Alexandra & Martin: recent media wrap

Here are some stories about Alexandra. There has been a lot of speculation about guests, the Danish media is treating it as a big story, we have much more to come....

Billed Bladet (No. 7, 17 February 2007) has a feature by Annelise Weimann titled:

Goodbye to gala princess

No one will expect that in the future Princess Alexandra will be invited for the grand New Year court at Amalienborg Palace each year on January 1, and she will have fewer opportunities to go to the exclusive dinners held when there are official visits from abroad. Chief of Court Ove Ullerup has made that clear in the week after the news about Princess Alexandra’s new marriage emerged.
“It will naturally have consequences that Princess Alexandra no longer is a member of the royal house. On the official as well as on the formal level we will see her much less,” says the chief of court. He has for a long time been involved in the considerable planning needed in connection with the Princess’ new marriage.
Princess Alexandra left the Danish royal family on 8 April 2005, when the divorce from Joachim was affirmed and in 16 days [now 9 days] she is no longer member of the royal house either. It a situation Alexandra has herself wished for, but it will have consequences for her which will be felt.
One of the more important days in the royal year is the New Year court which Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik have the day after New Years Eve. Here the government is invited along with the top officials of Denmark. Princess Alexandra has attended every single year since she came to Denmark, at Prince Joachim side until 2005 and in the last two years as a guest. That’s over now.
Billed Bladet's Annelise Weimann asked “Princess Alexandra will still have her Order of the Elephant, doesn’t that mean, Ove Ullerup, that she will go to the New Year court?”
“Not at all. Count Ingolf and Count Christian of Rosenborg both have the Order of the Elephant, and neither of them go to the court.”
“But Mærsk McKinney Møller does?”
“Yes, but he has received his order as a private individual. The civilian citizens who have the Order of the Elephant have always attended.”
Some of the largest parties at Christiansborg Palace are held when foreign heads of state pay official visits to Denmark. That will happen the next time on 9 - 11 May, when the Swedish reigning couple and Crown Princess Victoria pay a visit. Neither at the state dinner, held by the Queen or at the return dinner held by the Swedish King, shall we expect to see Alexandra. That would be way too awkward, as Alexandra hardly can be invited without her husband, and the Queen probably has no desire to invite Martin Jørgensen to one of the grandest dinners she will have this year.
Even though the new situation is notable for what is happening among the adults, everyone wishes that Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix will be affected as little as possible by the new changes in their lives.
“There will be no change in regard to the children.” confirmed the Chief of Court, Ove Ullerup.
“Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra have shared custody and that will not change. The status of the children and their place in the line of succession for the throne will also continue as before.”
The children will however probably notice that their mother no longer attends private birthdays in the Danish royal family. Princess Alexandra has so far been invited for several annual important days, but that will hardly be the case in the future. If the children for instance are invited to their grandmother’s birthday (meaning the Queen), it will only be with their father and not their mother. No etiquette demands that the two Princes bring both their mother as well as their father along. Luckily the first big occasion where both Alexandra and Prince Joachim ought to be present is five to six years in the future when Prince Nikolai will be confirmed. Both Prince Joachim and his mother will naturally attend, the Regent Couple will no doubt attend the confirmation of their oldest grandchild. If a lunch is held afterwards Alexandra's house at Svanemøllevej, it is most likely that Margrethe and Henrik will decline, but if Prince Joachim invites the guests to his apartment at Amalienborg, then everyone – including Martin Jørgensen – can attend.
In that case, it would be Martin's first official visit to Amalienborg. He was present when Prince Joachim held a New Year party at the palace less than two months ago, but that was not an official party.
“So far, decisions are being made case by case as each new situation comes along. There is no manuscript for how to handle a royal divorce and a new marriage,” points out press chief Lis Frederiksen, and she adds “We have no particular schedule or plan, the royal family has not wished to do that.”
However, in the end only one person decides, and that’s the Queen. Everyone knows that. So far she has not wished to comment on Princess Alexandra’s new marriage and neither has Prince Henrik.
“I won't say anything about Princess Alexandra,” replies the Prince Consort when asked.



