Prince Henrik of Denmark will be laid to rest on 20 February, but no members of state will be in attendance, in accordance with the late 83-year-old's wishes to have a private funeral. Instead, only close family and friends will attend the ceremony. Former Bishop of the Copenhagen Cathedral and royal confessor Erik Normann Svendsen will conduct the service at the Christiansborg Palace Church at Slotsholmen. Prince Henrik - the husband of Danish monarch Queen Margrethe - passed away earlier this week, after he was left fighting a pulmonary infection from which he never recovered.
Prince Henrik's body was moved from Fredensborg Castle to Amalienborg Palace
The Danish Royal Court shared a statement confirming the sad news, which read: "His Royal Highness Prince Henrik quietly passed away in his sleep on Tuesday, February 13, at 23.18 at Fredensborg Palace. The prince was surrounded by her Majesty Queen and the two sons." Prince Henrik previously said that he didn't want to be buried next to his wife, telling the Danish magazine Se og Hør: "My wife has decided that she would like to be Queen, and I'm very pleased with that. But as a person, she must know that if a man and a woman are married, then they are equal. It's my wife and not me that can do anything about this matter. If she wants me buried with her, she has to make me King Consort. End of story - I couldn't care less."
Prince Henrik passed away aged 83
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Instead, the prince will be cremated, with half his ashes spread in the Danish waters, and the other half interred in the private gardens at Fredensborg castle. The Royal Court will have a month of mourning for the prince, during which the royal family will wear dark colours, and will not participate "in social or entertaining events". A book of condolence will be placed at Det Gule Palæ for people to pay their respects.
READ: Funeral arrangements will honour Prince Henrik's wishes not to be buried next to his wife