Mary @ 2009 Crown Princess Mary Scholarship

Crown Princess Mary was at Copenhagen University early in the afternoon to present the Crown Princess Mary Scholarship for 2009. The recipients of the grants this year went to law student Rebecca James from the University of Queensland and another law student, Jeffrey Feng, from the University of Sydney. It looks like Mary's red hair was an anniversary day special - a matter between herself and Frederik! The Crown Princess Mary Scholarship is awarded annually on the couple's wedding anniversary to two students from the University of Copenhagen's partner universities in Australia. Each partner university nominates potential recipients and the University of Copenhagen's partner universities in Australia are: University of Sydney; Flinders University; University of New South Wales; University of Tasmania; University of Melbourne and the University of Queensland (so go for it if you are a student in Australia!). The University of Copenhagen gave the scholarship as a wedding gift to Frederik and Mary in 2004.

Crown Princess Mary's speech to the recipients:
Monday 18 May 2009
Dear Rebecca and Jeffrey,
Congratulations on being awarded the Crown Princess Mary Scholarship for 2009. I know that the University received many strong applications for the Scholarship, therefore you should be very proud of your achievement. It is always a pleasure for me to present the scholarship here at the University of Copenhagen and have the opportunity to meet the worthy recipients.
Having a drive to challenge yourself and the world around you, while at the same time having the ability to remain grounded and focused on what is important to you are qualities of great value. I noted that your impressive CV’s also include voluntary work. Rebecca, your work for the aid and development organisation The Oak Tree Foundation and Jeffrey, your volunteer work for university societies and your work for a Sydney community legal centre shows that you both have passion and extra personal resources to want to make a difference.
By going on exchange and living and studying abroad you have a valuable opportunity to not only challenge yourself personally, but also develop new skills that will benefit you and others in future.
Rebecca, you show a strong interest in international law – which has taken you all the way to Copenhagen to take courses that you have a keen interest in. You also demonstrate a desire to develop your academic skills by participating actively in debating and in moot and negotiation competition. One of your lecturers from the University of Queensland wrote in your reference: “A student cannot achieve such results at this law school without ability coupled with commitment to the task at hand”. Your strong academic achievements and extracurricular activities show that you have the skills and determination to achieve all the goals you set for yourself.
Jeffrey, your interest lies in the area of corporate law which is also reflected in your bank internships and your extracurricular activities at the University of Sydney. The corporate world is often characterized by a fast pace in which a sharp analytical mind is required. You show a clear talent to pursue your goals in this area. Your impressive academic skills and your valuable contribution to university society from which other students can also benefit, demonstrates your diverse and strong personal profile.
It is a great inspiration to meet students like the two of you who have a strong determination to achieve the best they can and at the same time have a sense of responsibility to help others. I hope that you return to Australia, not only with a more international education, but also with fond memories of your time here and hopefully with some friendships that will one day see you return.
It is with great pleasure that I present you with the certificates which show that you have been awarded the Crown Princess Mary Scholarship.
Tillykke/Congratulations. I wish you all the best for the remainder of your time here in Denmark and for the future.

Madeleine Glindorf's gallery - click on 180509 • The Crown Princess Mary Scholarship

DRF @ Danish Home Guard's 60th anniversary

Queen Margrethe, Prince Consort Henrik, Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie and Princess Benedikte attended the 60th anniversary parade of the Danish Home Guard yesterday at Nymindegab. Crown Princess Mary and her private secretary and lady-in-waiting Caroline Heering were uniformed participants in the parade. In the evening Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary attended a gala dinner celebrating the occasion with 300 guests and the Minister for Defence. The Home Guards celebrated the anniversary with an hour-long military parade in Nymindegab, where their school is located on the Jutland west coast. Crown Princess Mary was reported as smiling and comfortable with her fellow Copenhagen Region Home Guard members while waiting for the formalities to begin. Crown Princess Mary has the rank of lieutenant in the Home Guard, in which Queen Margrethe and her sister Benedikte also participated. The Queen made a speech commending the Home Guard and gave out medals to 68 veterans who have been members for the whole 60 years of the Home Guard's history. In her speech Queen Margrethe expressed pride in seeing Crown Princess Mary in the Home Guard uniform. The Queen inspected 300 soldiers which included Crown Princess Mary, who stood under the banner of the Total Defence Region Copenhagen, and said that her own time in the Home Guard had been some of the happiest memories of her youth.
"It has pleased me that the Crown Princess has chosen to train in the Home Guard, and I am proud to see the Crown Princess take part in the parade today," the Queen said. Mary was wearing a ceremonial sword as a recently appointed officer and like other members of the royal family, she also wore her Star of the Order of the Elephant.



