Prince Henrik: "I Should Be King" Discussion

[MissByrd]

No male that I ever known would relate to being a "male Cinderella"! I think that Prince Henri, Prince Phillip and Prince Daniel have this in common: their role in life is defined by their wife's role. Each one handles it differently. Prince Daniel seems to take a businesslike approach, which is his mindset. He just goes forward in a most productive manner. Of course, this my opinion from outside observation. Prince Phillip is royal and understood the situation before he started. Prince Henri is a character and perhaps like to make a splash from time to time. In the interview, I didn't think the Queen was greatly disturbed. IMHO. ��

 

[Muhler]

I guess this belongs here since it’s in connection with QMII’s birthday but still is very about PH.

Well, it’s not every day a vote in the Greenlandic Parliament reach the news in Denmark!

http://jyllands-posten.dk/indland/ECE759745/

http://www.dr.dk/Nyhede

As you may recall the Greenlandic PM, Kim Kielsen, who also accompanied M&F to Japan talked last year about how PH genuinely deserve to be recognized and that it really was a kind of discrimination that PH can’t be a majesty or a king, like QMII. And that sentiment was widely shared by the Greenlanders and also politically, so it was decided to bestow a Greenlandic title on PH that would (almost) give him equal status as his wife at least in Greenland. So the question was put through the Parliament and apart from the republicans, who wants independence from DK and one more abstainer the bill was passed.

Kim Kielsen says that to him this is a natural thing to do, because there has never been any doubt of the close bonds and indeed love between the DRF and Greenland.

So PH will get the Greenlandic title of Siqqerqanarresut on QMII’s birthday, 16. April. (Oddly enough there is no mentioning of QMII getting the title. Perhaps she declined it?)

Now, there is strictly speaking no equivalent to king or queen in Greenlandic, that title is purely Danish, so Siqqerqanarresut can be translated to something like viceroy or prince in the European sense, i.e. a Fürst, or a kind of subservient king or chief. So PH will be a majesty like QMII but still subservient to QMII – in Greenland that is. In the rest of the realm the title is not valid, because that would require the Danish (and Faroese) Parliament to change the Law of Succession.

Lene Balleby from the court says: “The Regent Couple are naturally delighted and very honored that the Prince Consort will get the title of Siqqerqanarresut and the Regent Couple look very much forward to personally thank the people of Greenland on their next visit”.

But there is no chance of PH becoming king in Denmark though! The PM, Helle Thorning says: “While the Danish government acknowledges the honor bestowed on the Prince Consort by Greenland and congratulates him heartily, the government has no plans of bringing forward a similar bill”.

From the opposition, Søren Espersen says: “Well, now that the Prince Consort has become King of Greenland, in a way, we hope this will satisfy his wish to be equal with Her Majesty. In name that is. And we have no intention of voicing our protest about a decision made by the Greenlanders especially as it not a political issue in Denmark. After all Her Majesty is the one who approves titles to the DRF and that is exclusively her decision. The Prince Consort is to be congratulated on his new title”.

Interestingly, it means that Frederik and possibly Mary as well will also get the title of Siqqerqanarresut, when they become king and queen. – (That IMO will no doubt be a very popular thing!)

And since no one in DK can pronounce Siqqerqanarresut without fracturing the tongue PH is already in the press referred to as King of Greenland…

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[FONT=&quot]- - [/FONT]Well, you’d be forgiven for thinking this is an Aprils fool… IMO if PH is happy, I’m happy. And QMII is indeed a very wise Queen…

 

[Muhler]

Follow up:

http://www.bt.dk/danmark/blev-du-

Experts have looked into the title, or rather the word Siqqerqanarresut. It literally means “eating-seal-liver”! Apparently seal liver is a delicacy and traditionally the most esteemed and respected person in a Greenlandic hamlet was always the first to be offered seal liver to eat, hence the name Siqqerqanarresut.

Interestingly the title is gender-neutral, which means that when M&F get the title they will literally be equals in regards to their status in Greenland, even if constitutionally speaking Frederik will still outrank Mary.