Some notes from our trusty translator:
* The protocol at the DRF regarding ceremony such as who sits where, tradition and ritual, who is greeted in what order and so on, is very strict! The reason according to Queen Margrethe is that no one is considered to be a favourite and no one can feel snubbed when everyone is treated strictly according to protocol.
* A note in Billed Bladet also states that Princess Alexandra will keep her diplomatic passport. She will not be issued a “common” passport. The reason for that is that Princes Nikolai and Felix both have diplomatic passports and it would be impractical and odd if their mother didn’t have one.
* Since the divorce Princess Alexandra has also been issued with the health-insurance-card issued to everyone living or working in Denmark. The DRF have their own appointed doctors.
* Alexandra will also receive the child allowance from the state for Nikolai and Felix, just like any other Danish residents. That will amount to about 5.700 DKK every three months. On top of that comes the maintenance payment from Joachim and the appanage from the state, which to some extent can also be considered child maintenance payment.




From Billed Bladet (No.7, 18 February 2007) by Annelise Weimann:

Wedding at a grand manor

A manor worthy of a true princess will be the backdrop for Princess Alexandra’s wedding on March 3 to Martin Jørgensen. The couple have chosen Jomfruens Egede near Fakse for the wedding party. A few metres away is the idyllic Øster Egede Kirke, where Alexandra and Martin are to be married, so the bridal couple and about 120 guests will not have far to go to the party.

The wedding preparations have been going on for some time and Martin and Alexandra have long since visited Jomfruens Egede and approved the whole arrangement. Niels Peter Schack-Eyber oversees the manor and is a good acquaintance of the bridal couple to be and, on top of that, he is an excellent cook. He has therefore put together an exquisite wedding menu which the bridal couple to be has already test-eaten and approved.

Jomfruens Egede, which in the past years has been transformed into a manor hotel to be rented for large parties is the idyllic setting for a romantic wedding. Apart from the ten fantastic bedrooms, where the nearest family are to spend the night, there is a very beautiful wedding suite in the manor. Here Alexandra and Martin are to spend their first night as proper man and wife. The suite, with classical style, suits the modern furnishing well, and makes the place an exquisite experience, which not least appeals to Princess Alexandra. She is very interested in interior decoration as she was herself in charge of the furnishing of the many rooms when Schackenborg Inn went through a major renovation some years ago.

Even though the 120 wedding guests already had a pre-warning about the marriage and the party afterwards, the official invitations have not yet been posted [by now they no doubt have]. But it won’t be long. There is after all only sixteen days [now 3 days] to the wedding, which will be Alexandra’s final goodbye to the DRF. From then on she is on her own and the security protection she has had since her arrival in Denmark in 1995 from PET (Politiets Efterretnings Tjeneste), will be withdrawn. The wedding will thus be the last occasion for the security details to look after Alex. It is expected that her wedding to Martin will gather quite a crowd, so PET has decided to show up to ensure that everything will go quietly and smoothly.


After her marriage Alexandra Countess of Frederiksborg will discontinue eight out of the 24 patronages she has had up to now. It was inevitable that some patronages would alter their arrangements, but Alexandra keeps 16 patronages which will ensure we will still see her out and about.
Berlingske Tidende - 'Alexandra skipper protektioner'

Many thanks Muhler!

Also, see Lotte Haldrup's Alexandra website for everything Alexandra.

Queen Margrethe's successful knee surgery

Prince Henrik is supporting Queen Margrethe through her latest medical problem, says Billed Bladet this week (as we would expect).

According to an official statement on the Danish royal website by Lord Chamberlain Ove Ullerup, Queen Margrethe's knee surgery has gone well. This morning (8 February) the surgery went well and according to plan and took about an hour. The surgery has taken place at the Orthopaedic Department at the Århus University Hospital. The surgeon Dr Anders Odgaard says the Queen is not in pain, is fine and will start rehabilitation exercises almost straight away.

