-Places:England* NE postcode area, a postcode for the City of Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and WearItaly* Ne, Liguria, a comune in the Province of GenoaNiger* Niger, ISO 3166-1 country code** .ne, the country code top level domain for Niger...
Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat; born 11 June 1934) is the husband of the Queen
Queen regnant
A queen regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right, in contrast to a queen consort, who is the wife of a reigning king. An empress regnant is a female monarch who reigns in her own right over an empire....
of Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Margrethe II
Margrethe II of Denmark
Margrethe II is the Queen regnant of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 1972 she became the first female monarch of Denmark since Margaret I, ruler of the Scandinavian countries in 1375-1412 during the Kalmar Union.-Early life:...
.
Early life
Henrik was born in TalenceTalence
Talence is a commune in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.It is the third-largest suburb of the city of Bordeaux, and is adjacent to it on the south side...
, Gironde
Gironde
For the Revolutionary party, see Girondists.Gironde is a common name for the Gironde estuary, where the mouths of the Garonne and Dordogne rivers merge, and for a department in the Aquitaine region situated in southwest France.-History:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He was the son of Count André de Laborde de Monpezat (Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan
Mont-de-Marsan is a commune and capital of the Landes department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Mont-de-Marsan airbase « Constantin Rozanoff » is a major installation of the French Air Force. The base includes CEAM , an air defense radar command reporting centre, and an air defence control...
, 6 May 1907 – Le Cayrou, 23 February 1998) and his wife, Renée Doursenot (Périgueux
Périgueux
Périgueux is a commune in the Dordogne department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.Périgueux is the prefecture of the department and the capital of the region...
, 26 October 1908 – Le Cayrou 11 February 2001), (married religiously Cahors
Cahors
Cahors is the capital of the Lot department in south-western France.Its site is dramatic being contained on three sides within an udder shaped twist in the river Lot known as a 'presqu'île' or peninsula...
, 6 January 1934 and civilly Cahors 22 January 1948), who was previously married firstly civilly in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 29 September 1928 and divorced at the Tribunal Civil Français de Saigon on 21 September 1940 Louis Leuret (Châteauneuf-sur-Loire
Châteauneuf-sur-Loire
Châteauneuf-sur-Loire is a commune in the Loiret department in north-central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loiret department...
, 18 March 1881 – Saigon, South Vietnam
South Vietnam
South Vietnam was a state which governed southern Vietnam until 1975. It received international recognition in 1950 as the "State of Vietnam" and later as the "Republic of Vietnam" . Its capital was Saigon...
, 29 December 1962). He was raised as Catholic.
He spent his first five years in French Indochina
French Indochina
French Indochina was part of the French colonial empire in southeast Asia. A federation of the three Vietnamese regions, Tonkin , Annam , and Cochinchina , as well as Cambodia, was formed in 1887....
(now Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
) where his father was in charge of family business interests. He returned to Hanoi
Hanoi
Hanoi , is the capital of Vietnam and the country's second largest city. Its population in 2009 was estimated at 2.6 million for urban districts, 6.5 million for the metropolitan jurisdiction. From 1010 until 1802, it was the most important political centre of Vietnam...
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
University of Paris
The University of Paris was a university located in Paris, France and one of the earliest to be established in Europe. It was founded in the mid 12th century, and officially recognized as a university probably between 1160 and 1250...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and Chinese and Vietnamese at the École Nationale des Langues Orientales (now known as INALCO). He also studied in Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
in 1957 and Saigon in 1958.
After military service with the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
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.
Marriage
On 10 June 1967 he married Princess Margrethe, the heiress presumptive to the Danish throne, at the Naval Church of CopenhagenCopenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. At the time of the wedding his name was Danicised to Henrik and he was created HRH Prince Henrik of Denmark. Before the wedding, the Prince converted to Protestantism with the Vatican's consent.
The Queen and The Prince Consort have two children and seven grandchildren:
- His Royal Highness Frederik André Henrik Christian, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, born on 26 May 1968. He was married on 14 May 2004 to Mary Elizabeth DonaldsonMary, Crown Princess of DenmarkMary, Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, is the wife of Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark...
, who was born on 5 February 1972. They have four children:- His Royal Highness Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John of Denmark, Count of MonpezatPrince Christian of DenmarkPrince Christian Valdemar Henri John of Denmark, Count of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the elder son of Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, the Australian born Crown Princess Mary. He is a grandson of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her husband Prince Henrik...
