For, in a stunt as dramatically morbid as anything Shakespeare might have dreamed up, the 83-year-old Prince Henrik of Denmark has declared that he does not wish to be buried alongside his spouse, 77-year old Queen Margrethe II, the constitutional head of state. The 83-year-old prince consort said his decision was the result of gender discrimination he has been subjected to since marrying the 77-year-old monarch in 1967. The 83-year-old prince has been unhappy with his title since being named prince consort -- rather than king consort -- upon the couple's marriage in 1967. Lene Balleby, the Royal Danish House’s director of communications, was quoted by the Danish tabloid newspaper BT as saying, “It is no secret that the prince for many years has been unhappy with his role and the title he has been awarded in the Danish monarchy.” He added, “This discontent has grown more and more in recent years.”

The pair married in 1967. Lene Balleby, the spokeswoman for Denmark's royal house, told Danish tabloid newspaper BT that the France-born Henrik has "for years been dissatisfied with his role and the title." “For the prince, the decision not to be buried beside the queen is the natural consequence of not having been treated equally to his spouse – by not having the title and role he has desired.”

Prince Henrik got the title prince consort instead, which is the traditional title for the husband of a reigning queen. Disappointed that his royal title of prince consort was never changed to king when his wife became queen in 1972, Henrik has often spoken out about his discontent, which did little to endear him to his subjects. Prince Henrik’s decision to pass on the opportunity to lie for eternity alongside his bride in a glass sarcophagus borne by silver elephants and crafted by Danish artist Bjørn Nørgaard at Roskilde Cathedral, about 35 kilometers outside of Copenhagen, is not being made on grounds of humility. Born Henri Marie Jean Andre Count de Laborde de Monpezat on June 11, 1934 in Talence, near Bordeaux, he met Margrethe, then the crown princess, while he was stationed in London as a diplomat. By the time Margrethe acceded to the throne, the couple had two young children: Prince Frederik, born in 1968, and Joakim, born in 1969.
Denmark's Prince Henrik announces he won't be buried next to Queen Margrethe II in the Roskilde Cathedral where Danish royals have been buried since 1559. The 83-year-old, French-born Henrik has been dissatisfied with his non-equal role as Prince consort. The 77-year old Margrethe, who had a specially designed sarcophagus made for the couple, accepts Henrik's decision, according to a royal house spokeswoman.