Added: from The Copenhagen Post:

Queen recuperating after knee operation

9 February 2007

Queen Margrethe now has two artificial knees after undergoing successful surgery Thursday.
A sore but healthy Queen Margrethe was reportedly doing fine at Århus Hospital after undergoing an operation for a new artificial right knee Thursday.
The Queen will begin rehabilitation immediately and doctors hope to have her home to Amalienborg Palace in a week or so. Dr Anders Odgaard, one of the physicians responsible for the Queen's treatment, said he expected her to be on crutches for up to eight weeks.
The Queen's left knee is also artificial, having been implanted last June, also with Odgaard in charge. This latest operation was the fifth time Queen Margrethe has been under the knife for osteoarthritis in her knees.
The Royal Lord Chamberlain said that some of the Queen's engagements for the next few months have been cancelled, while others will be handled by her husband, Prince Henrik, or her son, Crown Prince Frederik.
Odgaard said that the Queen's operation was a fairly routine one and that nearly 4000 are performed yearly nationwide. The Copenhagen Post

From International Herald Tribune Europe

Denmark's Queen Margrethe undergoes successful knee-replacement surgery

The Associated Press
Published: February 8, 2007

COPENHAGEN, Denmark: Danish Queen Margrethe II on Thursday received an artificial right knee during an hourlong surgery at a hospital in northwestern Denmark, a palace statement said.
The surgery at Aarhus City Hospital, 200 kilometers (125 miles) northwest of Copenhagen, went smoothly, according to Anders Odgaard, the orthopedic surgeon who performed the operation.
The popular monarch was doing well, the statement said, citing Odgaard.
"The Queen has no pain and is looking forward to start her rehabilitation" program, he said in the palace statement.
Margrethe's official duties in the next two months have either been canceled or will be undertaken by her son, Crown Prince Frederik, or her husband, Prince Henrik.
The 66-year-old queen, who suffers from osteoarthritis, has had several operations on both knees and her back since 1992. In September, she had an operation for a hernia.
In recent years, Margrethe has often been seen sitting at official occasions when she would normally stand. When U.S. President George W. Bush visited Denmark in July, Margrethe sat on a chair when she and Bush greeted Danish dignitaries arriving for a lunch at a palace north of Copenhagen.International Herald Tribune Europe

Alexandra & Martin: it is big news

Billed-Bladet's front cover this week. It is their story which broke the news after they informed they would go public this week.

The news of Alexandra's re-marriage has been big news in Denmark in all media. It appears Billed Bladet had worked the story and told the Danish royal court it was going to go to press and publish the story in its Thursday edition. Billed Bladet's Annelise Weimann called the court on Wednesday for comment. It appears the court has made the official announcement because of Billed Bladet's decision to print the story, although it is remotely possible the timing was a co-incidence. Not likely though.

There is speculation that Alexandra may get a high-paid job which could compensate for the loss of income through payment of tax. There is still other speculation that Alexandra may be pregnant (suggested by sociologist Emilia van Hauen on Danish television last night). Billed Bladet says Alexandra has already begun to cut her household staff, one nanny has been dismissed and Alexandra's private secretary will finish her job with Alexandra, although Lord Chamberlain Ove Ullerup has not given a definite date for this yet. Ullerup has also been non-commital about Alexandra's future security arrangements, according to Berlingske Tidende.

The already established custody arrangements regarding Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix will remain, with Prince Joachim paying child support for the boys as has been the case since the divorce. Joachim and Alexandra have been exemplary in focusing on the interests of their boys throughout the separation and divorce and share parenting with a great deal of goodwill and co-operation.

Martin works for his father's company JJFilms. JJFilms makes a wide range of material including in the past a number of films for the Danish royal house. Martin (sound) and his father (director) worked on the program Mary Elizabeth Donaldson shown before Mary's and Frederik's wedding in 2004 in Denmark and Australia. Jacob Jørgensen's JJFilms has made at least three programs featuring Alexandra in 2000, 2003 and 2004. There is a fourteen year age difference between Martin and Alexandra.

