Danish royal roundup # 15

It is long overdue to roundup some Danish royal news!

Here are some close-ups from the official photos of the Danish 'contingent' at King Harald's birthday celebrations last month. Apart from Prince Henrik, Frederik, Mary and Joachim there was King Constanine and Queen Anne-Marie, Alexia and her husband Carlos Morales, Alexandra S-W-B and her husband Jefferson, who has a new job since the end of last year in a Swiss financial institution in Paris.




According to several articles in Her&Νu Mary is said to be taking 'no chances' with her second pregnancy. It has been predicted that Mary was to take early maternity leave from March 1st. As can be seen from Mary's activities and calendar this isn't the case. Writer Sarah Køhnke maybe has some things right: that Mary wants peace and calm around her and the Crown Prince parents don’t
know the baby’s sex and they don’t wish to know beforehand. Prince Christian
also kept this particular secret until he was born and Frederik recommended it in the press conference after the birth. (thanks ambiDK!)


Prince Henrik on a visit to the Bellevue Theatre.






ABC News Online

Tas wombats bound for Copenhagen

Wombats could become the next big attraction at the Copenhagen Zoo, after the success of four tasmanian devils.
The devils became overnight stars when they were sent to Denmark last year as a gift to the Danish royal family.
Wildlife park owner Androo Kelly says because of Princess Mary's Tasmanian heritage, the popularity of Australian native animals has increased.
"They've had Bennett's wallabies in Copenhagen Zoo for 134 years, so the devils are now right beside the wallabies," he said.
"It would seem to fulfil the feel for the Tasmanian animals, the wombats are animals that are very well interested in being part of the long-term plan for Copenhagen Zoo and the European Zoo Association."

(Latest information about Tasmanian devils is that secret quarantined groups have been established in Tasmania -- some elsewhere in Australia too -- where a new vaccine is being tested on them to overcome the facial tumour disease which is decimating the native population.)

Below: a baby wombat, a Bennett's wallaby and a Tasmanian devil





Something to mark and quirky too. The day after Mary's birthday on February 5, it was Marie Cavallier's 31st birthday on February 6. Following some recent speculation about Marie Cavallier's status should she marry Prince Joachim in online forums and in Billed Bladet, a good friend of this blog has suggested Queen Margrethe might decide that Marie could be known as Princess Marie Agnethe, following a tradition of double names and avoiding confusion with Crown Princess Mary's name.

In Billed Bladet (10 February 2007) Marie said "I had forgotten my birthday."
When Marie Cavallier woke up Tuesday morning in a rainy Geneva, she had completely forgotten that it was her birthday. As the first telephone call came with the first congratulations, probably one from Joachim as well, it dawned upon her that it was today she turned 31.
“It may sound a bit odd, that you can completely forget your birthday, but I did,” said Prince Joachim’s girlfriend.
Due to all the commotion with flowers and phone calls Marie left for work a little late and arrived at work around 9.30am.
“That’s why I haven’t got so much time for talk, because I hate being late for work,” said Marie rushing out the door with a big smile and a flower decorated with a small Dannebrog.
Marie Cavallier, who still looks happy and in love, was dressed in a pair of white slacks and a delicious brown high collared sweater. Her long hair hung loose over her shoulders.
To the question as to how Marie would celebrate her birthday she replied “Very quietly and informally with some friends and my family. It will not be anything big.”
(by Anne Johannesen and Ulrik Ulriksen)

