Thousands of Danes have bid farewell to Denmark’s late Prince Henrik, husband of Queen Margrethe, whose casket is on public display in a downtown Copenhagen chapel until a private funeral next week.
Draped in a Danish flag with his personal coat of arms, the coffin stood on a catafalque surrounded by a guard of honor – eight military officers – inside the chapel of the Christiansborg Palace as people silently walked past Saturday.
Earlier in the day, royals briefly visited the chapel from where a private funeral will be held Tuesday.
Crownprince Frederik and Princesse Mary leave chapel, followed by Prince Joachim and Princess Marie
Queen Margrethe of Denmark is greeted by Crown Princess Mary after arriving at the Christiansborg Palace Church
Danes queue up to pay their respects to Prince Henrik at the Christiansborg Palace Church in Copenhagen
Queen Margrethe of Denmark is greeted by her oldest son and heir to the throne, Crown Prince Frederik outside chapel (left). The Queen pictured at the chapel (right)
Denmark’s Crown princess Mary, Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik arrive at Christiansborg Palace Church
Denmark’s Princess Marie and Prince Joachim of Denmark, the Queen’s youngest son arrive at the chapel (left) while Princess Mary arrives on her own
The streets of the Danish capital were lined by people queuing up to pay their respects to the late royal
Prince Henrik of Denmark and Queen Margrethe II at a state banquet in Beijing, 2014. The couple married in 1967
Prince Henrik died aged 83 on Tuesday at Fredensborg Palace, before his coffin was taken on a stately procession through the streets of northern Copenhagen to Amalienborg Palace.
Thousands of people lined the route as the hearse left the palace, which was closely followed by Queen Margrethe, their two sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, and other family members.
Christiansborg Palace, where it is now to be displayed publicly, also houses Denmark’s Parliament and the prime minister’s office.
The coffin will be on display until the funeral on Tuesday which will be attended by his friends and family only.
Across the country, Danish flags were at half-mast and gun salutes echoed through the capital at dawn, in honour of Henrik, before his white coffin left the castle he loved.
Family members including Queen Margrethe, their two sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, attended the transfer of the coffin to Christiansborg Palace
The coffin, which was draped in a Danish flag bearing the royal coat of arms, was carried into the palace last night
Christiansborg Palace, where it is now being publicly displayed, also houses Denmark’s Parliament and the prime minister’s office
In August 2017 the palace announced Henrik had dementia. He was then hospitalised late last month with a lung infection
Although Henrik and the queen appeared to have a good marriage, the French-born prince had publicly vented his frustration at not being her social equal.
He was titled prince consort, the husband of a reigning queen but not a king, and he was not in the line of succession, his oldest son Crown Prince Frederik being the heir.
Henrik caused a scandal last August by announcing that when he died he did not want to be buried next to Margrethe in the cathedral where the remains of Danish royals have gone for centuries.
The queen already had a specially designed sarcophagus waiting for the couple.
The palace has said it will respect Henrik’s wish to be cremated, with half his ashes to be spread over Danish seas and the other half buried in the royal family’s private garden at the Fredensborg Palace.
Denmark’s royal family traces its lineage back to the Viking king Gorm the Old, who died in 958.
The coffin will be on display until the private funeral on Tuesday which will be attended by his friends and family only
Across the country, Danish flags were at half-mast and gun salutes echoed through the capital at dawn, in honour of Henrik
The Royal family watch as soldiers from the Royal Guard carry the coffin of deceased Prince Henrik of Denmark into the Parliament’s church
Although Henrik and the queen appeared to have a good marriage, the French-born prince had publicly vented his frustration at not being her social equal
He was titled prince consort, the husband of a reigning queen but not a king, and he was not in the line of succession, his oldest son Crown Prince Frederik being the heir
He resigned his title of Queen Consort in 2016 and spent much of his time at a chateau on a vineyard in southwestern France, although he officially still lived with her
Henrik caused a scandal last August by announcing that when he died he did not want to be buried next to Margrethe
Buckingham Palace have said it is too soon to say which British royals would attend the funeral next Tuesday
A soldier watches on as the Royal Family leave after watching the transfer of the coffin into Christiansborg Palace
Crown Princess Mary, Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Christian, and Prince Isabella (pictured) also attended the transfer of the coffin
The queen already had a specially designed sarcophagus waiting for the couple in the cathedral where the remains of Danish royals have gone for centuries
The palace has said it will respect Henrik’s wish to be cremated, with half his ashes to be spread over Danish seas
The other half of his ashes are to be buried in the royal family’s private garden at the Fredensborg Palace on the island of Zealand
Yesterday thousands lined the streets to pay their respects to Henrik. Hundreds of bunches of flowers were left outside the Amalienborg Palace
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II was seen smiling at the floral tributes which had been laid out to honour Prince Henrik at Fredensborg Palace
Danish Crown Prince Frederik (centre) and Princess Mary (rear, knelt down) lead Princes Christian (front), Vincent (second front), and Princess Isabella (centre) to look at floral tributes to Prince Henrik
Princess Mary of Denmark and Prince Henrik of Denmark are seen in this 2006 file photo