Martin and Alexandra met in 1999 during a JJFilms production about 'Prince Joachim: the Farmer Prince'. Another film project followed in 2003 with the CARE Denmark production of Alexandra in Thailand, and then again in 2004 JJFilms was at Schackenborg Castle again to make 'Princess Alexandra: my home is my castle'. A house was purchased by a company owned by Joachim in 2004 (on the eve of Frederik's and Mary's wedding) for Alexandra and their children in Copenhagen and then later in the same year the court announced the separation of Joachim and Alexandra. During 2005 the divorce is finalised, Alexandra moved into the renovated house with Nikolai and Felix and JJFilms made a film of her trip to Shanghai for Danish businesses. Alexandra and Martin holidayed together in Italy and Queen Margrethe confirmed Alexandra had a new 'friend' during the summer press conference. Alexandra, Martin, Nikolai, Felix and Alexandra's parents holidayed at her uncle's place in Greece. Then in 2006 Alexandra and Martin appeared openly in public together at a friend's wedding (Joachim was present too). In 2007 Prince Joachim invited everyone (Alexandra, Martin, Marie Cavallier,the children and friends) to a New Year party at his apartment in Amalienborg, and then, on 7 February 2007 the court announced Alexandra and Martin will marry on March 3.

JJFilms Danish royal film catalogue

Photos in today's Billed Bladet spread on Alexandra and Martin. Christine Lyng is in the photo with Alexandra below:



Billed Bladet's Alexandra & Martin phot gallery

A good summary of the news so far from The Sydney Morning Herald:

Denmark's Princess Alexandra to remarry

Hong Kong-born Princess Alexandra of Denmark, 42, will give up her royal title to marry her boyfriend Martin Joergensen, 27, next month. Photo: AP

February 8, 2007 - 9:29AM
Denmark's Hong Kong-born Princess Alexandra, who divorced Prince Joachim in April 2005, will marry her companion of two years Martin Joergensen on March 3, the royal palace has announced.
Joergensen, 27, who is 15 years' younger than the 42-year-old princess, is a photographer who has done several portraits of the Danish royal family.
The wedding will be private and Alexandra will no longer be considered a member of the royal family after the marriage, a palace statement said.
Her name and title will become "Alexandra Christina, countess of Frederiksborg".
Alexandra Christine Manley married Prince Joachim, 37, the second son of Queen Margrethe, in November 1995 in Copenhagen and they had two children together, princes Nikolai, 7, and Felix, 4.
Since the divorce the children have lived with their mother about three kilometres from the Amalienborg Palace, where they will continue to live with Alexandra and Joergensen after their union.
The Danish Parliament decided in 2004 to grant the princess her own civil list, or budget for life, removing her from the prince's so-called appanage.
The money has until now been tax-free and indexed on the rate of inflation.
Her civil list, which for 2007 totals 1.9 million kroner ($426,000), will be reviewed after the wedding and she will in future have to pay taxes on the income.
AFPSMH

From The Copenhagen Post:

Princess Alexandra to wed

07.02.2007

Princess Alexandra plans to marry her partner since 2005, photographer Martin Jørgensen.
Soon to be merely a countess, Princess Alexandra will marry photographer Martin Jørgensen on 3 March, losing her status as a member of the royal family.
The announcement was made via a press release from Lord Chamberlain Ove Ullerup of Amalienborg Palace. Jørgensen is 28 years old - 14 years younger than the princess - and is a friend of the princess's ex-husband, Prince Joachim.
The marriage means that Alexandra will no longer carry the title of princess and will after the wedding be known in the royal court as Alexandra Christina, Countess of Frederiksborg.
Princess Alexandra will continue to receive an annuity from the government of some DKK 1.75 million, but will lose her tax exempt status. A tax expert, who wished to remain anonymous, told B.T. newspaper that the princess's decision to marry may cost her up to 74 percent of her disposable income after taxes.
Ullerup told public broadcaster DR that it is possible the princess would take on a salaried job.
'There will be a lot of new issues for her to deal with and I don't think she's decided anything yet herself. But it can't be ruled out.'
Ullerup said Princess Alexandra will continue to serve some of the organisations for which she is currently patron.
'She will make contact to certain patronages to discuss the future. There are some she has worked closer with, but I can't say with which ones she will continue.'
Jørgensen will reportedly move into Princess Alexandra's villa in northeast Copenhagen after the wedding.

