Prince Henrik, husband of Denmark queen, passes away

Prince Henrik, the husband of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, passed away yesterday at 83, the press service of the Royal Danish House said in a statement on Wednesday.

"His Royal Highness Prince Henrik died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday, 13 February at 11.18pm, at Fredensborg Palace. Her Majesty the Queen and the two sons were at his side," the statement read.

Prince Henrik felt unwell while on a vacation in Egypt two weeks ago.

After being examined by local doctors, he was taken to Denmark. He was admitted to a Copenhagen hospital since January 28 and was discharged on his own request on Tuesday, the TASS reported.

A medical examination earlier revealed that he had a lung infection. A pulmonary infection was said to be the cause of his illness.

Last year, Prince Henrik shockingly announced that he did not want to be buried next to his wife. The Royal Danish House had announced later that Prince Henrik was suffering from dementia.

The Royal Danish House had summoned his son, Crown Prince Frederik, last week from Pyeongchang in South Korea saying that his father's health had "seriously worsened".

Born on June 11, 1934, in southwestern France as Henri Marie Jean Andre de Laborde de Monpezat, he later changed his former name to Prince Henrik after marrying then Denmark's future queen, Margrethe II in 1967.

Henrik initially lived his first five years in French Indochina. He graduated from universities in Paris and Hong Kong in 1958-59. He also learned Mandarin and Vietnamese.

Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik also owned a chateau in southwestern France where they used to retreat every summer.

Prince Henrik is survived by his wife, sons Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, and eight grandchildren.