Husband of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark dies at 83

Denmark's Prince Henrik, the husband of Queen Margrethe II, died on late Tuesday night, the palace announced early Wednesday.

Denmark's Prince Henrik poses for a photo in Copenhagen on June 7, 2017. [File Photo: AP]

Henrik, 83, passed away at 23:18 (2218 GMT) in sleep at Fredensborg Palace, the palace said in a brief press statement on its website, adding that he was surrounded by Queen Margrethe and their two sons.

Henrik has been hospitalized since January for lung infection, and he was discharged Tuesday to "spend his last days at home," the palace said Tuesday.

Born on June 11, 1934, near Bordeaux, France, Henrik married Margrethe, then crown princess, in 1967.

The couple has two sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, and eight grandchildren.