In the evening Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary attended the gala dinner with around 300 guests including the Minister for Defence, Søren Gade:



Photos © John Randeris/JV.dk, Jørgen Kirk/Stiften.dk, Ole Bo Jensen/Hjemmeværnet, SogH

Hjemmeværnet media release (in Danish with photos)
Hjemmeværnet media release (in Danish with photos)
Danish Home Guard - wiki

Fyens Stiftstidende 'Dronningen: Hjemmeværnets indsats er uden sidestykke' - The Queen: The Home Guard's effort is unprecedented
The Queen expressed her pleasure about the Home Guard's ability to adapt, in her speech in Nymindegablejren.
The Home Guard's 60th anniversary in Nymindegablejren saw the participation of the royal family, at which the Queen gave a speech.
The Queen looked back on the Home Guard's work over the 60 years and noted how the Home Guard has been able to move with the times.
"It produces great respect for such an organisation that it is able to change," said the Queen, denoting a spirit of self-sacrifice which is why the Home Guard enjoys a very good reputation.
The Queen was happy, along with Princess Benedikte, that the Home Guard is in a strong position today and especially that Crown Princess Mary has chosen to participate in the Home Guard.
"Some of my best and most happy memories from my youth are from the Home Guard," smiled the Queen, who also was pleased to acknowledge the support the Home Guard always provides the royal family when it travels around the country.
The Queen extended her tribute to the Home Guard and said "In military history 60 years is a short time. But when looking at the Home Guard's effort, it is unprecedented and worthy of imitation." The Queen distributed medals to 68 veterans who have been members for the whole 60 years of its history.
TV2 article 'Mary luftede uniformen'
TVSyd article 'De kongelige til fødselsdag i Nymindegab'

JV.dk gellery
B.T. gallery
TV2 gallery
Dagbladet gallery (click on 'Næste')
Gert Blume gallery (beautiful photos!!)
Søren Steffen gallery

Hjemmeværnet video (01:56) - the soldiers in lighter uniforms with beards are headed for Afghanistan (thanks Muhler!)
Fyens.dk webTV (00:52)
B.T. webTV (00:46)
TV2 clip
DR.dk clip
JP.dk TV (00:50)
Se og Hør clip (00:46) - scroll down

Frederik & Mary @ American-Scandinavian Foundation Dinner, NYC

Crown Prince Frederik and Cown Princess Mary attended the 2009 American-Scandinavian Foundation Dinner tonight at the Pierre Hotel in New York City. The American-Scandinavian Foundation is a non-profit organisation which promotes international understanding through educational and cultural exchange. At the gala the ASF has honoured , former U.S. Ambassador to Denmark, and his wife Deeda Blair, whom he married in Denmark and who was formerly head of the Lasker Foundation. Nikolaj Hübbe is also honoured, he is Artistic Director of the Royal Danish Ballet. The evening was emceed by Liv Ullmann, acclaimed actress and director. Proceeds from the gala benefit will go to the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s programs for educational and cultural exchange. Royal Danish cousin Prince Filipos of Greece was also present at the gala.

Yesterday (Thursday March 26) Frederik and Mary were in Denver, Colorado, where Frederik was involved in day-long activities in connection with the Sportaccord 2009 conference held there. Mary followed a private program. There was some bad weather affecting transport in Colorado and nearby states which created some doubt about the trip back east to New York. It appears they left this morning to arrive in time for the gala this evening, based on weather reports and planes to New York out of Denver.



