Prince Henrik funeral: The Danish royal family joins Queen Margrethe in mourning

After a lengthy battle with ill health, including dementia, Queen Margrethe's's husband Prince Henrik, 83, passed away peacefully in his sleep surrounded by his family at Fredensborg Palace just after 11pm on February 13. On February 15, the Danish royals, including Queen Margarethe, Her Majesty's heir Crown Prince Frederik and his wife Crown Princess Mary, and the monarch's granchildren, made the solemn journey with Prince Henrik's casket from Fredensborg Palace to Amalienborg Palace, about 40 minutes away in Copenhagen. Services for the late Prince began on February 17, when his coffin was placed in the church at Christiansborg Palace, on the tiny island of Slotsholmen, for the public to pay their respects. On February 20, the Prince was finally laid to rest with a cremation service attended by his wife and the royal family. Queen Margrethe of Denmark released a statement on Thursday, February 21, one day after Prince Henrik’s funeral. The monarch thanked people for their sympathy following her husband’s death. “For me and my family, it has been deeply moving to experience the warmth and sympathy that has flowed from all parts of Danish society in connection with Prince Henrik’s death and funeral,” the statement read. “The many beautiful flowers spontaneously laid down at the places where the Prince was, the many thousands of people from near and far who braved the winter cold to show the Prince their respects in the castle church and the countless written sympathetic expressions we have received, has touched us all deeply and is instrumental in helping us through this difficult time.”Her Majesty added, “For all these beautiful testimonies of devotion and compassion, I and my family wish to express our heartfelt thanks to all the Danish people.”Photo: WENN

At Prince Henrik's February 20th cremation service, the Danish royal family looked on as soldiers acting as pallbearers carried the bier of Prince Henrik at the close of the funeral at Christiansborg Palace Chapel.Photo: BAX LINDHARDT/AFP/Getty Images

Crown Princess Mary comforted daughter Princess Josephine outside the church as Josephine's twin brother Vincent and big sister Isabella looked on.Photo: WENN

Queen Margrethe was surrounded by loved ones as she bid her husband a last farewell.Photo: WENN

Prince Joachim, his wife Princess Marie and four children were grief-stricken as they watched the funeral cortege.Photo: WENN

Prince Henrik's widow Queen Margrethe of Denmark had been accompanied into the Christiansborg castle church by royal confessor Erik Norman Svendsen for the funeral service. Photo: MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/AFP/Getty Images

The Danish monarch had the support of her sons and their wives: from left to right, Princess Marie and husband Prince Joachim, and Crown Princess Mary with husband Crown Prince Frederik.Photo: HENNING BAGGER/AFP/Getty Images

Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik are seen during the February 20 service at Christiansborg Palace Chapel in Copenhagen.Photo: MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/AFP/Getty Images

Frederik, Prince Henrik's elder son and Queen Margrethe's heir, looked emotional during his father's funeral, which was broadcast on live TV. The prince had flown back from his visit to South Korea for the Winter Olympics to be at his father's side before his death.

Princess Marie, seated alongside Prince Joachim and in front of stepson Prince Nikolai, who had just returned from modeling for Burberry in London, also became understandably emotional during the service, and was spotted wiping tears from her eyes.

Queen Margrethe, wearing a dark coat, brooch and hat with veil, seemed calm and serene surrounded by her family.Photo: MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/AFP/Getty Images

Prince Frederik had arrived with Crown Princess Mary and their four children: Prince Christian, Princess Isabella and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.Photo: WENN

The royals, including Crown Princess Mary had all arrived for the service in classic black limousines.Photo: WENN

Prince Henrik's granddaughter Isabella, ten, exited the car before her mother.Photo: WENN

Prince Henrik's son Prince Joachim was seen making his way into the church with his family: wife Princess Marie, their children Princess Athena and Prince Henrik – named after his late grandfather – and Joachim's children from his marriage to first wife Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix.Photo: WENN

Prince Joachim's former spouse Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg also attended her ex-father-in-law's funeral.Photos: WENN

Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and her husband ex-King Constantine (not pictured) also paid their respects in person at the solemn church ceremony. The funeral only included friends and family due to Prince Henrik's wish not to have a state funeral, and was not attended by any foreign members of state.Photo: WENN

Miltary troops in dress uniform stood at attention outside Christiansborg Palace Church on the occasion of HRH Prince Henrik's cremation service.Photo: Albert Nieboer/RoyalPress/dpa

On February 17, Denmark's future king, Crown Prince Frederik, shared a moment with his wife Crown Princess Mary at the Christiansborg Palace Church in Copenhagen, where his late father Price Henrik was lying in Castrum Doloris. Photo: Getty Images

Crown Princess Mary greeted her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe with a kiss as Her Majesty arrived at the church. Photo: Getty Images

Margrethe and Henrik's younger son Prince Joachim was also there to pay his respects alongside his wife Princess Marie.Photo: Getty Images

The widowed Queen, dressed in a simple black sweater, was seen leaving Christiansborg Palace Church where her husband will remain until he is laid to rest on February 20.Photo: MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/AFP/Getty Images

On February 17, mourners lined up inside the candlelit Christiansborg Palace Church to pay their respects to the late Prince. The royal will be cremated, with half of his ashes then scattered at sea, and the other half buried at Fredensborg Castle.Photo: Getty Images

Ahead of the public being able to go pay their respects to Prince Henrik and his family, the Danish royals gathered as they brought his coffin into Castrum Doloris in Christiansborg Palace Church on February 16. Dressed in black, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, along with their respective wives — Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie — and children, stood on either side of their mother Queen Margrethe II.Photo: Getty Images

Here Crown Prince Frederik is seen with his 12-year-old son, second-in-line Prince Christian, seven-year-old son Prince Vincent, and ten-year-old daughter Princess Isabella, as they look at flowers left by mourners in front of Amalienborg Palace on February 15. Behind them are Crown Princess Mary, kneeling, as well as Henrik's younger son Prince Joachim with his children and wife Princess Marie.Photo: MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/AFP/Getty Images

Also there to help guide the young Princes and Princess as they publicly mourned their grandfather was Henrik's daughter in law, Crown Princess Mary, wife of Crown Prince Frederik. Here, with Princess Marie and Henrik's grandchildren seen in the background, Mary and Prince Christian look at the floral arrangements left by well-wishers.Photo: MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/AFP/Getty Images

Crown Prince Frederik held hands with Princess Isabella as they and Prince Vincent made their way across the cobblestone streets, arriving at Amalienborg Palace from Frederiksborg.Photo: MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/AFP/Getty Images

Future King Prince Christian looked solemnly out of the car window as his grandfather's casket arrived at Amalienborg.Photo: MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/AFP/Getty Images

A widowed Queen Margrethe emerged from Fredensborg Palace on February 15, as the hearse carrying her husband's remains prepared to leave for Amalienborg Palace. Photo: LISELOTTE SABROE/AFP/Getty Images

The Queen stood with her grandchildren in the Palace doorway as Prince Henrik's casket was carried to be moved to Cophenhagen. Photo: LISELOTTE SABROE/AFP/Getty Images

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark were seen arriving at Fredensborg Palace in Fredensborg on February 14, 2018, after news that His Royal Highness Prince Henrik had passed away was announced. Photo: LISELOTTE SABROE/AFP/Getty Images

A giant portrait of Prince Henrik is seen hanging from the facade of the French Embassy in Copenhagen. Aristocrat Prince Henrik was born Henri Marie Jean André Greve de Laborde de Monpezat on June 11, 1934, in Talence, a suburb of Bordeaux.Photo: LISELOTTE SABROE/AFP/Getty Images