Prince Henrik Retiring from Official Duties as of January 1, 2016

[Muhler]

No, you are not silly.

So you mean QMII feeling a bit under the weather and going off to Cayz where the weather is better to recuperate for a couple of weeks? And then talk things out with PH?

As long as it is only for a couple of weeks, I don't think that should be a problem. She might not even announce it and slip under the radar. - Perhaps they already have?
It's only when things are cancelled or taken over by another that speculations will start.

Not an indefinite leave but she could very well take much more time off, travel the word with her husband, stay at Cayx with him and so on.

The next in line is perfectly capable of handling things in her abscense.
Are there things that QM has to do and that only she can do? If Frederik is regent, is he not then the "King" ?

In anything but name, yes.

Well, with the Regent Couple in a kind of limbo, regarding retirement, how long do you think it would take before the debate about QMII abdicating would become serious?
You know how long I think it would last, but if the rest of you (*) were living here. How long would it take before you thought: Okay better let M&F take over. That I'd be curious to learn.

(*) You English speakers really need more words for you.

 

[SLV]

No, you are not silly.

So you mean QMII feeling a bit under the weather and going off to Cayz where the weather is better to recuperate for a couple of weeks? And then talk things out with PH?

As long as it is only for a couple of weeks, I don't think that should be a problem. She might not even announce it and slip under the radar. - Perhaps they already have?
It's only when things are cancelled or taken over by another that speculations will start.

That would be an interesting option. And the most favourable one to all concerned I have read so far. Especially for the Queen.

 

[Osipi]

I can see it now. He goes "your place or mine?" (we need a wiggle eyebrows emo thingie).

It just seems more feasible to me than all of a sudden have rumors of a divorce. They're older, they have separate likes and dislikes and interests and this "retirement" gets him out of the royal fishbowl and a pick and choose option which, in a way, gives him King power of control of his life and with that, should Queen Daisy (I love that name) feel she needs to get away from it all sometimes, she's got a perfect bolt hole excuse too.

 

[Osipi]

In anything but name, yes.

Well, with the Regent Couple in a kind of limbo, regarding retirement, how long do you think it would take before the debate about QMII abdicating would become serious?
You know how long I think it would last, but if the rest of you (*) were living here. How long would it take before you thought: Okay better let M&F take over. That I'd be curious to learn.

(*) You English speakers really need more words for you.

Where I come from, its acceptable to use y'all or youse guys too.

Most definitely my suggestion would just be like for a weekend getaway and a reason to clear the appointment book for a span of time. As Margrethe reminds me so much of Elizabeth II, its unthinkable that she'd forgo her duties of being the monarch for a very long period of time.

 

[Muhler]

I see.

Using PH as an excuse to take a breather - but not near PH?

I don't think she has to. She has cut down in recent years and now concentrate very much on what she finds interesting - scenography, art, archeology.
And the DRF website don't record where she is every minute, so she can easily slip away unnoticed - and probably do.

(Yes, we do need more smilies).

 

[Nordic]

Well, with the Regent Couple in a kind of limbo, regarding retirement, how long do you think it would take before the debate about QMII abdicating would become serious?
You know how long I think it would last, but if the rest of you (*) were living here. How long would it take before you thought: Okay better let M&F take over. That I'd be curious to learn.

I already think an abdication would be a good thing, but it's not going to happen.

Queen Ingrid died at 90 and AFAIR, her siblings were also pretty long-lived. If Queen Margrethe lives another 15 years, the debate about abdication will go on anyway, the older she gets.

She might as well take a couple of weeks time off more often than she does now. I think the Danes would understand that.

 

[Muhler]

Where I come from, its acceptable to use y'all or youse guys too.

Try live here! We have loads of words for you/your/yours:
du (informal you)
de (plural)
De (formal you and also sometimes formal plural)
Deres (formal you and also sometimes formal plural)
dig (informal you)
din (informal you)
dine (informal you)
dem (plural)
Dem (formal you, sometimes formal plural)
jer (informal plural)
jeres (informal plural)
I (plural about people)

- I probably left out a couple of yours.

 

[Osipi]

Try live here! We have loads of words for you/your/yours:
du (informal you)
de (plural)
De (formal you and also sometimes formal plural)
Deres (formal you and also sometimes formal plural)
deres (plural)
dig (informal you)
din (informal you)
dine (informal you)
dem (plural)
Dem (formal you, sometimes formal plural)
jer (informal plural)
jeres (informal plural)
I (plural about people)

- I probably left out a couple of yours.

