Queen Margrethe II & Prince Henrik, Current Events Part 4: Jan. 2013 - November 2015


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HM looks to be wearing a black pearl necklace and new earrings. Does anyone have a better photo of these earrings? Also a Uni founded in 1479, does this make it one of the oldest in Europe?
 
One of the oldest universities in the German speaking countries is the university of Vienna founded in 1356. Just to have a comparison. I think Oxford, Cambridge as well as some Italian universities were founded before 1356. :) So it is certainly not one of the oldest universities in Europe. :)
 
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Three large pics of the Queen's Iceland visit have also been added to the official website:


** kongehuset.dk: Besøg i Island **
Thanks for your response to my question about similarities between Icelandic and other Scandinavian languages. Do I understand then that Margarethe Thorhildur (sorry, I don't have the Icelandic keyboard) spoke English during her time in Reyjkavik?:flowers:
 
HM looks to be wearing a black pearl necklace and new earrings. Does anyone have a better photo of these earrings? Also a Uni founded in 1479, does this make it one of the oldest in Europe?

No, not at all. As Kit points out there are a number of European universities dating back to the 1200's. And before then the larger monasteries were de facto universities.
I believe Copenhagen, Roskilde and Lund are the oldest universities in DK and they were founded at the very beginning of the Renaissance, when Copenhagen became the capital and the central administration was placed there. - Before then people got their higher education at first local Latin schools and if they were talented (or whealthy enough) they went to foreign universities.

Queen Margrethe attended the annual celebration of the University of Copenhagen in it's ceremonial hall. The celebration has taken place every year since the university was founded in 1479:

One ~ Two ~ Three ~ Four ~ Five ~ Six

La reine de Danemark à l’université de Copenhague | Noblesse & Royautés

P.S = I think the event was today, but I'm not sure. I like Noblesse & Royautes, but I do think it would be useful if they could provide the dates of royal events.

Ah, I see QMII is wearing one of her UFO hats.

Thanks for your response to my question about similarities between Icelandic and other Scandinavian languages. Do I understand then that Margarethe Thorhildur (sorry, I don't have the Icelandic keyboard) spoke English during her time in Reyjkavik?:flowers:

I think Valberg can answer that question.
But QMII will certainly be able to understand a good deal of Icelandic and many older Icelanders will speak and understand Danish as they were taught Danish at school - and many would have studied at Danish or Norwegian universities.
 
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Thanks Kit and Muhler. Naturally we don't have anything as old as that here, as settlement didn't start till after 1800's. I think it amazing that Europe had Universities so long ago.
 
Summary of article in Billed Bladet #47, 2013.
Hvor er det spændende - My, how exciting.
Written by our reporter in the North Atlantic, Annelise Weimann.

As you know QMII went to Iceland to celebrate the 350th birthday of the Icelandic scholar Arni Magnusson.
He worked at Copenhagen University and compiled a large number of Icelandic sagas, which are apparently considered among the best in world litterature. In fact the oldest manuscripts are from 1100's and they have been placed in UNESCO's list of world heritage.

Valberg :) please correct me when I'm wrong.
The Icelandic sagas were initially written down in 11-1300's and until recently quite a number hadn't been translated for public view - they were simply considered too violent or too dirty!
Anyway, they depict the first settelers of Iceland during the 8-900's. Today we would call these settlers a mixture of outlaws, pioneers, adventures, dissidents, refugees and not least fierce opponents of "big government".
In an age where the power was gradually shifting to kings and nobels, Iceland remained fiercely democratic for a long time.
The current Icelandic Parliament, the Alting, had it's origin from back then. And basically the albeit very sparse population on Iceland remained democratic until Norway, and later Denmark took over and as such Copenhagen was the capital of Iceland for 500 years.

But back to the sagas. Arni Magnusson, testamented his collection to Copenhagen University, I guess, simply because Copenhagen was the capital of Iceland and there was no university in Iceland, so that would have been natural for him.
Well, Iceland gained independence in 1943 and wanted the manuscripts to Iceland, because they were and are considered a national treasure. Denmark said, no way! The manuscrips have been here for centuries, they belong to Copenhagen University and they are also a part of Danish history - besides we like them. - A lot!
But after some years of negotiations the first manuscripts were delivered back to Iceland from 1971, and today the collection is divided between DK and Iceland. (I actually thought Iceland got them all).

