Editing Prince Henrik of Denmark (section)

==Difficulties with the Danish monarchy==
[[File:Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark, Bestanddeelnr 928-2405 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Henrik in 1975, as prince consort]]
[[File:Prince Henrik..21-05 2005.jpg|thumb|Prince Henrik in [[Vágur]], [[Faroe Islands]], 2005]]
When [[Queen Margrethe II]] ascended the throne, Henrik became the first male consort in Danish history.<ref name="DR Obituary" /> This meant there were no clear descriptions of his duties. He defined his own role as a supporter of and counsellor to the Queen. However, he felt frustrated with the lack of recognition in title, stating that there was no way to differentiate between his own title and those of his sons and grandsons.<ref name="DR Obituary" />

In 2002, Prince Henrik fled Denmark for France and went to stay at the couple's [[Château de Cayx]] in [[Cahors]] in southern France. The cause of his departure from Denmark was a [[New Year's Day]] reception in which his son, Crown Prince Frederik, had been appointed as host in the absence of Queen Margrethe. Henrik felt "pushed aside, degraded and humiliated"<ref name=runaway>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1815900.stm | publisher=BBC News | title=Runaway prince returns home | date=13 February 2002 | access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref> by being relegated to "third place in the royal hierarchy".

"For many years, I have been Denmark's number two", he said. "I have been satisfied with that role, but I don't want to be relegated to number three after so many years." Henrik departed from Denmark to reflect on his status in the Danish Royal Family. Queen Margrethe flew to France to meet her husband.<ref name=runaway/> Henrik stressed that neither his wife nor son were to blame for the incident. The Prince Consort spent three weeks in Caix, and did not appear with his wife as expected at the wedding of [[Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands]] and [[Queen Máxima of the Netherlands|Máxima Zorreguieta]].<ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/1801763.stm | publisher=BBC News | title='Degraded' Danish prince takes time out | date=5 February 2002 | access-date=4 May 2010}}</ref> After three weeks, Henrik returned to Denmark.

[[File:Royal Wedding Stockholm 2010-Konserthuset-421.jpg|thumb|Prince Henrik with his wife Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in 2010]]
On 30 April 2008, shortly before the wedding of his younger son, Prince Joachim, to [[Princess Marie of Denmark|Marie Cavallier]], the Queen conferred the new Danish title "[[Count of Monpezat]]" ({{langx|da|Greve af Monpezat}}) on both of her sons and made it hereditary for their [[patrilineality|male-line]] descendants, both male and female.<ref name=monpezat/> The Queen's private secretary [[Henning Fode]] commented, "The Queen and the Prince Consort have considered this for quite some time, and it has led to the belief that it was the right thing to do."<ref name=monpezat/> In fact, Henrik had mentioned this possibility as far back as 1996 in his published [[memoir]]: "During our generation, the future sovereign will perhaps receive approval to see '[[House of Monpezat|Monpezat]]' added to the dynastic name of '[[House of Glücksburg|Oldenburg-Glücksburg]]{{'"}}.<ref>Henrik prince de Danemark, ''Destin Oblige'', 1996, 102</ref> While being interviewed by the French weekly ''Point de Vue'' in October 2005, Henrik raised the issue shortly after the birth of Crown Prince Frederik's first son, [[Prince Christian of Denmark|Prince Christian]], who is expected to inherit the Danish crown one day: "It also makes him very proud and happy that ''Monpezat'' will be added to this small grandson's future name as Prince of Denmark. 'It is a great joy for me that his French roots will also be remembered.{{'"}}<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.bt.dk/article/20051027/ROYALT/110270114/1349|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723022411/http://www.bt.dk/article/20051027/ROYALT/110270114/1349|url-status=dead|archive-date=2012-07-23|title=Henrik fulgte Mary time for time|last=Levinsen|first=Niels|language=da|access-date=2008-06-17}}</ref>

In her New Year's speech to the Danish people on 31 December 2015, Queen Margrethe announced that Prince Henrik would slow down and give up most of his official duties beginning on 1 January 2016. On 14 April 2016, Prince Henrik renounced the title of Prince Consort, which he had been given in 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://politiken.dk/indland/ECE2997852/dronningen-i-sin-nytaarstale-prins-henrik-gaar-paa-pension/ |title=Dronningen i sin nytårstale: Prins Henrik går på pension |website=Politiken.dk |date=31 December 2015 |access-date=2017-01-29}}</ref><ref name="xinhuanet">{{cite web|url=http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-04/15/c_135279487.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160419190248/http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2016-04/15/c_135279487.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=19 April 2016 |title=Denmark's Prince Henrik renounces title as Prince Consort|agency= Xinhua News Agency, China-Europe|date=15 April 2016 |access-date=2017-09-06}}</ref>