, born on 15 October 2005. - Her Royal Highness Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe of Denmark, Countess of MonpezatPrincess Isabella of DenmarkPrincess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. She is the daughter of Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, the Australian-born Crown Princess Mary....
, born on 21 April 2007. - His Royal Highness Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander of Denmark, Count of MonpezatPrince Vincent of DenmarkPrince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander of Denmark, Count of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the third child and youngest son of Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, the Australian-born Crown Princess Mary. He is also the sixth grandchild and youngest grandson of Queen...
, born on 8 January 2011 - Her Royal Highness Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda of Denmark, Countess of MonpezatPrincess Josephine of DenmarkPrincess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. She is the fourth and youngest child of Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, the Australian-born Crown Princess Mary, and the seventh and youngest grandchild of Queen Margrethe II of...
, born on 8 January 2011
- His Royal Highness Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John of Denmark, Count of Monpezat
- His Royal Highness Prince Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian of Denmark, Count of MonpezatPrince Joachim of DenmarkPrince Joachim of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the younger son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark....
, born on 7 June 1969. He was married on 18 November 1995 to Alexandra Christina Manley, who was born on 30 June 1964. They divorced on 8 April 2005. He was married on 24 May 2008 to Marie Agathe Odile CavallierPrincess Marie of DenmarkMarie Agathe Odile, Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, is the second wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark.-Early life:...
, who was born on 6 February 1976. He has three sons:- His Highness Prince Nikolai William Alexander Frederik of Denmark, Count of MonpezatPrince Nikolai of DenmarkPrince Nikolai William Alexander Frederik of Denmark, Count of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the elder son of Prince Joachim and his former wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg...
, born on 28 August 1999. - His Highness Prince Felix Henrik Valdemar Christian of Denmark, Count of MonpezatPrince Felix of DenmarkPrince Felix Henrik Valdemar Christian of Denmark, Count of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the younger son of Prince Joachim and his former wife, Alexandra Christina, Countess of Frederiksborg...
, born on 22 July 2002. - His Highness Prince Henrik Carl Joachim Alain of Denmark, Count of MonpezatPrince Henrik of DenmarkPrince Henrik of Denmark, Count of Monpezat is a Danish prince and a member of the Danish Royal Family.-Danish prince:Prince Henrik is the third and youngest son of Prince Joachim. The prince is Joachim's first child with his second wife, Princess Marie of Denmark...
, born on 4 May 2009.
- His Highness Prince Nikolai William Alexander Frederik of Denmark, Count of Monpezat
Prince Henrik's native language is French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, and his second language is Danish
Danish language
Danish is a North Germanic language spoken by around six million people, principally in the country of Denmark. It is also spoken by 50,000 Germans of Danish ethnicity in the northern parts of Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, where it holds the status of minority language...
. Although he quickly learned Danish after marrying Margrethe, Danes still joke about his grasp of Danish and his thick French accent. He also speaks fluent English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, and Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
.
In 2006 the Danish railway magazine Ud&Se brought an interview with Prince Henrik, in which he talked about his dogs, food and his childhood in Vietnam, among other things. The prince mentioned having eaten dog meat once, on an occasion where it was served for him. A month later a Danish tabloid used part of this interview in a critical article with the front-page headline 'Prince Henrik eats dog'. Other tabloids and newspapers picked up on this and Prince Henrik was subject to somewhat of a press-grilling for "eating dog meat" despite being honorary president of the Danish Dachshund Club.
2002 "Flight" from Denmark
In 2002, Henrik left Denmark and went to stay at the couple's Château de Caïx in CahorsCahors
Cahors is the capital of the Lot department in south-western France.Its site is dramatic being contained on three sides within an udder shaped twist in the river Lot known as a 'presqu'île' or peninsula...
in southern France. The reason for Henrik's departure from Denmark was due to a New Year's Day
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is observed on January 1, the first day of the year on the modern Gregorian calendar as well as the Julian calendar used in ancient Rome...
reception in which his son, Crown Prince Frederik, was appointed host in the absence of Queen Margrethe. Henrik felt "pushed aside, degraded and humiliated" 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. 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 Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
wedding of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange
Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange
Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange is the eldest child of Queen Beatrix and Prince Claus. Since 1980 he is the heir apparent to the throne of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He is also the head of the House of Amsberg since the death of his father in 2002. He was in military service and he studied...
and Máxima Zorreguieta
Princess Máxima of the Netherlands
Princess Máxima of the Netherlands is the wife of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange, heir apparent to the throne of the Netherlands.-Early life and education:...
