An unexpected 75th birthday present may be on the way to Queen Margrethe II’s husband, the Royal Consort Prince Henrik. According to Berlingske Tidende, a majority in Parliament is prepared to consider allowing him to be titled King.

As late as last Tuesday, following a referendum which has given the monarch’s first-born of either gender the right to ascend the throne, Prince Henrik expressed his dissatisfaction at only being titled a prince.

“I hope that equality will extend to men as well as women,” the prince said, furthering a debate he started in 2002 in which he said, among other things, that no-one could consider calling his mother-in-law, the wife of Denmark’s former King, Princess Ingrid.

Perhaps
A majority in Parliament now says it is willing to study the issue, if the Royal Household expresses a wish that the prince should be titled King.

“The job would be the same as it is now, but if there is a wish to call the reigning monarch’s spouse King, I would certainly be prepared to look at the issue. But it would have to arise as a wish from the Royal Family,” Conservative Party Political Spokeswoman Henriette Kjær tells Berlingske Tidende.

The Social Democratic, Social Liberal and Danish People’s parties also say they would be prepared to study the issue.

Liberals against
The Liberal Party, however, is against the proposal.

“This has nothing to do with equality. It’s about not being able to marry into being a King,” says Liberal Political Spokesman Peter Christensen.

French-born Royal Consort Prince Henrik was born Henri Marie Jean André Count de Laborde de Monpezat. In 1967 he married the Heir Apparent, who was crowned Queen Margrethe II of Denmark in 1972. The couple have two children – Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim.

Portugal & Spain
It would not be the first time that the spouse of a regent could be titled King. During the Portuguese monarchy, the husband of a reigning queen could adopt the title King, but only after the marriage had resulted in a child. As such, Queen Maria of Portugal’s first husband Auguste did not receive the title of King, while her second husband Ferdinand, became Ferdinand II. Due to the early death of Maria during the birth of their 11th child, Ferdinand became regent until his son came of age.

Spain also had a similar case in that of Queen Isabel II who married Francisco de Asis in 1846. He was given the title King-Consort of Spain.