From Pravda's frontpage:

Danish Princess Alexandra to remarry, lose royal title

02/07/2007 18:29

Hong Kong-born Princess Alexandra of Denmark, divorced from a Danish prince, will give up her royal title to marry her boyfriend next month, the royal palace said Wednesday.
Alexandra, 42, will marry 28-year-old photographer Martin Joergensen in a private ceremony on March 3, a statement from Lord Chamberlain Ove Ullerup announced.
Alexandra married Prince Joachim, the younger brother of Crown Prince Frederik, in November 1995. The couple separated in 2004 and divorced the following year the first divorce in the Danish royal family since 1846.
Marrying Joergensen, Alexandra can no longer call herself princess and ceases to be a member of the royal family. However, she will retain the title of Alexandra Christina, Countess of Frederiksborg, Ullerup said.
After the wedding the bride and groom will live in Alexandra's villa in Oesterbro, a suburb of Copenhagen, with her two sons, Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix, reports AP.
Alexandra will continue to receive her royal allowance of about 1.9 million Danish kroner (US$330,000 or EUR250,000) a year, but will be subject to tax and other duties like other Danish citizens, Ullerup said.
The Danish monarchy is one of the world's oldest, and the royal family traces its lineage back to the Viking king Gorm the Old, who died in 959.


Hello! magazine - Alexandra to wed her handsome prince charming

Alexandra to re-marry on March 3

Alexandra and Martin at a friend's wedding last year.

The Danish court has announced that Princess Alexandra will re-marry on March 3.
In a statement released on the Danish Royal Family's website it is announced Princess Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, will marry Martin Jørgensen on 3 March 2007 in a private ceremony.

After the marriage Alexandra will no longer be a member of the royal house and will be known in future as Alexandra Christina, Countess of Frederiksborg. The law passed on 24 November 2004 giving Alexandra an appenage is an arrangement which will continue as a payment from the state*, however, she will pay tax and VAT from the time of her marriage. After the marriage the couple will live in Alexandra's villa in Østerbro (pictured below) with Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix.
* that is, separate from the budget to the royal house.




As a holder of the Order of the Elephant (which is for life), Alexandra will continue to attend official state functions. UNICEF has made it clear that they wish Alexandra to stay involved as their patron. Ove Ullerup, the Lord Chamberlain, has said other patronages will be consulted to see how those will continue.
More details to come.


Politiken - Prinsesse Alexandra skal giftes
Politiken - Hofmarskal: Et nyt liv venter Alexandra
Politiken - Unicef: Vi vil beholde Alexandra
Politiken - Sociolog: Alexandra har valgt lykken
B.T. - Alexandra skal giftes
B.T. - Sådan fik Martin prinsessen
Berlingske Tidende - Alexandra fortsætter arbejdet
Berlingske Tidende - Unicef: Alexandra har været vigtig for os
Jyllands-Posten online front page
Jyllands-Posten picture gallery
If you are interested in more about Princess Alexandra we recommend The Unofficial Her Highness Princess Alexandra Of Denmark website run by (big L) Lotte Haldrup - Lotte may have to change the name of her website!

Queen Margrethe to have new knee surgery

The Lord Chamberlain for the Queen's court, Ove Ullerup, has announced Queen Margrethe will have surgery on her right knee next Thursday.

