Discreet love letter and secret visit marked the beginning of the romance between the Danish queen Margrethe (81) and her now deceased husband Prince Henrik.

To keep the relationship secret the queen’s closest friends and very special tasks for over 50 years ago, according to Danish TV 2.

The press was not allowed to know that the young Frenchman was visiting the princess. Therefore, friends were asked to hide him.

– It was very exciting, and we snuck around with him and smuggled him in and out of the house, says Birgitta Hillingsø (81), one of the queen’s close friends, in the new documentary series «A life as a queen».

Postponing anniversary

The love story between the queen and her husband has been told before. But on the occasion of the Queen’s 50th anniversary as regent, she looks back on her long reign and shares new reflections around where life sits in the documentary.

Hers reveal Queen Margrethe brand new details about the encounter with her great love.

Immediate attraction

It was during a dinner party in the vibrant city life of London in 1965, where Margrethe previously studied economics, that Prince Henrik and Margrethe’s love story began.

Henrik must have felt immediately attracted to the princess, but this feeling was not mutual, the queen has said.

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She did not notice much of the handsome Frenchman. She did so in return a year later, when they met again for a Scottish wedding with mutual acquaintances. Henrik then realized that he wanted something more of a friendship, and delicious dinner serving French dishes.

– That night I realized that I was wildly in love with him, the queen has said in the “Solitary” book – a biography of Prince Henrik.

The Queen now tells in the new documentary that she was not remarkably nervous when she got ready for dinner.

But when the evening was over, it dawned on the young heir to the throne that she was “wildly in love,” and that everything happened when they danced.

Dagbladet has previously written that what the queen fell for with Henrik was that he looked insanely good, in addition to the fact that he was both kind and took her seriously.

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Would keep the relationship hidden

Still, she had not anticipated that they would be engaged just six months later. In many ways, the next few months were like any other new story. Henrik and Princess Margrethe went for walks in Hyde Park, had dinner and then went out into London’s vibrant nightlife, where they settled on the smoky dance floors.

What was different from other couples, however, was that Margrethe would one day become queen of Denmark.

The couple had to take several precautions due to the public interest in the future queen’s love life. While Henrik lived in London and Margrethe lived in Denmark, she had to think smart to keep her privacy.

Danish arrogance

The telephone at the castle went over a switchboard, which made it difficult to hide who the queen was talking to. Therefore, the couple started writing letters which they sent to each other in secret.

Hidden prince in a townhouse

Even after Henrik had asked for Margrethe’s hand wanted to keep the relationship hidden from the public.

Henrik was on a secret visit to Denmark and the letters were still smuggled between the couple.

Not only that, but Henrik also stayed at Margrethe’s friend Hillingsø during his visits to Denmark.

– Nobody is looking for the next prince in a terraced house, the friend said in the documentary.

However, it did not take very long before the relationship was discovered, and two years after the couple’s first meeting, they got married, on June 10, 1967 in Holmen’s Church.

Surprised after his death

Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik were married for almost 51 years, before the prince passed away in February 2018 after being ill for a long time.

Even after his death, the prince surprised his wife. He had arranged flowers for the funeral before his death. The flowers were to resemble a flower garden, which was a reference to his wedding speech to the Queen.

At the wedding, however, the Frenchman surprised the queen with a wedding speech in Danish that no one had anticipated.