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Denmark

The poignant tribute to Prince Henrik in Queen Margrethe’s birthday photos

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark

You just knew she wouldn’t forget him. Queen Margrethe has made sure that her late husband, Prince Henrik, is remembered in the special images now being shared by Denmark’s royals to mark the monarch’s 80th birthday.

The second set of photos, released on the eve of Margrethe’s big day, focus on her and her royal lineage. One image shows her in the Garden Room at Fredensborg Palace with a door opening on to its famous Baroque Gardens, created by her predecessor, Frederik V, to show Denmark’s glory to the world. The other is taken in a study that was once used by her mother, Queen Ingrid. And right behind Margrethe is a photo of her beloved Henrik.

At all the other major celebrations of her life and reign, from jubilees to big birthdays, Margrethe had Henrik at her side. The couple, who married in 1967, were famously devoted to each other throughout a marriage that lasted over fifty years. His death, in early 2018, left her grieving. But as she faces her first major birthday without him, she has ensured he is still part of the public events surrounding her milestone.

The photo of Henrik shows him in his later years and is positioned to the right of the monarch, the traditional place for a consort. It is a subtle and poignant reminder of the role he played for so long in her reign.

The other image shared on April 15th is pretty symbolic, too. Fredensborg Palace was the setting for the famous family get togethers held by her great, great, great grandfather, King Christian IX, known as the father-in-law of Europe as his descendants married into so many other ruling dynasties. The room where Margrethe sits for this latest portrait by Per Morten Abrahamsen, is also the setting for the famous portrait of King Christian IX and his many royal relatives.

Meanwhile, the glimpse of the Baroque Gardens is a link to Queen Margrethe’s earlier royal lineage. The grounds, which were restored in 2013, are filled with statues symbolising Denmark’s power as well as the working people who helped to build its wealth, including fishermen. The neat avenues, which were kept free of flowers so the colours wouldn’t clash with the elaborate dresses worn at court, provide views down to Lake Esrum, one of the largest bodies of water in Denmark.

But it is perhaps the nod to Henrik which remains the most poignant in these latest images shared to mark the 80th birthday of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

See all the photos released on April 15th in our special post here. We’ve also got a special feature on the first portraits marking the Queen of Denmark’s birthday and keep checking Royal Central for the final set of images which will be published on her 80th, April 16th 2020.

About author

Lydia Starbuck is Jubilee and Associate Editor at Royal Central and the main producer and presenter of the Royal Central Podcast and Royal Central Extra. Lydia is also a pen name of June Woolerton who is a journalist and writer with over twenty years experience in TV, radio, print and online. Her latest book, A History of British Royal Jubilees, is out now. Her new book, The Mysterious Death of Katherine Parr, will be published in March 2024. June is an award winning reporter, producer and editor. She's appeared on outlets including BBC 5 Live, BBC Radio Ulster and BBC Local Radio and has also helped set up a commercial radio station. June is also an accomplished writer with a wide range of material published online and in print. She is the author of two novels, published as e-books. She is also a marriage registrar and ceremony celebrant.