Reminds me of my years of studying French that I've never really used, can read a bit and now can recognize a bit of root words in all languages and at a very late stage of the game of my life have discovered an interest of etymology. Of course I'm fanciful and want to master cuneiform and hieroglyphs and Gaelic and ... and ... and...

Just makes me appreciate the effort you do in translations for us English speakers all the more. As far as languages go, Americans for the most part are seriously lacking in even speaking English.

Perhaps that is one thing that draws me to wanting to know about a magnificent Danish queen. Her history and her fascination with it, her keen sense of color and her artistic ways of showing it and just a general sense of just being happy in the now wherever she is. That's why I tend to think that whatever is going on with Henrik, its not because of any antagonism or loss of love between them or some kind of a dispute over titles and whatnot.

Of course I'm relatively new to knowing the DRF and just am dipping my toes in the waters. Muhler.... its YOUR fault. How many words do you have for your?

 

[royal rob]

Try live here! We have loads of words for you/your/yours:
du (informal you)
de (plural)
De (formal you and also sometimes formal plural)
Deres (formal you and also sometimes formal plural)
deres (plural)
dig (informal you)
din (informal you)
dine (informal you)
dem (plural)
Dem (formal you, sometimes formal plural)
jer (informal plural)
jeres (informal plural)
I (plural about people)

- I probably left out a couple of yours.

Wow and our Mary learnt all that makes me even more proud of her


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community

 

[FasterB]

Try live here! We have loads of words for you/your/yours:
du (informal you)
de (plural)
De (formal you and also sometimes formal plural)
Deres (formal you and also sometimes formal plural)
deres (plural)
dig (informal you)
din (informal you)
dine (informal you)
dem (plural)
Dem (formal you, sometimes formal plural)
jer (informal plural)
jeres (informal plural)
I (plural about people)

- I probably left out a couple of yours.

All of these pronouns are in different case (kasus)

You can read more here:
Pronouns and adjectives table - Danish - Speakdanish

Or here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Danish_grammar

 

[Muhler]

Quite. But while there are basically three words for you/your/yours in English depending on the situation and grammar, there are quite a few more in Danish.

And a minor correction: "deres" does not mean yours, but instead their or theirs. Unless it's written with a capital D, then it becomes formal You singular or formal You plural. - Confused? Good.

Osipi you asked how many words we specifically have for "your". About ten, depending on the situation and grammar.

So yes, there is every reason to feel sympathy for Mary.

Less so though for our Marie and PH. They are French, so the concept of various forms of you is not unknown to them.
French grammar is even worse than German! I know otherwise sober people who have been driven to heavy drinking trying to work out the logic in French grammar!

And that leads me to a sub-topic to why PH is getting so little general sympathy. - His spoken Danish is lousy! His heavy accent aside, he speaks "circus-Danish". I.e. with constant very basic grammatical mistakes. That despite the fact that PH's understanding of Danish and the subtleties is near perfect.
And that is annoying. When you join a tribe or move into a village, you'd better learn the local lingo or you'll remain an outsider.
A village is much more inclusive than a city, but also much more unforgiving.

Oh, I don't think we should get into the fact that the word please does not exist in Danish. That is build into the structure of the sentences. So we don't have please, instead we have countless subtleties for please. (We really need a despairing smiley).

 

[gerry]

Quite. But while there are basically three words for you/your/yours in English depending on the situation and grammar, there are quite a few more in Danish.

And a minor correction: "deres" does not mean yours, but instead their or theirs. Unless it's written with a capital D, then it becomes formal You singular or formal You plural. - Confused? Good.

Osipi you asked how many words we specifically have for "your". About ten, depending on the situation and grammar.

So yes, there is every reason to feel sympathy for Mary.

Less so though for our Marie and PH. They are French, so the concept of various forms of you is not unknown to them.
French grammar is even worse than German! I know otherwise sober people who have been driven to heavy drinking trying to work out the logic in French grammar!

And that leads me to a sub-topic to why PH is getting so little general sympathy. - His spoken Danish is lousy! His heavy accent aside, he speaks "circus-Danish". I.e. with constant very basic grammatical mistakes. That despite the fact that PH's understanding of Danish and the subtleties is near perfect.
And that is annoying. When you join a tribe or move into a village, you'd better learn the local lingo or you'll remain an outsider.
A village is much more inclusive than a city, but also much more unforgiving.

Oh, I don't think we should get into the fact that the word please does not exist in Danish. That is build into the structure of the sentences. So we don't have please, instead we have countless subtleties for please. (We really need a despairing smiley).

