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Denmark

Princess Elisabeth of Denmark laid to rest

Her Highness Princess Elisabeth of Denmark’s cremation ceremony at Lyngby Kirke was held yesterday at 13.00, and she was later laid to rest beside filmmaker and director Claus Hermansen – her partner who she lived with for many years. Hermansen died in 1997.

The service was conducted by former royal Chaplain-in-Ordinary Erik Norman Svendsen. It took place in the church that Her Highness was baptised and confirmed in when she was younger. Her first cousins, Queen Margrethe II, Princess Benedikte, and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece and only surviving brother, Prince Ingolf and his three daughters Josephine, Camilla and Feodora all attended the service.

© Kongehuset

The Danish royal Order of the Elephant was placed on the end of her coffin which was draped in the Danish flag.

Hymns sung during the service were “Jeg er træt og går til ro” (roughly translated to “I’m tired and go to sleep” in English), “Den yndigste rose er funden” (roughly translated into English “The most beautiful rose is found”) and Kongernes konge (or King of Kings). Officers from the navy carried her coffin out of the church at the end of the ceremony.

The former Chaplain-in-Ordinary read from Romans 14,7-9 and spoke of her life including of her support for her cousin, Queen Margrethe, after the death of her husband, Prince Henrik in February of this year.

Princess Elisabeth died peacefully at the age of 83 on 19 June at 18.15 local time after a lengthy illness. She was surrounded by her closest family.

In her final years, she resided at Sorgenfri Palace and remained in the line of succession to the Danish throne in twelfth place. She was the only child of her father’s to keep her place in the line of succession.

Princess Elisabeth Caroline-Mathilde Alexandrine Helena Olga Thyra Feodora Estrid Margrethe Désirée was born on 8 May 1935 as the first child of Hereditary Prince Knud and Hereditary Princess Caroline-Mathilde. She had two younger brothers: Prince Ingolf (later Count of Rosenborg) and Prince Christian (later Count of Rosenborg). Her brother, Prince Ingolf is still alive; however, Prince Christian died in 2013.

About author

Brittani is from Tennessee, USA. She is a political scientist and historian after graduating with a degree in the topics from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, in December 2014. She also holds a master's degree from Northeastern University. She enjoys reading and researching all things regarding the royals of the world. She's been researching, reading, and writing on royalty for over a decade. She became Europe Editor in October 2016, and then Deputy Editor in January 2019, and has been featured on several podcasts, radio shows, news broadcasts and websites including Global News Canada, ABC News Australia, WION India and BBC World News.