xenobia
Serene Highness
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2013
- Messages
- 1,031
- City
- Near the artic circle
- Country
- Sweden
I'm trying to understand prince Henrik. When someone acts irrational, it's very often because it's logical to them, so I want to understand Henriks way of thinking.
While it's more an explanation than an excuse (and God knows he might need one), I think that Henrik is very much a product of his time and culture. A man brought up in the french nobility in those days probably wasn't raised to become a person who walks a few steps behind his wife. Quite the opposite.
Two interesting comparisons are prince Philip and prince Daniel. Philip himself was born into a royal family. He knew what he was getting into when he married princess/queen Elizabeth. I think he has been a bigger support to his wife than anyone can ever imagine. He is also of the same generation as Henrik - that makes him an extra interesting person in this comparison. Prince Philiip knew what to expect when he married Elizabeth. Did count Henri know what to expect when he married Margarethe? I don't think he did.
Then there's prince Daniel. He's married to a future Queen. So far I've seen no sign that he's unhappy with a supportive role. But Daniel has been brought up in another time and culture than prince Henrik and prince Philip. Daniel is from a middle class family in Dalarna, brought up in a very gender equal context during the 1970's. That doesn't mean that prince Daniel is a better person than prince Henrik. They are both children of their times, and that reflects in the way that they embrace their supportive roles.
My take on this is that Henrik didn't truly understand what it meant when he married his wife. Maybe neither of them did. Add to that his temperament, with tantrums like a grumpy teenager, and the realization that he's getting older and still isn't king consort. That's the basic recepie for what we have today.
While it's more an explanation than an excuse (and God knows he might need one), I think that Henrik is very much a product of his time and culture. A man brought up in the french nobility in those days probably wasn't raised to become a person who walks a few steps behind his wife. Quite the opposite.
Two interesting comparisons are prince Philip and prince Daniel. Philip himself was born into a royal family. He knew what he was getting into when he married princess/queen Elizabeth. I think he has been a bigger support to his wife than anyone can ever imagine. He is also of the same generation as Henrik - that makes him an extra interesting person in this comparison. Prince Philiip knew what to expect when he married Elizabeth. Did count Henri know what to expect when he married Margarethe? I don't think he did.
Then there's prince Daniel. He's married to a future Queen. So far I've seen no sign that he's unhappy with a supportive role. But Daniel has been brought up in another time and culture than prince Henrik and prince Philip. Daniel is from a middle class family in Dalarna, brought up in a very gender equal context during the 1970's. That doesn't mean that prince Daniel is a better person than prince Henrik. They are both children of their times, and that reflects in the way that they embrace their supportive roles.
My take on this is that Henrik didn't truly understand what it meant when he married his wife. Maybe neither of them did. Add to that his temperament, with tantrums like a grumpy teenager, and the realization that he's getting older and still isn't king consort. That's the basic recepie for what we have today.