Muhler, you are tempting your readers into a debate that our moderators would not approve of with a suggestion that French is more difficult than German! I will, however, resist, and merely suggest that your observation is, quite simply, not true! The trials and tribulations experienced by Language learners must always be placed in the context of the learner's first language. Yours is Danish so you know cases; ergo, German is easier for you! French does not have cases so therefore you find it more difficult. With a view to le prince Henri and his retirement, I can well imagine he would prefer to spend time in Cayx and not have to worry about Danish cases!

 

[Muhler]

You are no doubt Right, Gerry.

Oddly enough though, I tend to understand Italian and Spanish better than French. - Not that I claim any proficiency in either of these three languages!

 

[Roslyn]

Wow and our Mary learnt all that makes me even more proud of her

Me, too. And very glad that I do not have to learn Danish.

 

[gerry]

You are no doubt Right, Gerry.

Oddly enough though, I tend to understand Italian and Spanish better than French. - Not that I claim any proficiency in either of these three languages!

Interesting; do you travel to either of these countries more than to France? That could explain your ease of understanding. It is well known that immersion in a country's language/culture is, by far, the best way of learning a new language! I believe the Crown Princess insisted on being spoken to only in Danish to help her better learn the language! I wonder what language is spoken between HM and her prince?

 

[Muhler]

Not really, actually.

It's just that I seem to recognize and understand more Spanish and Italian words than French. Both spoken and written.
Why I don't know, because I've never really studied these three languages.

Anyway, as you say Gerry, we seem to get off topic.

But those of you who have head PH speak English, how is that?

Because PH is claimed to master Mandarin and some Vietnamese as well as English and of course Danish.
And he may. In the sense that his understanding is very good indeed, while he sucks at speaking these languages.
So that's why I'd like to hear from native English speakers.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a video on YouTube. Perhaps someone else have better luck?

 

[Mbruno]

Not really, actually.

It's just that I seem to recognize and understand more Spanish and Italian words than French. Both spoken and written.
Why I don't know, because I've never really studied these three languages.

Have you studied Latin by any chance at school ? Both Spanish, Italian and French are derived from Latin, but French is the language among those 3 whose words have changed the most from their Latin roots due to major phonetic changes in the language. Italian on the other hand is the language whose words are closer to their Latin roots.

 

[Mbruno]

Muhler, you are tempting your readers into a debate that our moderators would not approve of with a suggestion that French is more difficult than German! I will, however, resist, and merely suggest that your observation is, quite simply, not true! The trials and tribulations experienced by Language learners must always be placed in the context of the learner's first language. Yours is Danish so you know cases; ergo, German is easier for you! French does not have cases so therefore you find it more difficult. With a view to le prince Henri and his retirement, I can well imagine he would prefer to spend time in Cayx and not have to worry about Danish cases!

Danish doesn't have case marking either, at least not for nouns, articles or adjectives (case is marked only for pronouns, like in English). Danish nouns still have grammatical gender though.

 

[gerry]

Not really, actually.

It's just that I seem to recognize and understand more Spanish and Italian words than French. Both spoken and written.
Why I don't know, because I've never really studied these three languages.

Anyway, as you say Gerry, we seem to get off topic.

But those of you who have head PH speak English, how is that?

Because PH is claimed to master Mandarin and some Vietnamese as well as English and of course Danish.
And he may. In the sense that his understanding is very good indeed, while he sucks at speaking these languages.
So that's why I'd like to hear from native English speakers.

Unfortunately I haven't been able to find a video on YouTube. Perhaps someone else have better luck?

Although English is not my first language either, I did find this video of the Prince speaking English quite well at his son's wedding banquet.4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3GJNd1rGkM
The speech is, of course, carefully scripted and, no doubt, spell and grammar checked! However, I cannot fault his pronounciation I cannot judge the Danish, of course

 

[Muhler]

Thanks, Gerry

Have you studied Latin by any chance at school ? Both Spanish, Italian and French are derived from Latin, but French is the language among those 3 whose words have changed the most from their Latin roots due to major phonetic changes in the language. Italian on the other hand is the language whose words are closer to their Latin roots.

Well, sort of.
I picked up a number of Latin terms as a medic and before we got deployed, because we were to to interact with local doctors.
My wife studied Latin in high School and she's employed in the health sector and when she advanced her education a number of years ago, she had to brush up on her Latin and she used me as a sparring-partner.
And there are quite a few Latin terms in Danish literature.

