Margrethe's & Henrik's gala for culture & sport

The Queen greets boxer Mikkel Kessler.

Last night Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik hosted a big gala evening for nearly 400 guests from the worlds of culture and sport. It is eleven years since Queen Margrethe hosted the last ball to honour artists, entertainers, musicians and sports people. The celebration was at Christainsborg Palace with guests among Denmark's most pre-eminent architects, painters, actors, athletes and directors. There was dinner and dancing, although Crown Prince Frederik probably didn't do too much of the latter on crutches. Frederik was in high spirits however, and was speedy on the crutches as he and Crown Princess Mary made their way through Drabantsalen (the Guards' Room) past the assembled journalists on their way to the Knight's Hall for the evening's festivities.



Photos © Jens Nørgaard Larsen/Berlingske Tidende, Tariq Mikkel Khan/POLFOTO, Keld Navntoft/Scanpix/TV2, DR.dk/Scanpix, Hello!/Getty

The official guestlist (in Danish)
Menu and music (in Danish)

Fyens Stiftstidende 'Kæmpekjoler til kongeligt kæmpeselskab' - Giant evening gowns to giant royal celebration
Jyllands Posten 'Kæmpekjoler til kongeligt kæmpeselskab'
DR.dk 'Kultur- og sportsikoner til kongeligt kæmpeselskab' - Culture and sports icons to giant royal gala
...The occasion was the Regent Couple had invited about 380 of the best cultural and sports people to the palace to recognise the cultural and sports achievers of Denmark.
Queen Margrethe greeted the actor Anders Matthesen who wore Dannebrog-coloured shoes (the flag of Denmark).
On the long and varied visitor list was also the greatest comedians who proved they could behave in the royal presence.
"A good party isn't easy to say no to," laughed Anders Matthesen, while he stated that the greatest consideration of the day for him had been his choice of clothes.
A suit combined with red and white tennis shoes constituted the uniform for the evening, because "Dannebrog colours can go with everything".
"It's an acknowledgement and a form of respect to be along tonight," Anders Matthesen said to Ritzau.
As is custom, the last to arrive in the Knights Hall's (Riddersalen) with its beautifully decorated tables, was the royal family.
Both Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie were in purple dresses, while queen Margrethe wore pink.
Crown Prince Frederik limped in through the hall to his place, but was clearly looking better after last week's knee surgery.
TV2 article 'Frederik i fin form til kunstnerbal' - Frederik in fine form for culture gala
The Regent Couple were hosts on Tuesday evening at an evening gala for culture and sport at Christiansborg Slot.
Between 350 and 400 of Denmark's leading sports and cultural names had been commanded to the evening party, first were invited for dinner and coffee followed by dancing in Riddersalen.
Among the banquet participants were sculptors, football players, actors, glass artists, dancers and representatives from the comedy scene - including comedians like Anders Matthesen, Lars Hjortshøj, Omar Marzouk and Anders Lund Madsen.
Also Prince Joachim, Prinsess Marie, Crown Princess Mary as well as Crown Prince Frederik were present.
And the Crown Prince was in good shape in spite of his recent ski injury - he manoeuvred the crutches like a true professional.
Hello! magazine 'Bow tie, cast and funky blue crutches for Frederik at smart soiree'

Berlingske Tidende gallery
Jyllands Posten gallery
B.T. gallery
MSN Starlounge gallery
TV2 gallery

TV2 clip (02:24)
TV2 clip (00:55)

Frederik, Mary & the kids skiing in Klosters

The Crown Prince Couple and Christian and Isabella have been skiing near Klosters in Switzerland for a later than usual break in the snow this year, at the end of February rather than at the beginning. This ski-break has the distinction of giving Billed Bladet its scoop interview with Christian (imagine tongue firmly in cheek, but it is very cute!). Christian tells how good it is to be on a ski holiday. Billed Bladet's journalist Ulrik Ulriksen reported that spirits were good and that Frederik and Mary unexpectedly gave permission for a mini-interview with Prince Christian. The little prince made a good attempt at explaining the many pleasures of being on ski holidays with his mother, father and sister, while both Mary and Frederik helped Christian and Ulrik very cooperatively through the interview. The holiday was very much a family and friends affair, since Caroline and Peter Heering, Malou and Jørgen Skeel and Sofie Kirk Kristiansen and her husband Christopher Kjær Thomsen and all their children were also with them, but not present for the photoshoot.

Ulrik Ulriksen added to last week's article with a follow up on recent pregnancy speculations. Actually, not content with the royal pregnancy of Princess Marie, due in May, Billed Bladet could not be putting more pressure on Frederik and Mary to get themselves to the bedroom if they tried!! They showed a photo gallery of Mary while pregnant with Christian and Isabella to remind Frederik how lovely she was! So, the latest:
Q: You have been on a lovely family holiday with two children this year. Will you go to the Alps with three children next year?
"We can't say that with certainty, but it's not impossible. It would be lovely if we were. Wonderful if we could be so fortunate as to have yet one more little one," replies Mary.
Q: What do you say to an expansion of the family, Crown Prince Frederik?
"Well that's not an impossibillity in the future, but I don't know when that will happen. It's expensive to have lots of children," smiled Frederik. Billed Bladet has followed up with the betting agency odds on whether Mary is or isn't and TV2 has too. Official announcements - that's the only way to know for sure!



Out on the kindergarten slopes in the snow near Klosters:



Photos © Martin Høien/Billed Bladet, ¡Hola!, Hello!

