Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and his wife, Crown Princess Mary, are currently in Hanoi, Vietnam for an official visit to mark Queen Margrethe II's Golden Jubilee. The visit also marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between Denmark and Vietnam.
The Crown Prince Couple's visit is more than just strengthening diplomatic ties between the two countries, it has a personal connection to Crown Prince Frederik. Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, brought back memories of his late father, Prince Henrik. The late prince consort grew up in Hanoi, Vietnam, and had unforgettable childhood memories living in this part of the country.
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| Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary visited the childhood home of Prince Henri |
On the night of their arrival, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary visited a yellow building in the heart of Hanoi. It was the childhood home of his father. And the Crown Prince reminisced about the good times of his father and how much Prince Henrik was very much in their thoughts during the visit. He also said how much Hanoi and the Vietnamese culture incredibly meant so much to his father.
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| A taste of Vietnamese culture in Hanoi |
Recalling Prince Henrik's Life in Vietnam
Prince Henrik of Denmark was born Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat on June 11, 1934, in Talence, France. But he grew up in Hanoi, Vietnam, which was then a French protectorate, comprising part of the French Indochina peninsula when his father brought their family to Hanoi to put up a family business. Henrik finished his secondary school in a French school in Hanoi.
After obtaining a degree in Law and Political Science in Paris, he studied Vietnamese culture and language in Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam) for a year, before returning to France. He was then conscripted into the French army and fought during the Algerian war.
He met Princess Margrethe in 1966 while he worked in the French embassy in London. They got married in 1967 and shared two sons together: Frederick and Joachim. Prince Henrik died on February 13, 2018, in Copenhagen, Denmark.Â
Promoting a Green environment
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary were received by Nguyá»…n Xuân Phúc, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam at the Presidential Palace in Hanoi.Â
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| The Crown Prince couple of Denmark and the President of Vietnam |
The royal couple's activities in Vietnam include a cultural visit to Saigon and Hanoi, watching performances at the Hanoi Opera, promoting their advocacies about the green environment and green business principles, and a dinner at Hilton Hotel in Hanoi hosted by the Danish ambassador to Vietnam.
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| Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary on the first day of their visit |
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| Crown Prince Frederik aboard a boat touring Hai Phong's port |
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| Crown Princess Mary met business leaders promoting green business principles |
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary also visited Hai Phong, a major industrial city and seaport of Vietnam, which was established during the French occupation of Vietnam. It is located closer to Hanoi than Ho Chi Minh City, and Vietnam's most important maritime and trading gateway.Â
Vietnam is now fast becoming one of the most important tourism destinations in Southeast Asia. Tourists are charmed by the country's French colonial buildings, affordable cost of living, local cuisine, and beautiful cultural landmarks throughout the country.
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