Prince Henrik of Denmark passes away at 83

Prince Henrik of Denmark, the husband of Queen Margrethe, has died at the age of 83, the Royal House has announced.

The statement said: “His Royal Highness Prince Henrik died Tuesday, February 13 at 23.18 at Fredensborg Castle”, a royal residence about 25 miles (40km) north of Copenhagen, surrounded by his wife and their two sons.

The French-born prince had been transferred from hospital to the castle to spend his final days there.

He was admitted to hospital late last month with a lung infection, and was diagnosed with dementia in 2017.

Born Henri Marie Jean Andre de Laborde de Monpezat on 11 June 1934 in Talence, near Bordeaux, the count married Margrethe, heir to the Danish throne, in June 1967.

Prince Henrik and Queen Margrethe in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, in 2015 (Photo: BBC)

Margrethe was crowned in January 1972 and Henrik made no secret of his disappointment that his royal title was never changed to king, which did little to endear him to the Danish people.

In 2016, he retired from official duties, renouncing the title of Prince Consort. In the time since, he was often in France at his private vineyard.

The following year he revealed that he did not want to be buried next to his wife because he was never made her equal.

Royal couples are traditionally buried together in Roskilde Cathedral, west of Copenhagen.

The queen, 77, is said to have accepted her husband's decision, which broke a 459-year-old tradition.

The palace statement did not say where the prince would be buried.

Prince Henrik and Queen Margrethe have two sons - Crown Prince Frederick and Prince Joachim.

Crown Prince Frederick returned from the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea last week to be with his ailing father.