After three weeks, Henrik returned to Denmark and resumed his royal duties.
On 30 April 2008, shortly before the wedding of his younger son, Prince Joachim, to Miss Marie Cavallier
Princess Marie of Denmark
Marie Agathe Odile, Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, is the second wife of Prince Joachim of Denmark.-Early life:...
, the title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
"Count of Monpezat" , was conferred by the Queen on both of her sons, and made hereditary for their male-line
Patrilineality
Patrilineality is a system in which one belongs to one's father's lineage. It generally involves the inheritance of property, names or titles through the male line as well....
descendants, both male and female. The Queen's Private Secretary
Private Secretary to the Sovereign
The Private Secretary to the Sovereign is the senior operational member of the Royal Household of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom, as distinct from the Great Officers of the Household. The Private Secretary is the principal channel of communication with Her Majesty's Government and the...
Henning Fode
Henning Fode
Henning Fode is a Danish civil servant who is the Private Secretary to Margrethe II of Denmark.Prior to his appointment, Henning Fode served in a number of positions in the Danish government. His last posting was as Director of Public Prosecutions and earlier he was Director General of the Danish...
commented, "The Queen and the Prince Consort have considered this for quite some time, and it has led to the belief that it was the right thing to do."
In fact, Henrik had mentioned this possibility as long ago as 1996, in his published memoir
Memoir
A memoir , is a literary genre, forming a subclass of autobiography – although the terms 'memoir' and 'autobiography' are almost interchangeable. Memoir is autobiographical writing, but not all autobiographical writing follows the criteria for memoir set out below...
, "During our generation the future sovereign will perhaps receive approval to see 'Monpezat' added to the dynastic name of 'Oldenbourg-Glücksbourg'". While being interviewed by the French weekly Point de Vue in October 2005, Henrik raised the issue shortly after the birth of Crown Prince Frederik's first son, Prince Christian
Prince Christian of Denmark
Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John of Denmark, Count of Monpezat , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the elder son of Crown Prince Frederik and his wife, the Australian born Crown Princess Mary. He is a grandson of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark and her husband Prince Henrik...
, 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.'" Although no announcement was made at that time, Prince Christian does now include (part of) his French grandfather's surname among his hereditary titles. The grant does not extend this Danish comital title to Henrik himself.
Poetry
Henrik has written many poems in his native language French, some of which has been published in the poetry collections; Chemin faisant (1982), CantabileCantabile (book)
Cantabile is a collection of poems written by Henrik, the Prince Consort of Denmark and published in 2000. It is illustrated by the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II....
(2000), Les escargots de Marie Lanceline (2003), and Murmures de vent (2005).
Ancestry
Titles and styles
| {infobox hrhstyles|royal name=The Prince Consort of Denmark|image=|dipstyle=His Royal Highness|offstyle=Your Royal Highness|altstyle=Sir}} |
- ComteCountA count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
* Henri de Laborde de Monpezat (1934–1967) - His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark (1967–1972)
- His Royal Highness The Prince Consort of Denmark (1972–present)
* Use is disputed, see section "French title controversy" below
French title controversy
The Laborde de Monpezat familyHouse of Laborde de Monpezat
The House of Laborde de Monpezat is a French family, known since the seventeenth century, associated with the Danish Royal Family by marriage. In 1967 Henri de Laborde de Monpezat wed Hereditary Princess Margrethe of Denmark, of the ruling House of Glücksburg...
style themselves as count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
s, though their right to the use of that title is disputed: The Encyclopédie de la fausse noblesse et de la noblesse d'apparence (Encyclopedia of False and Seeming Nobility) states that Prince Henrik's ancestor, Jean Laborde, received royal letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
of ennoblement in 1655, conditional on his reception as a noble
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
in the Estates
The States
The States or the Estates signifies the assembly of the representatives of the estates of the realm, called together for purposes of legislation or deliberation...
of the province of Béarn
Béarn
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
where his lands were located. But this condition was never fulfilled, as the Estates refused Laborde's petitions in 1703 and again in 1707. The family's surname was "Monpezat" by the time of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, without title, until 14 July 1860, when it was changed by imperial
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
decree to "de Laborde-Monpezat", and legally changed again on 19 May 1861 to "de Laborde de Monpezat". Although the comital title has been used by the family as if it were a titre de courtoisie
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
, traditionally the royal court
Royal court
Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...
and French society accepted such titles 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
Genealogy
Genealogy is the study of families and the tracing of their lineages and history. Genealogists use oral traditions, historical records, genetic analysis, and other records to obtain information about a family and to demonstrate kinship and pedigrees of its members...
after his marriage. Henrik's 1996 autobiography acknowledges the unsuccessful ennoblement.