[FONT=&quot]There is also no hindrance of having several Siqqerqanarresut’s at the same time, because that was a historical fact, due to the isolation of the Greenlandic hamlets. That will be a comfort to PH should he outlive QMII, because then he will still be equal to king Frederik and queen Mary who will also be Siqqerqanarresut’s.

- Hmm, don't seem to be able to post links...
[/FONT]

 

[Muhler]

Well, as you probably guessed this was an Aprils fool joke.

Alas, PH will not be King of Greenland - Perhaps next near...

Here is another joke that's better, certainly the reactions to the joke was well over the top!
A radio somewhere in USA warned people that there was H2O in the local water supply and that caused panic among quite a number of people... Water supply prank ends with suspension of morning show DJs - Naples Daily News

 

[hernameispekka]

Well, as you probably guessed this was an Aprils fool joke.

Alas, PH will not be King of Greenland - Perhaps next near...

Here is another joke that's better, certainly the reactions to the joke was well over the top!
A radio somewhere in USA warned people that there was H2O in the local water supply and that caused panic among quite a number of people... Water supply prank ends with suspension of morning show DJs - Naples Daily News

Hahhahahahahaha... Oh dear lord.....

 

[Tiggersk8]

Well, as you probably guessed this was an Aprils fool joke.

Alas, PH will not be King of Greenland - Perhaps next near...

Here is another joke that's better, certainly the reactions to the joke was well over the top!
A radio somewhere in USA warned people that there was H2O in the local water supply and that caused panic among quite a number of people... Water supply prank ends with suspension of morning show DJs - Naples Daily News

Pretty good one IMO. When you continually throw temper tantrums about not being King, you open yourself up to be used for April Fools.

Curling Canada had a good one too. They posted on their web site the game was in deep trouble due to a World wide shortage of Granite. No Granite, no Curling rocks, no Curling rocks.... They actually got a few people to bite too and some of the reactions...LOL!!!


Sent from my iPad using The Royals Community mobile app

 

[GracieGiraffe]

Well, as you probably guessed this was an Aprils fool joke.

Alas, PH will not be King of Greenland - Perhaps next near...

Here is another joke that's better, certainly the reactions to the joke was well over the top!
A radio somewhere in USA warned people that there was H2O in the local water supply and that caused panic among quite a number of people... Water supply prank ends with suspension of morning show DJs - Naples Daily News

Hahahahaha!!! That was a good one

 

[Muhler]

The saga about PH's wish to become king continues.

A Gallup poll has shown that the people do not agree with him!
Her er danskernes benhårde dom: Så få vil have Henrik som konge - Danmark | www.bt.dk
62.6 % believe he should continue being Prince Consort.
12.6 % Believe he should settle for Prince. (i.e. being demoted, or they don't know he still is a Prince).
7.3 % believe he should be king.
The rest are don't knows.

Jon Bloch Skipper was asked about PH title and possible future titles this week in BB. And basically it's up to QMII, except for the title of king!
Because that would mean that the Constitution needs a definition of the title King. Because there are lots of references to the King in the Constitution. And even though King in this context means the Monarch, the wording in the Constitution still needs to be changed should PH become king. - And fat chance of that one to happen! Especially as PH is old and could die even before the Constitution was edited and with Frederik and Christian as the next two kings, there is no need for that for hopefully at least the next 80 years.

 

[maria-olivia]

Prince Henrik in venise should be removed here.

On Marie et Joachim centerblog are pictures taken by tourists of Denmark.

The Prince is sitting and next to him is his bodyguard.

He should have left Denmark by plane April , no by private helicopter for not to be seen , because he could be next to some guests ....

He is seen on Saturday , he thought to be incognito .....

Shame on him !

 

[Muhler]

Here we go again! http://www.bt.dk/royale/prins-henrik-chokerer-i-opsigtsvaekkende-interview-det-goer-mig-vred

PH has again complained about him not being king. This time in an interview to the paper Le Figaro:
He says: "Why only be prince and His Hghness, but not His Majesty?
I have myself decided to call myself Prince Consort in order to find a place in the Danish society as well as a position and purpose in my function as prince. It makes me angry that I'm subjected to discrimination.
Denmark, that is otherwise known for being an eager defender for gender eqality, is apparently willing to regard husbands as inferior to their wives (informal word)".