Group photo above: Nikolaj Hübbe received an Amaerican-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) Cultural Award while socialite/philanthropist fundraiser Deeda Blair received a Distinguished Public Service Award. Photos © Daylife/Getty, AP, WireImage

Dance for You, No. 28, Jan-Feb 2009 "Designing the Primal: An interview with Nikolaj Hübbe"
The New York Times "Ready for a Giant Leap Back Home" - feature on Nikolaj Hübbe

For those interested, Mary's dress at the New York gala is by Julie Fagerholt of Heartmade (thanks Ayvee!) And with my correction, my apologies to Julie Fagerholt and to Ayvee, who gave the correct FYI from the start! A pic of the dress on parade at Copenhagen Fashion Week.

On Thursday Crown Prince Frederik was at Sportaccord 2009 in Denver while Mary followed a private program.

Crown Prince Frederik's speech at the sports conference 'Sportaccord' in Denver, Colorado, Thursday March 26, 2009:
I would like to warmly congratulate all parties involved in hosting Sportaccord 2009 in the scenic settings of the wonderful mile-high-city of Denver.
Bringing people together in the framework that Sportaccord provides, paves the way for new ideas to take shape and creates an environment that spurs the development of the sports community. Since the first stages in 2003, you have made Sportaccord into a widely recognized event, which annually brings together the World of Sport and enhances new initiatives.
Six months from now, we will hopefully meet again in Copenhagen, the capital of my home country, Denmark, for the IOC Session & Olympic Congress 2009.
We are proud, to be able to host such an important event. Many of the issues that have been touched on at this convention will be addressed in Copenhagen and crucial decisions for the world of sports will be taken at the congress. It is my hope, that all of you will contribute to make the 121st IOC Session & XIII Congress a success.
See you in Copenhagen.

B.T. 'Frederik og Mary får topkarakter i USA' - Frederik and Mary get top mark in the U.S.
The Danish Crown Prince Couple have impressed politicians, the press and nursing home residents during their visits in the U.S.
Chicago's mayor Richard Daley went to work with pleasure on Sunday. TV and newspaper journalists in both Iowa and Nebraska went out to cover stories. And...USA Today used space to cover the Crown Prince Couple's trip in the U.S.
On Saturday Frederik's and Mary's official trip to the U.S. will end.
But even though the Crown Prince Couple go home, they leave many good impressions.
Torsten Jansen, responsible for the PR Department at the [Royal Danish] Embassy in Washington calls the visit an "unconditional success": "Frederik and Mary do something special. They are very capable ambassadors for Denmark. And they are also quite good at talking to everybody they meet," says Torsten Jansen, who followed Frede and Mary on their trip from Chicago, through Iowa, Nebraska and Colorado.
The couple will go to New York City where the visit will end on Saturday evening.
It isn't only Torsten Jansen who gives Frede and Mary top marks.
Since the beginning of his career as Chicago's mayor in the mid-eighties, Richard Daley has met lots of royals from all over the world.
But Frede and Mary made an especial impression on him.
"Many Americans are unsure about how to see the whole idea about kings, queens, princes and princesses. But if they met Mary and Frederik, they'd suddenly understand what it was about. The two are actually not just fantastic representatives of their country, they are also wise and pleasant human beings," Daley said.
And people who know the mayor emphasised it's very unusual for he and his wife to cancel their loved freedom on Sundays (as they did for Frede and Mary) to have an official lunch with the visitors from abroad.
Billed Bladet 'Kig i Marys USA-garderobe' - Look at Mary's U.S. wardrobe: about the 'beautiful, smart and practical' choices Mary has made for the trip which will be covered in more detail in the upcoming edition of the magazine and a small gallery from the visit

Sportaccord: Royal Back Up (YouTube 03:29)
TV2 clip (02:01)