And also from Billed Bladet (10 February 2007) is a story saying the road is now paved for Joachim and Marie.
Prince Joachim is genuinely happy that his ex-wife, Princess Alexandra has found love again and is now going to marry Martin Jørgensen. Apart from Alexandra’s own happiness it also means that Joachim is free to do just what he wants to himself in this 'department' too. He is free is he wishes to get engaged himself to Marie Cavallier, marry her, and then a new princess can move in at Schackenborg. That wasn’t possible as long as Alexandra hadn’t decided as to how her future should be. Two princesses, one an ex and the other a present wife to Prince Joachim would have been an impossible and rather awkward situation. Also, at more public occasions it would have been most peculiar if there were two princesses present, who both owed their title due to marriage to Prince Joachim.
Now Princess Alexandra will become Countess of Frederiksborg and Marie can have the princess title.
When Princess Alexandra chose to marry Martin she at the same time paved the way for Prince Joachim and Marie. Prince Joachim has long carried the secret, which has now been revealed (referring to the wedding announcement). As late as one month ago he remarked to Billed Bladet about his expectations for the new year and his relationship to Marie.
“This year will be both challenging and exciting (re relationships). But I cannot lift the veil as to in which way.”
He can now and months of playing hide and seek are now over. That’s a relief for all parties, and not least for Joachim and Marie, who so far have done everything in order to conceal their love. They have however been on holiday together several times, just as Marie has visited Denmark several times, although the couple has been very descreet. Both when they have been together in Gråsten and in Copenhagen, and along with the friends they have adeptly and with awareness avoided the photographers. It was a huge breakthrough in their relationship when Marie celebrated New Years' Eve at Amalienborg, not just with Princess Alexandra and her fiancée, Martin Jørgensen, but also with Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix. No father or mother wishes that their children shall meet too many of the parents' new partners, because that makes the children uncertain and confused. So it was seriously meant when Joachim introduced his boys to French Marie. In that way the children officially met their father’s girlfriend. The boys are used to that, Prince Henrik their grandpapa tries to teach them a little French, so maybe it has been fun to try to talk to Marie in French.
There will hardly be an engagement between Prince Joachim and Marie until Alexandra and Martin are married, but then there are no more obstacles. Then all private as well as formal problems are eradicated and a hopefully a long and happy life awaits the couple. By Annelise Weimann.
(Thanks for all Muhler!)


Mary's friend Jean Ahlefeldt-Laurvig gave birth to her second daughter around the same time as Mary's birthday reports Her&Νu (no6/2007).


7 February. Old photos now, but these show Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik arriving by train from Copenhagen to Århus for the Queens knee surgery and Princess Benedikte in Århus to visit her sister while she was recovering in hospital.




From Billed Bladet 10 February 2007 'Knight Ulf thanked the Queen' (see our last roundup)
One of the last tasks for Queen Margrethe before she went to Århus (by train in the royal carriage) was to have audience the Monday morning beforehand. There she greeted the man, among others, who if anything had made it his specialty to perform as the Queen. The Circus Revue veteran of 27 years, Ulf Pilgaard thanked the Queen for the Ridderkors (Knights Cross) he has received for his many years as an actor. It was a visibly proud Ulf who had left the majesty parodies on the shelf for a while and instead dressed up in civvies.
It wasn’t however the first time Ulf Pilgaard greeted Her Majesty. He met her for the first time at college, when Margrethe lived in the same dorm as one of Ulf’s friends. Since then there have been several meetings, the latest last Monday. By Stine Ramlyng.
Note from our trusty translater Muhler: Revyerne (the revues) is something quite unique to Denmark. There are a number of them each summer all over the country. They range from pure amateur to very professional, such as Cirkusrevyen. The revues take a sarcastic view of what has happened in Denmark in the past year, with songs, sketches and parodies. Ulf Pilgaard is one of the most popular.
One of his specialties is the DRF, not least Queen Margrethe. Being part of a revue, his parodies are sarcastic, though loving.
The other master in impersonating Queen Margrethe is Preben Christensen, whose partner (spouse actually, as they have had a marriage ceremony) is Mary’s hairdresser, Søren Hedegaard. Preben Christensen mimics the Queen’s voice and uses wordplay in his hilarious parodies. Preben Christensen started out by being a member of an entertainment trio called Linie 3. That trio gets together every few years for the past 25 years to do a show. At the end of each show, Preben Christensen always performs a parody of the Queen.
Also, he has done it in front of the late Queen Ingrid. They were actually in doubt as to whether they should go ahead with the parody as they didn’t want to offend Queen Ingrid. Queen Ingrid solved the problem, when during the intermission she visited them backstage and said to Preben Christensen “Now, you are going to make a parody of my daughter, aren’t you?”
(Thanks Muhler!)

On Monday 29 January 2007 the Queen, Prine Henrik, Frederik and Mary attended a navy dinner, however up until now no photos of the occasion have been released. This often seems to be the case with military events, most probably because some are officers on active service in Iraq and Afghanistan.
So, Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary attended a celebration dinner for members of the Naval Orders at Christian VII's Palace at Amalieborg on Monday, 29 January for the presentation of the Naval Holmen's Medal. January 29 marks the institution of Holmen's Medal in 1801 and is a navy flag flying day. The order was instituted in 1801 by King Christian VII (Holmens Hæderstegn or Holmens Honoray Order/medal) which is awarded to "any man or woman who has served for 25 years in the Navy".

