When Crown Princess Margrethe of Denmark announced her engagement to the French count Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat on October 4, 1966, it came as somewhat of a surprise to royal watchers, since the pair had managed to keep their relationship a secret. A chance meeting in London would lead to one of the richest love stories in Danish history, spanning a 50-year marriage that all started with a Van Cleef and Arpels engagement ring.
The couple were married on June 10, 1967 at the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen, during a wedding service that famously only went for 20 minutes. Crown Princess Margrethe was tired of the traditional pageantry of royal weddings and had scaled back her own big day for this reason.
Sartorially speaking, though, her day had every bit of extravagance one would expect. Her silk wedding gown, by Danish designer Jorgen Bender, was complete with long sleeves and a six-metre train, styled with the Khedive of Egypt tiara and a brooch belonging to her mother.
After their wedding day, as a loving gesture to his new wife, Count Henri changed his name to the Danish spelling and officially became His Royal Highness Prince Henrik of Denmark. She became Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in 1972.
Sadly, Prince Henrik passed away in February 2018, during the couple’s 50th year of marriage.
The then Crown Princess Margrethe and Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat during their wedding ceremony at the Church of Holmen in Copenhagen.Click Here: Sports Water Bottle Accessories