HRH Prince Henrik’s funeral
His Royal Highness Prince Henrik’s funeral takes place on 20 February 2018 at 11.00 at Christiansborg Palace Church. The funeral will be led by Chaplain-in-Ordinary Erik Norman Svendsen, who will be assisted by Holmen’s dean, Ejgil Bank Olesen.
Posted in front of the Palace Church will be a guard of honour from the three armed services: the Army (represented by The Royal Life Guard), the Navy (represented by service personnel from the Royal Yacht Dannebrog) and the Air Force. The guard of honour will consist of 36 guardsmen from the Band of the Royal Life Guards, the 30 current seamen from the Dannebrog and 30 airmen.
In connection with the funeral, all church bells at Danish National Evangelical Lutheran churches across the country will toll. The bells will toll for a half hour before the funeral ceremony in Christiansborg Palace Church begins at 11.00, and they will toll for a half hour after the funeral has taken place.
After earth is sprinkled on the coffin and the benediction is given in Christiansborg Palace Church, the Defence will fire off a mourning salute of 3 x 27 rounds (with 30. sec. intervals) from the Sixtus Battery and from Kronborg (duration approx. 40 minutes). At the same time, the kingdom’s flag will be raised to full mast.
After the funeral, 10 officers from The Royal Life Guard will carry the bier from the Palace Church to the hearse. The royal family will follow the bier to the hearse and bid farewell to Prince Henrik. Behind the hearse, there will be two vehicles carrying the 10 officers from The Royal Life Guard, who follow the bier to the last.
When the bier is carried out of the church, Hartmann’s funeral march for Thorvaldsen will be played. When the hearse drives away, Prince Henrik’s Homage March will be played. It was Kai Nielsen’s grandson, Preben Beyer, who composed Prince Henrik’s Homage March in 1967. It was as a wedding gift that The Prince received an Homage March, in which there are clear references to the tradition of marches in The Prince’s native land, France. In Prince Henrik’s homage march, little greetings to The Prince are placed in the piece of music as a reference to H.C. Lumbye’s royal marches. In addition, one can hear in the march distinct tones from French military marches.
Half of Prince Henrik’s ashes will be spread over the Danish waters and half will be placed in an urn in the private section of Fredensborg Palace Garden.