A look through the history window:
Chr. VII's Palace at Amalienborg
Christian VII's Palace
Christian VII (1749-1808) from Rosenborg Castle's Royal Danish Collections
Caroline Mathilde (1751-1775)
Johann Friedrich Struensee (1737-1772)
1775-1800 and Frederik VI's coup d'état
Biography Christian VII of Denmark (1749-1808) from the Mad Monarchs series (he didn't die the way said here). Imagine what today's tabloids would do with this?


Yet another without photos. On 26 February 2007 Crown Prince Frederik attended the Copenhagen Business School for the Case Competition 2007 at the New Carlsberg Glytotek Museum in Valby, Copenhagen. No pictures are available as yet (we will post if they turn up sometime).



Crown Princess Mary's friend Amber Petty has a new job working in radio in Adelaide, South Australia. Marys veninde får radiojob in Jubii - Kig Ind
Listen here to SAFM Amber will be on the breakfast shift (6-9am ?)


The Herald Sun (Melbourne)

Benz party will go sky high

March 15, 2007
THE 89th floor of the Eureka Tower at Southbank looks set to be the hottest new party venue.
The floor's penthouse has been transformed into a private function room and Mercedes-Benz has taken it over for the Australian Grand Prix.
The Mercedes-Benz Star Lounge will open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and more than a couple of drivers are expected to pop in.
Yesterday, Amber Petty and The Eye had a sneak peek at the sky-scraping venue.
It looked fantastic and the views were predictably amazing.
Petty will leave Melbourne on Saturday for Adelaide, where she has a radio gig with an Austereo station.
"I'm really excited, but I'm sad to be leaving Melbourne because I love it," she said. "But Adelaide is beautiful, so much more beautiful then I thought it was."

Here's a link to The World Clock if you want to work out the time to listen in.


Some amusing Mary entertainment on YouTube!

marymary
danish artists Mary&Mary (ohhmarymary) is rapping about the danish princess Mary (and wearing her face on the masks) on the run dmc track marymary.


Crown Princess Mary attended a meeting with the Danish Swimming Federation on Wednesday, 14 February 2007 (mentioned in the calendar after the event). Mary is the new patron since last year, and she visited the Danish Swimming Federation's administration in Farum, to be shown around the premises and for orientation about the federation's work and activities. It is possible to see there are already some Australian swimming connections and the Danish Swimming Federation shares a 100th anniversary this year with Surf Life Saving Australia (Australia's peak water safety and rescue authority and one of the largest volunteer organisations in the world, but not to be confused with the Danish Swimming Federation counterpart, Swimming Australia).


Queen Margrethe was released from hospital on the evening of Wednesday February 14, 2007 and went back to Amalienborg to recover and rehabilitate. She now has two artifical knees, after five knee operations. Several weeks ago Prince Henrik told journalists the Queen's recovery was going very well. Today she has attended her first public duty since her operation (we will bring you more shortly).


John and Susan Donaldson have moved to Århus in 2007, where Professor Donaldson will teach applied mathematics at Århus University once again during the next year. Last year was spent in Copenhagen where Professor Donaldson was a visiting fellow at the University of Copenhagen. In author mode Susan Moody was at an Århus bookstore on March 13 to talk to readers and sign copies of her books. A number of Susan Moody's books have been published in Denmark, the last was Kirsten's Letters last year (from Fyens Stifstidende and Marys forældre flyttet til Århus - TV2 article).




Mentioned in Billed Bladet (25 February 2007) – Joachim is putting his Lotus up for sale.
Prince Joachim has grown tired of his little speedster, a Lotus Eclat 1987, which he brought home from London in 1994. It’s up for sale at www.bilbasen.dk for 199.900 DKK plus tax and vat. “It has been up for sale for six months,“ says the seller/auctioneer Kristian Christensen from CH autos in Grimstrup. And B.T. reported that on March 24 Prince Joachim was at Parken in Copenhagen to support Danish boxer Mikkel Kessler in an exhibition match.

On March 13 Crown Princess Mary made a working visit to Rare Disorders Denmark which is one of her patronages to be updated on their work.

Some photos to be added to the album of the Norwegian birthday celebrations here and here:



CIFF here:




Prince Joachim awarded research prizes on 5 March 2007:



To see more photos added for this event and a story from Billed Bladet about Joachim's and Marie's weekend (they were at Martin's birthday lunch the day before the wedding) see added items to Meanwhile, Joachim & Marie had a cosy weekend posted March 8.


We have added these photos from Mary's visit to Gellerup here: