Wednesday 3 October 2007

Joachim & Marie: It's official! They are engaged

The couple today with the State Council and Prince Henrik (the Queen, Frederik and Joachim are members of State Council) at Christiansborg Palace, marking official recognition of the engagement. Beskæftigelsesminister Claus Hjort Frederiksen, transportminister Jakob Axel Nielsen, udviklingsminister Ulla Tørnæs, forsvarsminister Søren Gade, fødevareminister Eva Kjer Hansen, miljøminister Connie Hedegaard, skatteminister Kristian Jensen, Prins Henrik, undervisning - og kirkeminister Bertel Haarder, frk. Marie Cavallier, finansminister Thor Pedersen, Prins Joachim, dronning Margrethe, Kronprins Frederik, udenrigsminister Per Stig Møller, statsminister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, økonomi - og erhversminister Bendt Bendtsen, socialminister Karen Jespersen, videnskabsminister Helge Sander, justistsminister Lene Espersen, kulturminister Brian Mikkelsen, integrationsminister Rikke Hvilshøj, indenrigs - og sundhedsminister Lars Løkke Rasmussen og familie - og forbrugsminister Carina Christensen. Photo Scanpix/Keld Navntoft/various media

It is official. Prince Joachim and Marie Cavallier are engaged. No precise date, but Spring 2008 is when they will marry. There will be a press conference later today Danish local time. Marie will be hitting those books: Danish 101! Congratulations to the couple!

His Royal Highness Prince Joachim engaged to Miss Marie Cavallier

Amalienborg,Wednesday October 3rd, 2007

Her Majesty the Queen of Denmark and His Royal Highness the Prince Consort have the pleasure to announce the engagement of their son, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim to Miss Marie Cavallier.

Today, Wednesday October 3rd 2007, the Council of State has been assembled at Christiansborg Castle presided over by Her Majesty the Queen. Upon submission from the Prime Minister and in accordance with the Act of Succession of 1953, Her Majesty gave her consent to the marriage of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim and Miss Marie Cavallier. The wedding will take place in spring 2008. After the marriage Miss Cavallier will assume the title of Her Royal Highness Princess Marie.

Miss Marie Cavallier is a French citizen and belongs to the Roman Catholic Church. It is her wish to become a member of the Evangelical-Lutheran Church of Denmark in connection with the marriage. Miss Cavallier also wishes to apply for Danish citizenship and in this way to be released from her French citizenship.

Ove Ullerup
Lord Chamberlain


The announcement in French

DR web update (0:40) report of the announcement, Joachim emerging from Christiansborg and, Marie Cavallier will become Princess Marie!
TV2 news clip (7:39)
TV2 news clip (2:57)

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posted by lotte | 12:18 pm

12 Comments:

Blogger Unknown said...

Bleh. I don't know why, but I've never cared for Marie. There's just something about her...

Of course, it could also partly be because my Danish fiance doesn't l like her either.

1:14 pm  
Blogger Brooke - Little Miss Moi said...

That might be confusing! Is there a significant difference in the Danish pronunciation of Marie and Mary?

4:27 pm  
Blogger lotte said...

Hey koko, well, there is no law against having favourites. Perhaps the main thing is that Joachim cares for her and vice versa :D

and little miss moi, Danes pronounce Mary the English way, with an 'air' in the middle and and she is always "kronprinsesse". There isn't a huge difference in the Danish/French pronounciation of Marie, but she will be distinguished by being "prinsesse"

:)

9:58 pm  
Blogger lotte said...

Oops! typo - pronunciation above :)

9:59 pm  
Blogger His Loving Mercy said...

Why is Crown Princess Mary absent from the engagement picture?

8:22 pm  
Blogger Unknown said...

Why is such a big deal being made about this engagement? I think it is tacky as it is Joachim's second time around. Marie seems to be trying to be a complete replica of "our" Mary. Her stance when posing for photographs and story are almost identical. The fact that her and Joachim are always photographs all over each other (kissing etc) is very "un-royal". It is very sad. Tell her to get her own persona!

10:10 am  
Blogger lotte said...

As to why Crown Princess Mary was not in the official engagement photo - she is not a member of the State Council. The photo at Christiansborg with the Prime Minister and the ministers of the government, the Queen, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Henrik, as father of Joachim (not actually connected to the State Council), is an official photo to mark the State Council meeting which has constitutionally approved the marriage. Had the Queen in the first instance and the State Council in the second not approved of the union, Prince Joachim would have been 'demoted' to a count or a private citizen and would no longer be able to act as regent when the Queen is out of Denmark and/or Frederik is out of Denmark (this scenario will happen next week). Joachim would no longer receive an appanage if the union wasn't approved. The royal members of the State Council are the Queen, Frederik, Joachim and Benedikte. The position is connected with the consitutional arrangements in Denmark which is a constitutional monarchy. It is why Frederik, Joachim and Benedikte can act as regents. There is always a regent on Danish soil, which is why royal get-togethers abroad always have one of them missing.
Btw, you can see the members of the State Council named in the caption under the official photo posted here on the blog.

To brooke, the engagement is a Danish royal event with constitutional meaning for Denmark. It is also a happy event for the couple and for their families. The way it has all been done is the way it is done in Denmark. Marriage is happily celebrated in Denmark and royal marriages have a pattern as to how things are done. This conforms exactly with how it is done. It happened this way for then (heir apparent) Princess Margrethe and Henri de Laborde de Montpezat, for Joachim and Alexandra Manley, for Mary Donaldson and Frederik and now for Joachim and Marie Cavallier. Isn't there room to give Marie a chance and try to understand the ways of the Danish court?

lotte

11:48 am  
Blogger His Loving Mercy said...

Thank you Lotte! I was hoping their was an official reason for her absence. I had read somewhere, please forgive I can not recall where, that her and Marie's relationship was "frosty" but Mary appears to be the consumate professional and surly would not allow any "personal" issues stand in the way of her professional responsibilities!

It is always more difficult for the "second" person to come in when the "first" is still enormously popular, meaning it is difficult for Marie to come in after Alexandra, and be second to Crown Pricess Mary who is very well established.

Marie may grow on us, I'm sure she has some idea what she is up against, but if the family accepts her, we need to give her the same courtesy as well, after all they are around her, most of us are not!

I pray their health and happiness and hope this will be a success for the family and for Denmark.

3:47 pm  
Blogger lotte said...

Um, I think 'reports' like those should be taken for what they are: idle internet gossip or fabrications of tabloids.

There is no sign of any frostiness and none that is reportable. Mary was enthusiastic more than 18 months ago when out shopping with Christian. She was asked by a reporter about Marie and Mary replied she was very happy for them. The only other time we have seen them together was at the Fleming christening. Just because we haven't seen them together doesn't mean there is a problem. There will be time for that, and by now our readers should know Margrethe is a stickler for doing things the Danish royal way and Mary doesn't do tings inappropriately, so do't think the source of such gossip is credible. Just my opinion from watching, think they will all be fine...
lotte :)

lotte :)

8:34 pm  
Blogger His Loving Mercy said...

Yes Lotte, I do agree. Most of what I read, I tend to discard, especially if it's negative in nature. I too believe all will work out. She (Marie) has enough to tend to!

9:41 pm  
Blogger Unknown said...

all beautiful people
all the best wished
still hope could see more of countess alexandra
THANK YOU for a great place !!

6:47 am  
Blogger Unknown said...

Hi hibiscus,

Thanks, and we will continue to feature news about Alexandra -- we are still catching up on the DRF's summer!

lotte :)

3:20 pm  

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