6 FEBRUARY 2002
The reopening of the Danish cultural centre in Paris should have been a quiet affair. It has drawn attention, however, because it was the first official event presided over by Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark, since the prince’s astonishing statements at the weekend that he feels “relegated” and “useless”.

In a two-part interview given to the Danish newspaper BT, Prince Henrik expressed his dissatisfaction at what he sees as his being demoted to the number three position in the social functions of the royal household, behind his son Crown Prince Frederik. He told the publication, he was, “living the greatest crisis of my life”.

At the opening on Tuesday, however, he appeared to have regained his confidence and approached his official duties with zeal.

Margrethe and her husband seemed unaffected by the attention and appeared relaxed, smiling and in high spirits. Margrethe wore the same coat she premiered at the wedding of the Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander to his Argentine sweetheart Maxima Zorreguieta in Amsterdam, this weekend.

As soon as the Dutch wedding celebrations came to a close and prior to the Paris visit, the monarch and her two sons rallied to the prince’s side at the family’s official residence in Caïx, south western France. The prince told the press yesterday that he and the Queen were, “very happy together”, quashing rumours of marital estrangement, and the family expressed its total support for the prince.

Henrik left the Danish capital last week after giving the interview to a national daily, saying he needed time “reflect on the future”. He has now made it known that he will spend a further week in Caïx, his hometown, supervising work on the family vineyard, before returning to Copenhagen.

Prince Henrik and Queen Margrethe have been married for 35 years. They met in London while the then Crown Princess was studying at the London School of Economics and the the prince was the third secretary at the French Embassy. The couple have two sons, Crown Prince Frederik, born in 1968 and, Prince Joachim, who was born the following year.