These manuscripts are now on display in Reykjavik, the capital, and here QMII studied them with great interest and asked lots of questions, challenging the curators. In fact she almost had to be dragged away as the schedule was starting to slip. :p

QMII travelled lighly, herself, an adjutant, the chief of the court, a minister from the government and a LiW. The threath level on Iceland isn't that big, I believe they had their first murder as an independant nation some eight years ago. PH was in France and the Icelandic first lady, Dorrit Moussaieff, who is described in the article as lively, was in England to visit her father who is ill.
The Presidential residence was build in the 1600's and it was in fact one of the first houses in Iceland to be made from stone (bricks).
- The Danish word for house is "hus", but in medieval times (at least until the 1300's) "hus" meant a large stone building. Either a large and pretty grand residence, a castle or a convent. All other buildings were mostly made of wood. - So if you look at a map of say eastern England and see a village or a town containing the word "hus", you may now have a pretty good idea why it was named so.
Even though it wasn't a statevisit, QMII was honored as if it were. 50 guests were crammed into the Presidential dining room

QMII not only visited a museum but also the National Theatre, where the theme all the way through was about the Icelandic manuscripts. From reading aloud to cartoons to the the final act a number by the rockmand Skalmöld - complete with smoke pouring from the stage. :cool:

QMII lived at Hotel Nordica during her visit.

- And I know understand she flew directly to Greenland.
 
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thank you Muhler. Nice to read a little about Iceland.

The Queen must have enjoyed this trip tremendously
 
This picture of Prince Henrik is most interesting for Danes today of all days: Ekstra Bladet - Prins Henrik på Pusher Street på Christiania

Sunday PH went to Christiania in Copenhagen, to visit some artists shops. With him went a few foreign friends, perhaps relatives and one PET officer.
He was spotted by the locals and left alone except for one person for whom he posed.
Christiania may be know to some of you as a socalled "free-town" within Copenhagen. I won't go into politics here or whether it ought to be bulldozed or not, but let's call it a "hippie-refuge" - which is also a centre for sale of hashis and there are frequent skirmishes with the police.

It's most ironic because today the Minster of Justice was forced to resign. He had lied to members of of the Parliament who were to go on a fact finding mission. When he was exposed he has today tried to explain the lie with "necessary security precautions". The members of Parliament didn't buy it and he has now resigned - otherwise he would have been faced with a vote of no confidence.
That is a most severe blow to the government!

Anyway, Prince Henrik can walk around at Christiania with only one guard (M&F have been there too) while the Minister of Justice claimed that it was much to risky for especially certain memers of the Parliament. (They incidentally went to Christiania later on another fact finding mission and nothing happened).

Billed Bladet has the story too: Prins Henrik på søndagstur til Christiania | Billed Bladet
 
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Thanks, Polyesco :)

Summary of article in Billed Bladet #50, 2013.
Written by Annelise Weimann.

Prince Henrik turns 80 in June next year. (On 11th June to be exact, which is also known here in DK as "The Devil's Birthday" because the mortgage is due on the same date. And the Devil has two birthdays a year as you know).

Anyway, he's going to throw his birthday party at Chateau Cayx, which is perhaps pretty natural as five siblings live nearby. M&F and children are expected to attend, so are Joachim and our Marie with children, as wells as Nikolai and Felix.

However, PH will also be celebrated officially here in DK. There will be a glala concert in his honor held at the DR1 Concert Hall, about a week prior to his birthday. (I'm willing to bet quite a lot that this concert will be shown on TV). But the Prince Henrik Silver Cup sailing competition will take place in Danish waters next year in June after the B-day.

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Summary of article in Billed Bladet #50, 2013.
Written by Annelise Weimann.