The statement says Her Majesty The Queen will have the surgery on her right knee on Tursday, February 8th at the same Orthopaedic Surgical Department at Århus Hospital where she had knee replacement surgery for her left knee on 1 June, 2006. The operation will be done by the same surgeon who did last summer's operation, Dr Anders Odgaard.

Right, last year's scar with a matching one to come!

After the operation it is expected that the Queen will recuperate at Amalienborg Palace. Because of the operation some of the Queen's planned activities during the next 1-2 months will be cancelled, while others will go ahead with the participation of Prince Henrik or Crown Prince Frederik.

Queen Margrethe had minor surgery

The Queen was hale and hearty at the 400 year anniversary of Rosenborg Castle last week.



The Lord Chamberlain (head of Queen Margrethe's court) Ove Ullerup has announced in a press release that Queen Margrethe was admitted to Copenhagen's Rigshospitalet (University Hospital) last Sunday for a minor hernia surgery.

B.T. reports the Queen has had the hernia operation and says that spokeswoman for the Royal Family, Lis M. Frederiksen, would only confirm the Queen was admitted to hospital on Sunday. Frederiksen said all other details about why and when surgery was decided were confidential between patient and doctor.

The surgical procedure was done by consultant professor and clinic chief at Rigshospitalet Preben Kirkegaard. The Queen has already been released from hospital today (Monday). "And within a couple of days we expect that she will be up and running and able to take care of her duties again," says Lis. M. Frederiksen.

The Queen, 66, had surgery for a left knee replacement this last summer which required rehabilitation. Before that the Queen suffered with pain which was occasionally obvious during official engagements. The Queen has also had a history of back pain and in the future will undergo another knee replacement on her right knee.

The B.T. article also mentions Prince Henrik's recent problems with a leg ulcer last June and the rest and intensive treatment required for it to heal. This time around the Queen is expected to be up and about within several days. (Thanks to Muhler for translation.)

Queen Margrethe's knee surgery

A search has produced a photo of the now replaced knee!

Update! According to a new press release by Lord Chamberlain Ove Ullerup Queen Margrethe has been released from hospital and is at Fredensborg. She is doing very well and may even be able to participate in some activities later in the summer. As mentioned in the Billed Bladet article already mentioned, the Queen is having physiotherapy everyday.

In a press release the Danish court's Lord Chamberlain Ove Ullerup has given an update on Queen Margrethe's knee surgery: Hendes Majestæt Dronningen opereret. A translation of the press release:

Her Majesty The Queen Has Undergone Surgery

Amalienborg, June 1st 2006

Her Majesty The Queen underwent surgery this morning on Thursday the 1st of June at the surgical knee sector of orthopaedic surgical ward E, Århus Hospital.

The operation was conducted by consultant Anders Odgaard, M.D., and an artificial knee joint was inserted. The operation was successful and lasted an hour.

It is expected that Her Majesty The Queen will be able to be discharged within a week, whereupon The Queen will take up residence at Fredensborg Castle.

In the light of the operation, some of The Queen's scheduled engagements within the next 1-2 months will be cancelled. Others will be carried out with the participation of His Royal Highness The Prince Consort or His Royal Highness The Crown Prince.

A press conference about the operation with consultant Anders Odgaard, M.D., and the team of doctors is convened at Århus Hospital, Tage-Hansens Gade, today at 14.30. The press conference will take place in the hospital's hotel.

Ove Ullerup
Lord Chamberlain

(Many thanks, again, to Lasse for his translation.)

DR 1 video clip in Danish, shows the press conference with the Queen's surgeons.

Billed Bladet describes the Queen's knee operation as miracle surgery because of a new procedure used at Århus Hospial. The story says the Queen took small steps in her room the same day after her surgery. The Queen is doing daily exercises to rehabilitate and recover from the surgery. Her recovery will continue at Fredensborg.

We wish Queen Margrethe a successful recuperation and look forward to seing her pain-free smile again soon!