Joachim & Marie: do they have a secret?

Billed Bladet's Ulrik Ulriksen has written a cover story again this week (in the issue #3, 18 January 2007) about the relationship between Prince Joachim and Marie Cavallier. Here follows a translation of the article, kindly done by Muhler. Billed Bladet can have a somewhat sugary style, but they are usually barking up the right tree with their actual reporting. It was Billed Bladet's Anna Johannesen who had the scoop on Mary and got the first photo of her in Sydney. Johannesen has been in Florida covering Frederik and the Farr 40 competition this last week. As to whether there is a 'secret' between Joachim and Marie -- who knows? Only time will tell how their relationship develops -- a cliché but true! -- however, there can be no doubt that the New Year party and Marie's meeting with Nikolai, Felix, Alexandra, Martin and Joachim's close friends has some significance as to his hopes at least.

I cannot unveil it

You can see it as well as hear it: Joachim is carrying a secret.

While the prince doesn’t directly deny anything, he also does not wish to reveal anything for the moment. Last Friday when Billed Bladet asked the in love Joachim about the past year as well as the year to come in relation to Marie Cavalier, the answer was fairly cryptic.
“It has been a challenging year we have been through. And expectations for 2007 are pretty much the same. With regard to our relationship this year will be both challenging and exciting. But, I cannot reaveal anything in what way,” answered Joachim, short and precise, and then with a teasing smile dodged further questions, rushed out of the door, and hurried towards his car. However, he seemed content.
Prince Joachim was in a great mood when Billed Bladet met him in connection with the 100th anniversary of Tønder Handelsskole (school of commerce) for a brief but very important remark. Just before the prince got into his four-wheel-drive for the five minute trip from the Tønder school of commerce home to Schackenborg, he kindly stopped to accept the inevitable question about himself and Marie.
With slightly raised eye brows and a sparkle in his eye, he recapped on 2006 with Marie Cavallier. The most interesting thing was that he looked ahead, and more than hinted that 2007 will be something special for him and Marie and that they very obviously have a secret together.
There are several engagements on the horizon this year within the royal house but it doesn't mean love can't flourish between Prince Joachim and his French sweetheart. They have been a couple for almost two years by now, minus a short break last year for them to reflect on things separately. The result of the pause to reflect and the past couple of months is that it is now serious with Joachim and Marie. In recent times there have been several romantic rendezvous in Denmark. The fact that Prince Joachim presented Marie to his closest family and friends at the New Year party at Amalienborg says a lot. But also the fact that he and Marie see each other more frequently now indicates that they are both serious.
It is believed the couple is now very close to be together out in the open, which in effect reveals to the whole world what their their feelings for each other are. Although it is not certain that Joachim will stand in front of the altar with his Marie this year, being open about the relationship will do for the time being.
There is still time to plan and announce an engagement. But the couple can use the time before then to appear together at a large party among friends, for example, or at some kind of semi-official event. It remains for the couple to agree on when and where they go public.
When Billed Bladet recently met Marie Cavallier in Geneva, it was a slightly different experience with her than in previous encounters. Something good had happened in her life, perhaps in connection with the New Year stay at Amalienborg Palace, where Joachim was a perfect host for his girlfriend. Had something momentous fallen in place for her? She certainly seemed at ease, but wisely she avoided answering every question which might shed some light on the secret.
On the question as to whether an engagement is on the way, Marie only responded with a subtle silence. And yet Marie Cavallier did briefly reply, “Right now, there is nothing new.”
But “right now” there is no doubt that both Joachim and Marie are very happy. However, they must be viewing their situation from a more critical and serious angle by now. They are both subjected to a certain pressure. Especially Joachim, who has spent the past eighteen months on one of the most important projects of his life – to figure out whether Marie is the right woman to have in his life. Joachim has been burned once before, and his divorce was tough to get through. This time it must not fail. A second marriage must last.
Perhaps it is the prospect of an engagement which is the reason why Prince Joachim so enthusiastically gets to work on the hard chores of the winter at Schackenborg Manor in Møgeltønder, the place where he now must decide for the second time whether to raise a family. Prince Joachim emphasises there is no slacking in the work at the manor and on the estate just because winter rattles the Southern Jutlandic landscape, which at the moment appears barren and cold. A farmer is never completely off duty, not even when he is a prince.
“No matter how long the winter lasts it always seems too short when spring comes. The tasks we have put in place to do in winter is everything from maintenance of machinery to buildings. Right now we are repairing and maintaining houses on the estate. With the winter weather we have now, this is necessary,” says Joachim, who can look back on a challenging 2006 both emotionally and also from a professional point of view.
“Much has been written about how bad the harvest of 2006 has been. In that respect we have been rather lucky compared to other parts of the country. We are actually going through a period of restructuring in which quite a few projects have been initiated in 2006. The plan is that it will be a rationalisation, increasing the efficiency and expansion of the estate.
In 2007 we will continue the hard work to reach our objectives for Schackenborg. But we can be as professional as possible and still not succeed: we have to factor in the weather, which the rest of the Danish business world does not have to do. So we don't count our chickens before they are hatched, says Prince Joachim, who is a cautious and thorough man. In all aspects of life. Written by Ulrik Ulriksen, translated by Muhler.