The siblings of Prince Henrik have announced they are travelling from their homes in France to be by their brother’s bedside in Denmark in another troubling sign of His Royal Highness’s health.
Yesterday, Henrik’s younger sister Catherine de Monpezat arrived in Denmark and visited her brother in hospital. Catherine is 12 years his junior and is a nun in the Catholic Order of the Order of Notre Dame de Calvaire in Toulouse. The Communications Director of the Royal House, Lene Balleby, confirmed to BT saying, “She has arrived in Denmark. I can confirm that the Prince’s sister has visited him.”
Their brother Étienne de Monpezat initially said on Friday that he was awaiting more news before travelling to Copenhagen. He told Danish press BT yesterday that he was preparing to go to Denmark. He told them, “We are in sorrow, and my brother is in danger. So I’m on my way to Denmark now.”
Prince Henrik’s nephew, Guillaume (son of Henrik’s other sister Françoise Bardin) also recently spoke to the media explaining that his mother was very concerned but too unwell herself to make the trip to Denmark, “My mother has lost her voice so she can not speak, but she is very concerned about Prince Henrik and very sorry that she is not able to travel to Denmark.”
Jean-Baptiste de Monpezat, another brother of the Prince, is said to be planning to make the trip to Copenhagen, as well.
His Royal Highness had eight siblings – five sisters and three brothers – but three of them did not make it to adulthood. Sibling Maurille Beauvillain de Monpezat died in 2015 after an extended period of illness.
The Queen has visited her husband numerous times, as has their sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim; daughters-in-law, Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie; and all their grandchildren, Princes Nikolai, Felix, Christian, Vincent and Henrik and Princesses Isabella, Josephine and Athena.
Queen Margrethe cancelled her engagement at Sankt Lukas Hospice in Copenhagen today where she was to celebrate the organisation’s 25th anniversary to be by Prince Henrik. The cancellation of her visit is a worrying sign and signifies her husband is severely unwell.
On Friday, the Royal Danish House said that His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark’s condition had “severely worsened.” As a result, Crown Prince Frederik, who was in South Korea to attend International Olympic Committee meetings and cheer on Danish athletes, rushed home to be by his father’s side.
Their full statement read: “The state of His Royal Highness Prince Henrik’s health has unfortunately severely worsened.
“His Royal Highness The Crown Prince has thus discontinued his stay in South Korea, where he was in conjunction with the Winter Olympics. The Crown Prince is now on his way to Denmark.
“Kongehuset currently has no additional information.”
You can read a full timeline of His Royal Highness’s health here.
