Mary criticised sells - the media in action mode

There is a flurry of press reports on a couple of fronts in both Denmark and Australia at present concerning Frederik and Mary and the Danish royal family. Front # 1 comes from a fabricated story in the Australian magazine Woman's Day published last Monday. Front # 2 emanates from press reports in Denmark, and now in Australia, promoting a book to be published in Denmark this coming Monday.

The Woman's Day story itself doesn't really deserve comment since it was concocted in the Woman's Day office sometime last week to 'justify' putting Mary on the cover to sell magazines. Situation normal with this pink tabloid.

From Denmark mid-week came news of the upcoming publication of a new book called 1015 Copenhagen K - An (un-)loving and critical portrait of the DRF by Trine Villemann. Who is she? Not quite a royal correspondent as has been stated, she was employed by Billed Bladet and some other Danish media but not for quite some time (should we ask why?) and she seems to be a freelancer now. The book is being published by the publishing arm of Ekstra Bladet, a Danish tabloid. Trine Vallemann has appeared on Today Tonight (6:30 EST last Friday, no clip posted) in Australia. Early response in Denmark is that the book lacks credibility.

Se og Hør 'Alexandra: Ydmygede Joachim'
Ekstra Bladet 'Jaloux Mary græd på dansegulvet' plus many more links on right
B.T. 'Journalist: Mary græd af jalousi'
TV2 'Bog: Mary er jaloux'

Trine Villemann's blog (in Danish)

DR news update clip (4:36) - Her&Nu representative says they do normal journalistic research on facts at their magazine, wheareas Trine Villemann's book is based on hearsay, rumour and supposed anonymous sources.

From the past two days in Australia:

ninemsn.com.au 'Frederik shouldn't have wed Mary: author'
The Daily Telegraph (Sydney) 'Mary and Fred on rocks, book'
The Courier Mail (Brisbane) 'Prince Frederik's past loves haunt Princess Mary'
including The Courier-Mail's Family photo album
News.com.au 'Frederik's old flames put strain on Princess Mary'
The Herald Sun (Melbourne) 'Jealous Princess Mary 'feels the strain''
Adelaide Now
The Mercury (Hobart) 'Princess Mary struggling, says new book' The Australian (national) 'Princess Mary struggling, says new book' and same again from News.com.au
Ninemsn.com.au 'Mary and Fred quash marriage rift rumours' including photo gallery

From earlier in the week The Courier-Mail (Brisbane) 'Danish royals 'still in love' refuted the manufactured Woman's Day story
And now The Sydney Morning Herald 'Danish Royal marriage under strain'
The Age (Melbourne) 'Danish Royal marriage under strain' (same Australian Associated Press story)

It should also be mentioned in dispatches that the other Australian general weekly women's magazine New Idea, appears to have taken the high road in recent months. It would seem New Idea has taken an editorial decision not to publish manufactured stories of late and has published straight reporting of events to do with Mary. Let's hope it stays this way.

Unfortunately this fake marriage crisis will stay "on file" in newspapers in Australia and will be trotted out as if it has really happened. Look back a month or two here on the blog and you can see for yourself what is likely and what is not.

With the publication of Trine Villemann's book tomorrow there will be book reviews and perhaps other responses from Denmark. Just over a month ago we posted Margrethe has family under control - interesting contrast to Villemann.