 

[Curryong]

Oh dear, the man has been in a perpetual state of resentment and indignation for half his life over this issue. If Prince Henrik wants to call himself Prince Consort that's up to him but surely he must realise that the people of his adopted country don't agree with him?

Surely to goodness before he and Margrethe married the issue of his future rank and title was discussed and thrashed out, unless of course he was offered the title of Prince Consort then and it didn't eventuate. It's all become a little tiresome and ridiculous in my opinion, and even a bit sad.

 

[Rudolph]

In an interview with a French newspaper, Prince Consort Henrik blasts the Danes’ refusal to call him ‘king’ as a sign that the country is not as equal as it claims.

The perceived disrespect that comes with his official royal title is a common complaint from the 81-year-old Prince Consort Henrik, but the queen’s husband took it to new levels in an interview with French newspaper Le Figaro.

Prince Henrik told the newspaper, one of France’s largest, that he still harbours a grudge about his title, which he thinks should be King.

Read more: Queen’s husband feels 'discriminated' by Danes - The Local

 

[wyevale]

What a distasteful contrast to the behaviour of HRH the Duke of Edinburgh...who has busied himself helping his country enormously [the DoE award scheme], and supporting his wife in the role he accepted when he married her..

 

[Muhler]

Yes, indeed - (sigh).

Here is a list compiled by BT where PH publicly have aired his grieviance about "only being number two".
I haven't got time to translate now, but have a look at the online poll. There is very limited understanding for PH's view!
http://www.bt.dk/royale/historien-gentager-sig-her-er-prins-henriks-mange-klagesange

 

[Mbruno]

Philip Ii of Spain ( a King in his own right) was also King Comsort of England when married to Mary I Tudor. The practice of calling the Queen"s husband a prince only started with Queen Victoria and was then followed by the Netherlands and later Denmark .

I agree with Henrik. It iis unfair that he should be treated differently from Maxima, Mathilde, Letizia, Sonja or Silvia.

 

[wyevale]

Philip II was a king in his own right ALREADY..and the reason for giving him that title in England was solely that this country had NEVER experienced a Queen Regnant, and [given the erronious perception that a Woman could not make a good job of being a monarch] it was thought she MUST have a man to 'manage her'.. We know BETTER !
And you are wrong Mbruno.. Queen Anne's husband was known as 'the Prince of Denmark', not as king.. well before Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, [in the early 18th century] !

 

[Rudolph]

I'll catch heck for this but I like the tradition. Henrik should just suck it up as we say in my neck of the woods.

 

[Mbruno]

The saga about PH's wish to become king continues.

A Gallup poll has shown that the people do not agree with him!
Her er danskernes benhårde dom: Så få vil have Henrik som konge - Danmark | www.bt.dk
62.6 % believe he should continue being Prince Consort.
12.6 % Believe he should settle for Prince. (i.e. being demoted, or they don't know he still is a Prince).
7.3 % believe he should be king.
The rest are don't knows.

Jon Bloch Skipper was asked about PH title and possible future titles this week in BB. And basically it's up to QMII, except for the title of king!
Because that would mean that the Constitution needs a definition of the title King. Because there are lots of references to the King in the Constitution. And even though King in this context means the Monarch, the wording in the Constitution still needs to be changed should PH become king. - And fat chance of that one to happen! Especially as PH is old and could die even before the Constitution was edited and with Frederik and Christian as the next two kings, there is no need for that for hopefully at least the next 80 years.

That is a silly argument. It sufixes to add a paragraph in the constitution following the first referencie to the word King saying that "King or Queen this constitution refers to the person who is King or Queen of Denmark under the Act of Succession." That would automatically exclude the consorts as they have never been in the line of succession for example.

Other alternative is to replace King in the constitution with head of state as in the constitution of Sweden or sovereign as in the constitution of New Zealand and then define the Sovereign as the person who is King or Queen of Denmark under the Act of Succession.

 

[Osipi]

For a slightly humorous solution, Henrik could do a Caitlyn Jenner and rename himself Henrietta and then be known as The Queen Consort.

