Stamps of Faroe Islands: Prince Consort's 80th Birthday (2014)

In connection with Prince Henrik of Denmark’s 80th birthday on 11 June, Post Denmark, Post Greenland and Posta Faroe Islands published a joint stamp issue.
His Royal Highness, the Prince Consort, Henrik, Prince of Denmark, is the husband of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
Prince Henrik was born on 11 June 1934 in Talence, Gironde in France. His birth name is Henri Marie Jean André, Count de Laborde de Monpezat. His parents were the Count André de Laborde de Monpezat and his wife Renée de Monpezat (born Doursennot).
The first 5 years of his life the Prince Consort spent in French Indochina, now Vietnam, where his father was responsible for the family’s interests in commercial companies, founded by Prince Henrik’s grandfather. In 1939 the family returned to France, and spent the next 11 years on the family estate le Cayrou in Cahors.
Education
Prince Henrik was educated at home until 1947, when he came to a Jesuit boarding school in Bordeaux. From 1948 to 1950 he followed the teaching of Cahors high school. In 1950 however, Prince Henrik returned to Vietnam and graduated from Hanoi’s French High School in 1952.
From 1952 to 1957 Prince Henrik studied law and political science at the Sorbonne University in Paris. Concurrently, he studied Chinese and Vietnamese languages at the École Nationale des Languages Orientales. After taking a master’s degree in French literature and oriental languages, a few years of study followed in Hong Kong and Saigon.
From 1959 to 1962 Prince Consort served his military service in the French infantry in Algeria.
Diplomatic career
In 1962, Prince Henrik started to work in the Asia Department of the French Foreign Ministry. From 1963 to 1967 he served as embassy secretary at the French Embassy in London.
Prince of Denmark
In 1964, while he was working as secretary at the embassy in London, Prince Henrik met the Danish Crown Princess Margrethe, who at the time was studying in England and in France. The couple was engaged in 1966 – and on 10 June 1967, Henri de Monpezat and Crown Princess Margrethe married in Holmen’s Church in Copenhagen. On this occasion he received the title: His Royal Highness, Prince Henrik of Denmark.
The couple has two sons, Crown Prince Frederik (b. May 26, 1968) and Prince Joachim (born June 7, 1969).
In 1972, King Frederik IX died and the Crown Princess was hailed as Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
As the spouse of the present sovereign, the Prince Consort been a qualified support and has performed the official duties together with Queen Margrethe as well as by his own. There is no doubt that Prince Henrik’s background in diplomacy and extensive knowledge of international affairs has been a valuable asset to the Danish royal family. The modern Danish monarchy is very internationally oriented and there is no doubt that part of the credit goes His Royal Highness the Prince Consort.
The Literary Prince
Prince Henrik’s interest in literature, languages and cuisine has manifested in numerous publications, both by his own works as well as translations from French literature. In 1981 he translated Simone de Beauviors novel “All men are mortal” together with Queen Margrethe, which was published under the pseudonym H. M. Vejerbjerg.
He has also published several poetry collections, among others: “Chemin faisant” (1982), “Cantabile” (2000), “Les escargots de Marie Lance Line” (2003) and “Murmures de vent” (Whispering Breeze) (2005). His “Roue-Libre” from 2010 was translated into Danish by Queen Margrethe and Peter Poulsen entitled “Frihjul” (Freewheel).
The commemorative work “Destin oblige” (Fate obliges) appeared in 1996 and in the book “Chateau de Caix – The Place, the Wine and Food” from 2004, Prince Henrik describes his French chateau, its history and environment. The interest in gastronomy is further emphasized by two cookbooks: “Not always goose liver” from 1999 with Jakob Johannsen and “To the Palates’s Delight – New Recipes for a Royal Kitchen” from 2005.
Heindrikur prinsur
Also from the Faroe Islands, we will pay tribute to “Heindrikur prinsur”, which we call the Prince Consort. Like Greenland and Denmark, our sister countries in the commonwealth, we have benefited from his role and status of the royal family and appreciate his jovial nature at the royal visits.
Congratulations on the 80 years from us out here in the North Atlantic!
Source: WOPA Stamps