Excerpt from Billed Bladet no. 9, 2009: 'Børnene bestemmer farten' – It’s up to the children
by Ulrik Ulriksen
The snowflakes fall gently from the sky and land softly. The temperature is just below freezing. The Crown Prince Couple’s mood is a good deal above freezing however, as they walk in the snow pulling Prince Christian and Princess Isabella behind them on two small sledges.
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary are enjoying the snow holiday in the Alps with their children. This year it is far away from the breathtaking millionaire’s paradise of Verbier in Switzerland, where they usually have their winter holiday. (Billed Bladet does not actually specify exactly where the family was staying.)
Their new place is much more family-friendly. Here peace, quiet and cosiness are the keywords instead of black ski runs and the après-ski scene. It’s here Prince Christian is learning how to ski, while Princess Isabella will remain sitting in her green bobsleigh for another year.
Billed Bladet meet the small family on their way up the children’s knoll to sleigh and ski. Crown Princess Mary is not hiding her joy about the family holiday.
“We are having a great time. There really is plenty of snow here,” says Crown Princess Mary before the Crown Prince takes over: “To me it’s one of the best ways to spend a holiday. It’s getting more and more fun to be on holiday with the children as they get older. Now they are no longer afraid of the cold and the snow. Prince Christian has also started to learn how to ski. Many say it’s good to start early. Others say it’s no problem waiting for the children to be a little older but now we have started quietly. I myself started to learn how to ski when I was a little older than Christian, it was a bit different when I was a child. The skis were not as good for children as they are today. And neither were the ski-boots.”
Q: You have chosen a family snow vacation spot this year, why?
“We thought it’s nice to take things a bit easy with the children. The place is not so important to us. As longs as there is snow and some hills for the children.”
Q: Will you have time for skiing?
“Yes, I will but it won’t be as much as normally. I haven’t been up on the runs yet, but things seem okay even though it's snowing a lot today. You can go up in altitude to 2,860 metres so that’s fine. Right now it’s all about relaxing with the children. That’s why we are here. It’s Christian and Isabella who decide what happens with the schedule,” says Frederik.
Q: Crown Princess Mary, can you talk about today’s schedule?
“The schedule varies quite a bit. It all depends on the weather. We usually have a cosy time at the breakfast table, all of us and then we get dressed up to go out in the snow. We dress warmly because it’s cold. Then we are with the children outside…. Oh, oh, I believe we have a passenger who has fallen off!”
The interview is interrupted briefly because Isabella has fallen of the sleigh, which Prince Christian is steering. A smart black Stiga Bob, with steering wheel and all. Isabella has a bit of a problem remaining seated when Christian suddenly floors the pedal. Frederik picks up his daughter, and presto! she’s back on the sleigh. After that little accident, Mary continues: “Yesterday we were all up on the children’s knoll. Christian and Isabella thought it was neat because this was something completely new for them. It is after all the first year where Christian can try to ski. We of course take things slowly, because he is just a little boy. Everything is on his terms. When we have been on the children’s knoll after a while we go home and eat lunch. And if the children need a nap, they sleep. When they sleep we can find time for a run in the snow Frederik and me. Perhaps we also find time for cross-country skiing. Cross-country skiing is a lovely way to exercise. Normally we are only into Alpine ski sports, but I’ve become fond of cross-country skiing. I have already tried it at home in Fredensborg Park last year.
Q: What do you think of the this holiday resort in the Alps?
“It’s very friendly towards children I must say. It’s the first time we have been here, so we need to get to know it. We enjoy drinking hot tea and chocolate up at the children’s knoll. We are going there today. We are looking forward to that,” says Mary and prepares herself for a day with husband and children on the hill nearby.

We have another interview too: the first interview with Christian.



Click here to hear Christian's interview with Billed Bladet's Ulrik Ulriksen.

Q: What is the best fun of the holiday, Prince Christian?
“To ski. I’ve been skiing…. Like this.” And Christian demonstrates with his feet that he has learned to brake.
Q: Are you good at skiing, Christian?
“Yes.”
Q: What else is fun on the holiday with Isabella and Mom and Dad?
“Flash McQueen, Doc Hudson and Hudson Hornet,” is the instant reply.
Christian is a big fan of the Disney animation film Cars.
A proud Mary exclaims: “That’s a good reply, Christian.”

And a Muhler observation: The picture of the interview in Billed Bladet shows Ulrik Ulriksen standing in front of Christian, bent over at 90 degrees, just like the very tall John Cleese when he impersonated a BBC interviewer interviewing a schoolboy in the shape of Eric Idle, standing in a hole in the ground in Monty Python sketches. Daddy Frederik is looking on in the background beaming with pride.

Billed Bladet 'Hør prins Christians første interview' - Hear Prince Christian's first interview
Billed Bladet 'Se billederne - Christian og Isabella i sneen' (includes Billed Bladet photo gallery)
Allt om Barn.se 'Danska kronprinsfamiljen på fjällsemester' (Swedish)
B.T. 'Så er det her: 3-årige prins Christians første interview' (Danish) - about Christian's 'first interview'
Hola 'Los príncipes Federico y Mary y sus hijos, una familia feliz en la nieve de Klosters'

Iceland Review Online 'Denmark’s Crown Princess Wears Icelandic Clothing'
Crown Princess of Denmark Mary Donaldson was spotted wearing outdoor clothing from Icelandic label Cintamani during a recent family ski trip to the Swiss Alps. Cintamani’s designers say it’s good promotion for their products.
“It isn’t bad to get to dress a princess,” Elva Rósa Skúladóttir, Cintamani’s head designer, told Fréttabladid.
Pictures from the Danish royal family’s ski trip to the Alps were published in Danish gossip magazines Se & Hoer and Billed Bladet.
Skúladóttir pointed out that Princess Mary is very popular and that the press pays close attention to what she’s wearing, so her choice of winter clothing might raise the profile of Cintamani’s designs.

Huge thanks to Valentine, jema, britsky and Muhler!