But seriously folks, I just think the guy is nitpicking over something that's never going to change for him. How many women, when they marry, would ever insist that they also get the title of Mr.? Equality in a marriage depends on many other things rather than what one is called.

 

[Muhler]

For a change in the Constitution there has to be a majority in the Parliament, followed by a general election, where there still has to be a majority in the Parliament. Followed by a referendum on the issue and if there is a majority (and that has to be significant) among the voters, only then can the Constitution be changed.

 

[Mbruno]

Philip II was a king in his own right ALREADY..and the reason for giving him that title in England was solely that this country had NEVER experienced a Queen Regnant, and [given the erronious preception that a Woman could not make a good job of being a monarch] it was though she MUST have a man to 'manage her'.. We know BETTER !
And you are wrong Mbruno.. Queen Anne's husband was known as 'the Prince of Denmark', not as king.. well before Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, [in the early 18th century] !

Ok, you are right about Queen Anne. In any case, my point remains: male and female consorts should not be treated differently in an era of gender equality. If Henrik cannot be King, then Maxima and the others should be princesses and not queens. BTW, technically that is the case in the Netherlands, but for some reason, it was decided to give Maxima a courtesy title of Queen.

Titles matter though. Princess Diana and Princess Anne for example curtsied to Queen Beatrix ( a reigning Queen) and to Queen Sofia ( a consort), but they didn't to Prince Claus, meaning he was assumed to be of lower rank. That is unfair as Henrik said.

I'll catch heck for this but I like the tradition. Henrik should just suck it up as we say in my neck of the woods.

No heck, but agnatic primogeniture or male preference primogeniture were also tradition and many monarchies changed it in the name of gender equality.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

[....] If Henrik cannot be King, then Maxima and the others should be princesses and not queens. BTW, technically that is the case in the Netherlands, but for some reason, it was decided to give Maxima a courtesy title of Queen.

That is true. Her official formal title is Princess Máxima of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau. As spouse to the King however she is styled with her husband's rank and form of address, as is the tradition. So her title in full is: "Her Majesty Queen Máxima, Princess of the Netherlands, Princess of Orange-Nassau".

Titles matter though. Princess Diana and Princess Anne for example curtsied to Queen Beatrix (a reigning Queen) and to Queen Sofia (a consort), but they didn't to Prince Claus, meaning he was assumed to be of lower rank. That is unfair as Henrik said.

The Infantas de España however did curtsey to Prince Claus, so it differs from country to country.

 

[Roslyn]

Ok, you are right about Queen Anne. In any case, my point remains: male and female consorts should not be treated differently in an era of gender equality. If Henrik cannot be King, then Maxima and the others should be princesses and not queens. BTW, technically that is the case in the Netherlands, but for some reason, it was decided to give Maxima a courtesy title of Queen.

Titles matter though. Princess Diana and Princess Anne for example curtsied to Queen Beatrix ( a reigning Queen) and to Queen Sofia ( a consort), but they didn't to Prince Claus, meaning he was assumed to be of lower rank. That is unfair as Henrik said.

I totally agree with you in respect of the bolded part. But it does not follow that the husband of a Queen Regnant ought to be a King.

The language of Queen and King is inherently discriminatory. The words come from a time when the top job invariably went to a man. Though there were exceptions in some societies and in some families, in general society was ruled by men. Men were the soldiers and the property-owners and the law-makers and the decision-makers. Only a man could be King. The Queen was the King's wife and she was necessary to bear his children- future kings - but she did not rule. To call the husband of a Queen Regnant the King is to elevate him to a position above his wife, and that will not do in these days of Queens regnant and equal primogeniture.

For there to be true equality, a new gender-neutral terminology will need to be decided upon. Perhaps the monarch should be called just that: The Monarch. And his/her consort could be called The Consort. Or the existing terms for the monarch could remain, with a male monarch being called The King and a female monarch being called The Queen, with their spouses being known as The Princess Consort and The Prince Consort, as appropriate.

 

[Fürstin Taxis]

Jadwiga of Poland comes to my mind, who was called King because: "Jadwiga was crowned "king" in Kraków on 16 October 1384. Her title either reflected the Polish lords' attempt to hinder her future husband from adopting the same title without further act or only emphasized that she was a queen regnant." (Wiki) Imo this should have been handled always like this.
Well Hendrik should finally get over it, too many times now he embarassed Margrethe.

