Denmark’s Prince Henrik, the husband of Queen Margrethe, has died at the age of 83, the Royal House has said.

The Prince died “peacefully in his sleep” at Fredensborg Castle, a statement from the royal family said, adding “Her Majesty the Queen and the two sons were at his side”.

The French-born prince, who was the father-in-law of Australian-born Crown Princess Mary, was diagnosed with a benign tumour two weeks ago.

He had been hospitalised following an illness that began during a private trip to Egypt.

Shortly before his death, he was transferred from a Copenhagen hospital back to the castle, north of the city, where he had wanted to spend “his final time”.

Crown Prince Frederik had rushed from the Winter Olympics in South Korea to be with his father, whose condition has “seriously worsened”, the Danish Royal House said in a statement on Friday.

Born Henri Marie Jean Andre de Laborde de Monpezat in France in 1934, Prince Henrik married Queen Margrethe in 1967. They have two sons, the Crown Prince and Prince Joachim.

The Royal House in September said Prince Henrik had been diagnosed with dementia.

That announcement came after Prince Henrik had been the centre of controversy when he announced he did not wish to be buried next to his wife, saying he was unhappy she never acknowledged him as her equal.