Their Highnesses Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix, the eldest grandchildren of Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik, were “thankful to have been able to say goodbye” to their beloved grandfather, according to their mother, Countess Alexandra.
Through her private secretary, she said to Denmark’s Ekstra Bladet, “We are all three in deep, deep sorrow about the death of the Prince.”
The Countess went on to say that 18-year-old Prince Nikolai and 15-year-old Prince Felix were concerned about the entire situation, “The princes are very concerned about the situation, but they were really happy to say goodbye to their beloved grandpa and happy that he got such a nice end to a very nice life.”
Alexandra had previously said about Henrik, “Prince Henrik was a man with great love for life, and a lovely, cultured and spontaneous person. He was a laughing, worldly man and was always there for his grandchildren. He has always taken care of the boys.”
Princes Nikolai and Felix visited Copenhagen’s Rigshospitalet to see their grandfather many times before he was transferred home to Fredensborg Palace during the afternoon of 13 February. They and their younger half-siblings Prince Henrik and Princess Athena spent time with Prince Henrik before his death with their parents, grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins.
Prince Felix was at Fredensborg Palace when Prince Henrik died peacefully in his sleep at 11:18 pm on 13 February. It is not believed he was in the room when Henrik passed as the press release from the Royal Danish House’s press department only stated that Queen Margrethe, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim were at his bedside.
The entire Danish Royal Family followed the hearse carrying Prince Henrik’s coffin yesterday morning on his final journey from Fredensborg to Amalienborg Palace where he remained overnight. Today he will be transferred to Christiansborg Palace Church where his funeral will be held on 20 February for close family and friends.
The Crown Prince Family and Prince Joachim’s family viewed the floral and candle tributes by the Danish people to Prince Henrik yesterday morning after arriving at Amalienborg.
Nikolai and Felix are Prince Joachim’s sons by his first wife, the former Alexandra Manley. The couple divorced in 2005.