Royal spouses and titles
Count Ingolf of Rosenborg
Count Ingolf of Rosenborg, , is a grandson of King Christian X of Denmark and first cousin of the present Queen Margrethe II...
wed an untitled commoner and was demoted to a count, and another cousin, Prince Christian of Denmark
Count Christian of Rosenborg
Count Christian of Rosenborg, a former Danish and Icelandic prince now Grev Christian af Rosenborg , who was high in the line of hereditary succession to the throne of Denmark until the new right of females of the royal family to inherit the crown displaced his branch of the dynasty in favor of...
, also wed a Dane, Anne Dorte Maltoft-Nielsen, in 1971. Christian later commented on the dynasty's marital rules in the Danish periodical, Billed-Bladet:
Decades later, Henrik's sons Frederik
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark
Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, is the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark. Frederik is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, the Prince Consort.-Name and christening:...
and Joachim
Prince Joachim of Denmark
Prince Joachim of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, , is a member of the Danish Royal Family. He is the younger son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark....
both married foreign commoners without any serious doubt about their eligibility to the throne being raised.
Honours and awards
Knight of the Order of the ElephantOrder of the Elephant
The Order of the Elephant is the highest order of Denmark. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional monarchy in 1849, is now almost exclusively bestowed on royalty and heads of state.- History :A Danish religious...
Grand Commander of the Order of Dannebrog Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour (France) Grand Cross of the Order of Merit
Ordre National du Mérite
The Ordre national du Mérite is an Order of State awarded by the President of the French Republic. It was founded on 3 December 1963 by President Charles de Gaulle...
(France) Commander of the Order of Agricultural Merit
Mérite agricole
The Ordre National du Mérite Agricole is an order of merit established in France on 7 July 1883 by Minister of Agriculture Jules Méline to reward services to agriculture...
(France) Grand Cordon of the Order of Leopold (Belgium) Grand Cross of Order of the Southern Cross
Order of the Southern Cross
The National Order of the Southern Cross is a Brazilian order of chivalry founded by Emperor Pedro I on 1 December 1822. This order was intended to commemorate the independence of Brazil and the coronation of Pedro I...
(Brazil) 1 Class of the Order of Stara Planina (Bulgaria) 1 class of the Order of the Nile
Order of the Nile
The Order of the Nile is Egypt's highest state honor. The award was instituted in 1915 by Sultan Hussein Kamel to be awarded by Egypt for exceptional services to the nation...
(Egypt) Grand Cross with Collar of the Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana
The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana was instituted in 1995 to honour the independence of the Estonian state. The Order of the Cross of Terra Mariana is bestowed upon the President of the Republic. Presidents of the Republic who have ceased to hold office shall keep the Order of the Cross of...
(Estonia) Grand Cross of the Finnish Order of the White Rose
Order of the White Rose
The Order of the White Rose of Finland is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. The President of Finland is the Grand Master of all three orders. The orders are administered by boards consisting of a chancellor,...
(Finland) Médaille d'commemorative Algeria (France) Grand Crosses of the Order of Honour (Greece) Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
Order of the Falcon
The Order of the Falcon or Hin íslenska fálkaorða is a national Order of Iceland, established on July 3, 1921 by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland.-History and appointments:...
(Iceland) Grand Cross of the Italian Republic Order of Merit
Order of Merit of the Italian Republic
The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic was founded as the senior order of knighthood by the second President of the Italian Republic, Luigi Einaudi in 1951...
Chain of the Order of the Chrysanthemum
Order of the Chrysanthemum
is Japan's highest order. The Grand Cordon of the Order was established in 1876 by Emperor Meiji of Japan; the collar of the Order was added on January 4, 1888. Although technically the order has only one class, it can either be awarded with collar , or with grand cordon...