 

[Muhler]

BT has asked a number of people who know PH, what they think: Bror og ekspert: Derfor opgiver prins Henrik aldrig kongedrømmen - Royale | www.bt.dk

Etienne de Montpezat, PH's brother: "It's not the first time he has spoken about this subject, which he seems to have been obsessed with for a long time".

A French journalist, Slim Allagui: "I think it torments him, and he feels he is being discriminated and treated unjustly. That he has indeed said to me personally. He would like to be called King Consort. He can't understand that in a country where you brag about equality between the sexes, men are worth less gender-wise.
The French are proud people and he feel he has been snubbed by not being considered an equal partner.
He keeps on pointing that out each time he is asked - even though it is not going to happen".

 

[Cris M]

In Prince Henrik's defence, the husbands of the Queens of Portugal were Kings if they have had a child with their wives.

The husband of Queen Maria I was King Pedro III and the second husband of Queen Maria II was King Fernando II.

I believe it was the same thing in Spain, but King Juan Carlos decided to change this, so the husband of the future Queen Leonor will not be King.

The Brazilian Imperial Constitution also sais the husband of the ruling Empress would be Emperor. Sadly, that never happened with Princess Isabel and the Count of Eu, because of the republican coup.

So, at least the Monarchies of Iberian tradition offer Prince Henrik a precedent.

That said, I like him a lot, but he should stop with this nonsense.

 

[Mbruno]

In Prince Henrik's defence, the husbands of the Queens of Portugal were Kings if they have had a child with their wives.

The husband of Queen Maria I was King Pedro III and the second husband of Queen Maria II was King Fernando II.

I believe it was the same thing in Spain, but King Juan Carlos decided to change this, so the husband of the future Queen Leonor will not be King.

The Brazilian Imperial Constitution also sais the husband of the ruling Empress would be Emperor. Sadly, that never happened with Princess Isabel and the Count of Eu, because of the republican couple.

So, at least the Monarchies of Iberian tradition offer Prince Henrik a precedent.

That said, I like him a lot, but he should stop with this nonsense.

Thank you for that contribution, Cris M !

 

[polyesco]

BT has asked a number of people who know PH, what they think: Bror og ekspert: Derfor opgiver prins Henrik aldrig kongedrømmen - Royale | www.bt.dk

Etienne de Montpezat, PH's brother: "It's not the first time he has spoken about this subject, which he seems to have been obsessed with for a long time".

A French journalist, Slim Allagui: "I think it torments him, and he feels he is being discriminated and treated unjustly. That he has indeed said to me personally. He would like to be called King Consort. He can't understand that in a country where you brag about equality between the sexes, men are worth less gender-wise.
The French are proud people and he feel he has been snubbed by not being considered an equal partner.
He keeps on pointing that out each time he is asked - even though it is not going to happen".

Seems like he is def. obsessed with this.
He is burning any good will/respect he had gain over the last few years.
Even with the title "king consort", he will still be #2... actually #3 in many eyes since the Crown Prince is taking over more and more

I wonder what the Queen and his sons think of this

 

[eya]

This wonder I have too. What specifically think the queen. But I'm sorry Prince Henrik because someday will be gone from this world with this complaint deep inside him (I'm sorry but I can not see this seriously.)

More examples of gender inequality below.

1) Princess Diana and Princess Anne curtsy to Queen Beatrix, but not to Prince Claus.

https://youtu.be/EgFOxxKsZm8?t=24

2) However, see in the picture below how Princess Diana curtsies to Queen Sofia.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/c3/24/2b/c3242b889d01ed06fe9fc3e16ef3a58e.jpg


Again, why should Prince Claus rank lower than Queen Sofia just because he happens to be male ?

Really so as you put Mbruno have to agree with you.

 

[polyesco]

Yes.

Also what if Henrik outlives the Queen? Seeing his son Frederik named King and Mary, Queen .
King Consort Henrik, the King's father ? or just "regular" Prince Henrik