I find it deeply fascinating to learn about how the various languages are build up, but while I'm able to explain the differences in popular terms, explaining it in technical terms - in English - is a little over my head though.

Also, PH was in his 30's when he got to learn Danish. So comparing him with Mary and our Marie is interesting.

 

[FasterB]

I wonder what language is spoken between HM and her prince?

They speak French QMII has said so herself and she is bashful when she talks about it

 

[Roslyn]

Thanks for the link to that video, gerry. Henrik speaks English quite well. What I thought was interesting is that he does not speak it with the sort of accent I would expect from someone whose first language is French. I wonder when and where he learnt English?

 

[Muhler]

Summary of article in Billed Bladet #25, 2016.
Written by Trine Larsen.

Who after having been on the Faroe Islands with QMII went to France to meet up with PH, who attended a charity concert in the Sainte-Marie Cathedral in Auch.
But as you know QMII denied any truth to a de facto divorce between her and PH, so Trine Larsen who often before has managed to get close to PH asked for his comments.
"Oooh no, I don't care about what is being written. Because it isn't true.
But no matter what I say, there will always be some who write something else. So I don't take notice of that/I don't let that bother me... and as such I won't comment on it either".

Wearing an outfit that will end up in the male fashion thread, PH was there for a charity concert aimed at raising funds for the 500 year old glass mosaics.
He went there with his brother, Jean-Baptiste de Montpezat and his wife Gill.
Jean-Baptiste has been under treatment for cancer but now he's better, he's even got his hair back.

 

[SLV]

Happy for PH that his brother is getting better.
*Off to the fashion thread*

 

[countess felicitas]

I have read for the first time now, that Prince Henrik renounced his title of prince consort in April this year - does anybody know the background? isn't it strange after all the controversy of him being "put behind" his son some years ago, he would freely give up the title??

 

[loonytick]

I have read for the first time now, that Prince Henrik renounced his title of prince consort in April this year - does anybody know the background? isn't it strange after all the controversy of him being "put behind" his son some years ago, he would freely give up the title??

Basically, he's decided to end his career of public service. He no longer accompanies the queen on her official duties and is free to fill his days as any wealthy retiree might. I suspect being frustrated with the title allotted to him made it all the easier to set it aside.

 

[Curryong]

Unfortunately there were, I believe, lingering resentments by Prince Henrik at not being made King Consort, and at being 'third' behind his wife and elder son. That situation is certainly not likely to change in the future as the spotlight will turn more and more onto the Crown Prince couple and young Prince Christian.

I suppose the benefits for Prince Hanrik in resigning his position as Prince Consort are that, health permitting, there will be many more months spent travelling in Europe with friends, enjoying the sun and sights each year. No more 'boring' events and Royal engagements if he doesn't want to be there.

 

[Australian]

I think it seems logical for the husband of any Queen to be made King. Why is it that the wife of a King can be Queen then?

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

I think it seems logical for the husband of any Queen to be made King. Why is it that the wife of a King can be Queen then?

This discussion is so tedious and I feel like people continue to bring it up just to stir up arguments. Because of a history loaded with institutionalised sexism wherein women have been considered less worth than men and sometimes not even been allowed women to ascend to the throne, the title of "King" isn't equal to that of "Queen". Historically Kings have outranked Queens and looking at the historical context, elevating the Queen's husband to the rank of King will create a situation where it will seem as though they're equal or that the consort outranks the monarch.

I do think it's funny, though, that women always have been demoted to a lesser title, a lesser rank, and the men have stayed quiet about it. However, as soon as the roles start changing and more women ascend to the throne, the male inferiority complexes immediately start to show and they can't even bear the thought of being "less worth" than their wives

 

[Australian]

This discussion is so tedious and I feel like people continue to bring it up just to stir up arguments. Because of a history loaded with institutionalised sexism wherein women have been considered less worth than men and sometimes not even been allowed women to ascend to the throne, the title of "King" isn't equal to that of "Queen". Historically Kings have outranked Queens and looking at the historical context, elevating the Queen's husband to the rank of King will create a situation where it will seem as though they're equal or that the consort outranks the monarch.

I do think it's funny, though, that women always have been demoted to a lesser title, a lesser rank, and the men have stayed quiet about it. However, as soon as the roles start changing and more women ascend to the throne, the male inferiority complexes immediately start to show and they can't even bear the thought of being "less worth" than their wives

Sorry, I have only just returned to the forums after a few years and didn't know this was a tedious topic or even discussed. Not trying to stir up any arguments thanks very much.