As she has done for I don't know how many years, QMII has spend a number of days in Britain here in early December.
The Danish embassy has provided a fitting apartment in a hotel complex, in an appropriate neighborhood of London. Partly for QMII, but also for her LiW, Danish driver and security.
Apart from visiting the BRF and what not, she has been doing some Christmas shopping.
And that is always at Harrods and Fortnum & Mason as well as going to Regent Street. One of the stores there is Liberty where QMII has previously bought exclusive cloths for dresses.

QMII buys if not all, then certainly a large part of the Christmas presents to her staff in London, it is also here she buys the Plum Pudding which the DRF have for Christmas. (Apparantly an English tradition from her childhood, because few Danes eat a dessert like that on Christmas Eve).
The embassy has also ensured that tickets for various theatres have been bought, because that is also something the Queen enjoys while in London.
 
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On January 4, Queen Margrethe has attended a church service to mark the 70th anniversary of the death of Danish playwright and Lutheran pastor Kaj Munk. He had been an symbolic figure of the resistance against the German occupation and had been killed by the Gestapo on January 4, 1944.



** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** bt.dk gallery **
 
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On January 4, Queen Margrethe has attended a church service to mark the 70th anniversary of the death of Danish playwright and Lutheran pastor Kaj Munk. He had been an symbolic figure of the resistance against the German occupation and had been killed by the Gestapo on January 4, 1944.



** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** bt.dk gallery **

Thank you, Iceflower.

Yes, Kaj Munk became a symbol and a very loud voice against the German occupation and Nazism in particular.
Like so many other he was actually initially favourably disposed against Hitler, believing he was just the right man to restore Germany economically as well as morally. (The notion of Germany fragmenting into warring factions, collapsing even more economically and just as bad: becoming Communist, was a European nightmare in the early 1930's).
He soon changed his mind however! And early on during the occupation Kaj Munk became an annoyingly loud voice against the occupation and the governments collaboration policy towards Germany. Until the government resigned in 1943, Kaj Munk was tolerated as an irritant.
But as the Resistence increased it was decided in monumental blunder to bring in some assassins from outside, abduct and kill Kaj Munk and even more clumsy blame it on the Resistance. No one bought that one and he became a martyr and a rallying cry for the Resistance.

Ironically, the man who killed Kaj Munk became an agent for US intelligence after the war. Why is uncertain, especially as some officers who checked him out reached the conclusion that he oght to be shot on sight instead. It actually became somewhat of a political embarrassment between USA and DK, because Denmark would very much get their hands on this particular man and shoot him. While US intelligence had promised to protect him.
IIRC he ended ud serving five years in prison for the murder of Kaj Munk.

- I read about this recently in Jyllands Posten. I wonder if that article is online, it was really worth a read!
 
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A video from BT showing Prince Henrik at the royal hunt at Grib Forest today. (Located near Fredensborg): Få timer efter bisættelsen: Her er Prins Henrik på jagt | www.bt.dk

He bid the hunters welcome then went to the funeral, before returning to the hunt later on.

Well, personally I consider this inappropriate. I believe the most respectful thing to do would have been to let Frederik or Joachim take over as host for the hunt. - He could quietly have joined the guests, many of whom must be friends, later on at the dinner.
 
Prince Henrik seems to be loosing weight. His face is looking different and also slimmer around the waist. Has anything been written in the Danish press about his health or is he simply slimming down by choice?
 
:previous: Well, I haven't seen anything recently.

And apart from his back and being... eh, I mean having a figure that matches his wine. I.e. round and wholesome. I haven't heard anything specific about his health.
 
I too think it was in bad taste to rush from the hunt to the funeral and then rush back to the hunt again. It would have been perfectly fine for Frederik, who was attending anyway, to open the hunt and then Henrik could have joined them after the funeral.

In regards to Henrik's health, Henrik might have been told that he needs to loose weight. He was (and still is) quite... eh, round and that definitely isn't good for him - especially considering that he already has back issues.
 
I too think it was in bad taste to rush from the hunt to the funeral and then rush back to the hunt again. It would have been perfectly fine for Frederik, who was attending anyway, to open the hunt and then Henrik could have joined them after the funeral.
The mentioning of Frederik's attendance disappeared from the calendar entry a couple of days ago.
 
:previous: Surely, since he was scheduled to go in the first place, he could have taken over. And if something had come up then Joachim could have attended. Like Frederik, he didn't have anything planned on the 9th anyway.
 
