Royal Profile: Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark

Henrik Marie Jean André, The Prince Consort of Denmark,  Count de
Laborde de Monpezat was born on 11 June 1934, the son of Count André de Laborde de Monpezat and Countess Renée de Monpezat, née Doursennot {Source}.

The Prince Consort of Denmark was educated in various parts of the world, including Vietnam (then known as French Indo-China), France,  and Hong Kong {Source}. He began his eduucation in Vietnam, with the first five years of his education {Source}. In 1939, the family returned to the family residence, le Cayrou, in Cahors{Source}. Having received instruction at home until 1947, The Prince Consort subsequently studied at the Jesuit boarding school in Bordeaux{Source}. In the period 1948-1950, HRH The Prince Consort attended upper secondary school in Cahors{Source}. He returned to Hanoi in 1950 and graduated from the French upper secondary school in Hanoi in 1952{Source}. In the period 1952- 1957, The Prince Consort studied law and political science at the Sorbonne, Paris, while simultaneously studying Chinese and Vietnamese at École Nationale des Langues Orientales{Source}. Having studied Oriental languages in Hong Kong in 1957, Prince Henrik subsequently studied in Saigon in 1958{Source}.

He was married on 10 June 1967 to Princess Margarethe of Denmark {Source}. And with this marriage, he became HRH Prince Henrik of Denmark, Count de Laborde de Monpezat {Source}. Together, they have two sons, two  daughters-in-law and eight grandchildren {Source}:

• Crown Prince Fredrik
• Crown Princess Mary
• Prince Christian (15 Oct 2005)
• Princess Isabella
• Prince Vincent & Princess Isabella (fraternal twins)
• Prince Joachim
• Princess Marie
• Prince Nikolai (28 August 1999)
• Prince Felix (22 July 2002)
• Prince Henrik
• Princess Athena

The Prince Consort holds backgrounds in military training, business, writing and translating and languages. The Prince Consort was active in the military in infantry in Algeria from 1959-1962 {Source}. In Denmark, he holds the honorary rank of General and Admiral in the Danish Defense{Source}. During the 1960s, the future Prince Consort served within  the Asia Department of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs,  and was a Secretary to the French Embassy in London for four years {Source}. The Prince Consort also operates a wine estate Château de Caïx in Cahors, France, which exports wine thoughout the world {Source}. Prince Henrik's native tongue is French, but upon moving to Denmark he quickly learned the language {Source}. He also speaks English, Chinese and Vietnamese {Source}. The Prince and Queen under the name H.M. Vejerbjerg  translated Simone de Beauvoir’s "Tous les hommes sont mortels” into Danish in 1981{Source}. In 1982, The Prince Consort published ”Chemin faisant" (a volume of French poems)  {Source}.  He published a memior entitled Destin oblige in 1996 {Source}. In 1999, he published his favorite recipes in the book Ikke Altid Gåselever (Not Always Goose Liver) together with Jakob Johannsen {Source}. In 2000, he published a collection of poems called Cantabile  {Source} and in 2003, he published "Les escargots de Marie Lanceline". In 2004, he published Chateau de Caïx and  Fotos fra Prins Henriks private album  {Source}, it was also published in French as Intimité royale {Source}. In 2005, he published  a collection of poems in French under the title Murmures de vent, and in Danish Hviskende brise {Source} and a cook book titled Til glæde for ganen - nye opskrifter til et kongeligt køkken {Source}. In 2007, the Prince Consort was part of a book called Absolutely Magnifique – French Chefs at the Danish Court{Source}. A collection of French, Greenlandic, and Danish poems entitled Bruises on the Soul was published in 2009 {Source}. With illustrations by his wife and artist Maja Lisa Engelhardt, another collection of poems, this time poems that were re-created by Peter Paoulsen, was released in 2010, and it was entitled Roue-Libre {Source} and Frihjul in Danish {Source}. Lastly, in 2011, he was part of a poetry collection entitled Fabula  {Source}.