(Japan) Grand Cross of Supreme Order of the Renaissance (Jordan) Grand Order of Queen Jelena
Grand Order of Queen Jelena
The Grand Order of Queen Jelena , or more fully the Grand Order of Queen Jelena with Sash and Morning Star , is an order of the Republic of Croatia. It was established in 1995...
(Croatia) Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars
Order of the Three Stars
Order of the Three Stars is order awarded for merits in service for Latvia. It was established in 1924 in remembrance of founding of Latvia. Its motto is "Per aspera ad astra"...
(Latvia) Order of Vytautas the Great
Order of Vytautas the Great
The Order of Vytautas the Great is the Lithuanian Presidential Award. It may be conferred on the heads of Lithuania and foreign states, as well as their citizens, for distinguished services to the State of Lithuania.-History:...
(Lithuania) Order of the Gold Lion of the House of Nassau (Luxembourg) Grand Cordon of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite (Morocco) Cross of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
Order of the Aztec Eagle
The Order of the Aztec Eagle is a Mexican order and is the highest decoration awarded to foreigners in the country.It was created by decree on December 29, 1933 by President Abelardo L. Rodríguez as a reward to services given to Mexico or humankind by foreigners...
(Mexico) Grand Cross of the Order of the Dutch Lion
Order of the Dutch Lion
The Order of the Netherlands Lion is an order of the Netherlands which was first created on 29 September 1815 by King William I of the Netherlands....
(Netherlands) Order of Rajanya (Nepal) Grand Cross of the Order of St. Olav (Norway) Grand Decoration of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland Grand Cross of the Order of Christ (Portugal)
Order of Christ (Portugal)
The Military Order of Christ previously the Royal Order of the Knights of Our Lord Jesus Christ was the heritage of the Knights Templar in Portugal, after the suppression of the Templars in 1312...
Grand Cross of the Order of Aviz
Order of Aviz
The Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1910 Royal Military Order of Aviz , previously to 1789 Order of Saint Benedict of Aviz , previously Knights of St. Benedict of Aviz or Friars of Santa Maria of Évora, is a Portuguese Order of Chivalry...
(Portugal) Grand Cross of the Order of the Star of Romania
Order of the Star of Romania
The Order of the Star of Romania is Romania's highest civil order. It is awarded by the President of Romania...
1 Class 23 August-order (Romania) 1 class of Order of Abdulaziz al Saud
Order of Abdulaziz al Saud
The Order of Abdulaziz al Saud is a Saudi-Arabian Order of merit. The order has been named after Abdulaziz Al Saud who founded the Saudi kingdom and died in 1953.-History:...
(Saudi Arabia) Grand Cross of the Order of Charles III (Spain) 1 class of the Order of the Bath
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
(United Kingdom) 1 class of the Order of St. Michael and St. George (United Kingdom)
- Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian OrderRoyal Victorian OrderThe Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, Commonwealth realms Order of the SeraphimOrder of the SeraphimThe Royal Order of the Seraphim is a Swedish Royal order of chivalry created by King Frederick I of Sweden on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Polar Star...
(Sweden) 1 class of the Order of Chula Chom KlaoOrder of Chula Chom KlaoThe Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao was established in 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam to commemorate the 90th Jubilee of the Chakri Dynasty, and bears his Name...
(Thailand) Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Decoration for Services to the Republic of AustriaDecoration for Services to the Republic of AustriaThe Decoration of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria is a state decoration of the Republic of Austria...
Publications
Prince Henrik has translated several books into Danish, as well as publishing several other books.- In 1981, under the pseudonymPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
H.M. Vejerbjerg he and the Queen translated Simone de BeauvoirSimone de BeauvoirSimone-Ernestine-Lucie-Marie Bertrand de Beauvoir, often shortened to Simone de Beauvoir , was a French existentialist philosopher, public intellectual, and social theorist. She wrote novels, essays, biographies, an autobiography in several volumes, and monographs on philosophy, politics, and...
'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.
- CantabileCantabile (book)Cantabile is a collection of poems written by Henrik, the Prince Consort of Denmark and published in 2000. It is illustrated by the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II....
, 2000, poems. - Les escargots de Marie Lanceline, 2003.
- Murmures de vent, 2005, poems.
Gallery
 |
External links
- Biography of HRH The Prince Consort Official website of the Danish Monarchy
- Royal House of Denmark and Royal House of Iceland
- The Ancestry of Henri de Laborde de Monpezat