Can board members (Muhler?) enlighten me about the hunting stick the Prince Consort is holding. I have only seen one like it in the hands of Margaret Mead so wonder if she was a hunter or if Prince Henrik is an anthropologist manque:flowers:
 
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Well, it looks to me to primarily be a hunting-accessory for a gentleman-hunter, which can double as a rifle-support if need be.

This illustration from a hunting book from 1950, show how a walking stick can be used as a handy rifle-support. https://app.box.com/s/vox02y5uxp72s5ckfoz7
Also, notice the appropriate hunting attire as befits a gentlemen. Proper hunters were advised to also carry a walking stick as it might come in handy.
(I used to be a bookbinder by trade, which is why I have all sorts of weird books). ;)
 
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Well, it looks to me to primarily be a hunting-accessory for a gentleman-hunter, which can double as a rifle-support if need be.

This illustration from a hunting book from 1950, show how a walking stick can be used as a handy rifle-support. https://app.box.com/s/vox02y5uxp72s5ckfoz7
Also, notice the appropriate hunting attire as befits a gentlemen. Proper hunters were advised to also carry a walking stick as it might come in handy.
(I used to be a bookbinder by trade, which is why I have all sorts of weird books). ;)

mead_with_thumbstick.jpg
and here is Margaret Mead and her walking stick. The two, anthropologist and prince, are not dissimilar.:flowers:
 
:previous: No, they are basically identical.
I cannot imagine that's a coincidence. Was Margaret Mead a hunter?
I know quite a few keen nature-walkers who carry a stick, I've never bothered to have a closer view at their sticks.
 
Some trivia about Prince Henrik from Billed Bladet #3, 2014.
Written by Annelise Weimann.

As you know PH attended the funeral of Countess Anne Dorte at the same time as he hosted a royal hunt.
Fourteen had been invited to the hunt and they were transported to the site in horse-drawn carriages.
Here they were welcomed by PH, wearing his funeral attire beneath a green hunting cape.
It was pouring down which wasn't ideal weather for a hunt.

Having attended the funeral PH returned to the hunting ground just in time for the soup, served on site and here he told our reporter about his birthday which will be celebrated in France: "I look forward to celebrating my 80th birthday in France, surrounded by my family. That'll be lovely and just as I want it. But whether I look forward to turning 80? No, that I do not".

M&f as well as J&M will be thare at Chateau Cayx.

Due to the weather, the hunt had a modest outcome, only eleven pieces of game were shot.

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Written by Karina Didriksen.

Each year in January the very wealthy and influential businessman, Fritz Schur throw a party at his little manor near Copenhagen. The dress code was gala, and PH showed up in full dress uniform of the air force. QMII wasn't able to attend as she had other duties.
Fritz Schur is a man who by his position has a good deal of enemies and some have spoken out against his close affilliation for the Regent Couple in particular, implying that he is buying status, rather than being a genuine friend.
I can't be the judge of that. What is known however is that he handles the personal investsments of the Regent Couple. Something the late Mærsk McKinney Møller did beforehand.
He has certainly become a close friend of the Regent Couple, PH perhaps in particular, in recent years.

Whether he also oversee the investments of M&F I don't know. I believe however that it's safe to say that Fritz Schur has nothing to do with advising Joachim and our Marie's investments. A number of their friends are so influential and wealthy that I think it's much more likely that Joachim will ask them for council. We are here talking about the LEGO and Grundfoss families.
 
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Can board members (Muhler?) enlighten me about the hunting stick the Prince Consort is holding. I have only seen one like it in the hands of Margaret Mead so wonder if she was a hunter or if Prince Henrik is an anthropologist manque:flowers:

These types of stick are widely available and used by country walkers and ramblers especially if one is trecking over rough ground. I got mine from the local woodsman who makes them in different sizes depending on your height. He told me they should be about shoulder height and you hold them at the top with ur thumb in the y shaped bit for comfort. These sticks are great for testing the depth of mud and water!!
 
:previous: Thanks. There are always someone in the know, no matter how strange the subject. :cheers:
 
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