Queen Margrethe's 75th Birthday Celebrations: April 2015


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tommy100 said:
King & Queen of Sweden 15th & 16th
Crown Princess Victoria & Prince Daniel 16th
King of Norway 15th & 16th (no mention of RF website of him attending 16th, Queen Sonja in America)
Crown Prince & Crown Princess of Norway 16th
Grand Duke & Grand Duchess of Luxembourg 15th (Grand Duke’s 60th birthday on 16th so unlikely to attend 16th)
King & Queen of The Belgians 15th (no mention of RF website of them attending 16th)
King & Queen of The Netherlands 15th & 16th (all guess work based on WA saying they would be attending during State Visit earlier this year)
King & Queen of Spain 15th & 16th (guessing about 16th as RF website very unclear to me if they are attending on 16th)

No news from UK, Monaco or Liechtenstein
Click to expand...


The King and Queens of Spain and the King and Queen of the Belgians theres both times only the Dinner mentioned as attending on their Website so i guess they will only attend this and not more.
As for the King and Queen of the netherlands i hope they will attend both days but if the follow the example of Queen Beatrix they will probably only attend one day.
 
Roskilde said:
A precious picture of Isabella receiving her flower bonquet of the little flower girl some few years younger than her. Two little girls in their finest dresses :wub:
http://www.hola.com/imagenes/realez...a-ninios-concierto/0-315-543/dinamarca6-z.jpg

And the little flower girl certainly got the CP family's attention
https://billedeupload.dk/images/bSiEJ.jpg

*

Exciting that many royals will attend the dinners next week.
Click to expand...

The second picture is the best. All 4 with their attention to the little girl :flowers:
 
Roskilde said:
A precious picture of Isabella receiving her flower bonquet of the little flower girl some few years younger than her. Two little girls in their finest dresses :wub:


And the little flower girl certainly got the CP family's attention
https://billedeupload.dk/images/bSiEJ.jpg
Click to expand...

That's because the girl wouldn't move. :lol:

She just stood there, looking at Bella. Presumably the girl at age four and in the beginning of the "princess-age" has never seen a genuine Princess-girl up close, so she was taking it in - for future inspiration perhaps...:p:princess:
Eventually someone quietly moved the girl away.
 
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Muhler said:
That's because the girl wouldn't move. :lol:

She just stood there, looking at Bella. Presumably the girl at age four and in the beginning of the "princess-age" has never seen a genuine Princess-girl up close, so she was taking it in - for future inspiration perhaps...:p:princess:
Eventually someone quietly moved the girl away.
Click to expand...

or she was checking out the handsome young prince ;);)
 
Thanks to all for the links , photos and extra details, it is great that the people in different parts of the country get to celebrate with QM. Always happy to see Christian and Isabella attending, they are such lovely children, Love Christian's bow tie and Isabella is so sweet and pretty.
 
HM is holding a press conference tomorrow in connection of her birthday

HM The Queen holds press conference on the occasion of his 75th birthday at Fredensborg Palace, at. 14:30.
Click to expand...
 
Thanks to my mother-in-law I managed to get my hands on the interview with QMII in Alt For Damerne.

It's a very frank and interesting interview and I look forward to translating at least parts of the pretty long interview. These will be uploaded as links and in segments.
Also, there are a number of private photos in connection with the interview. The early ones are new to me.
But it will take a few days to finish, so patience.

However, QMII has also given an interview to the conservative newspaper Berlingske Tidende and here she said something that is semi-political.
It's no secret that the immigration and assimilation issue is a topic that takes up a lot of space politically not only in Denmark but also rest of Europe.
She is quoted for saying: "Obviously when a society receive a lot of people from outside, you must demand that they understand to where they have come/arrived. We would like to allow space, but they have come to our society and thus they cannot expect their old model of society/their old ways can be continued here in this country, just like that. They must be allowed to go to a mosque whan they want to... naturally/surely really! - But when they start to do things that are not in consistency with the greater pattern in the Danish society, they must realise that that won't do".
(That part of the interview was also where she commented that the recent terror attack didn't come as a surprise to her).

To put it mildly, the general population seem to wholeheartedly agree with her, according to online polls in BT today.
At present 96 % agree with her.
94 % believe she is right in voicing her opinion on the issue.
94 % do not believe QMII went to far. (I.e. was too controversial or too political).
Royal begejstring på Christiansborg: Dronningen rammer plet - igen - Politik | www.bt.dk - The politicians as well are appluading her.

The DRF expert Lars Hovbakke Søren has as usual been asked to comment: Lektor: Dronningen går til grænsen med indvandrer-kommentar - Indland
And he says that QMII go to the line, but doesn't overstep it and this is something she can allow herself to say in view of her very high standing and because she has been a Queen for so long. It would have been more controversial had she said it when she was still young in the job and inexperienced.

- Personally I couldn't agree more with what she said. It's common sense IMO.

ADDED:
http://www.bt.dk/royale/stor-hyldes-for-sin-indvandrer-opsang-dronningen-er-et-facebook-hit

QMII is praised to high heaven on Facebook for her statement, with 17.000 likes so far, which is most unusual: http://www.bt.dk/royale/stor-hyldes-for-sin-indvandrer-opsang-dronningen-er-et-facebook-hit

BT has managed to find someone who disagree with her and believe she has gone too far: http://www.bt.dk/politik/forsker-efter-indvandrer-opsang-forkert-af-margrethe-at-blande-sig
 
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I bet Christian will look back on this and remember this moment when he an old man and his children and grandchildren honor him if he should be as lucky to be in His grandmothers position one day.
 
In the interview in Berlingske QMII also talks about her first meeting with Mary and this is a summary from BB: Sådan var det første møde mellem dronning Margrethe og Mary | Billed Bladet

The Queen cannot hide her joy that the Crown Prince choseMary. And she says in the interview that she is convinced that her mother Queen Ingrid would have been just as thrilled. The two never met though. Frederik had only just met Mary when Queen Ingrid died.
Queen Margrethe tells that she sense that Frederik already back then was pretty certain that this is where the opportunity should be seized (best possible translation I can come up with), as the Queen puts it. After the very first meeting between the Queen of Denmark and the young Australian Mary Donaldson, the Queen was in no doubt: She hoped it would last.
- "As you say the basis of the layered cake was in order. That expression my mother often used and it was obvious that the basis of the layered cake was very much in order".
The QMII is asked whether it's a proud mother-in-law who speaks, to which she responds that THAT it is and she is not at all sorry to say that she is proud.
"Might be I'm a terrible mother-in-law, but she's proud"!


QMII goes on to praise M&F for the good team they are and praise Mary for her work with the Mary Foundation: "She does thing, that I have never been able to do likewise".

- QMII also praise M&F in the Alt For Damerne interview, but more on that later.

And yes mods, I keep the general Berlingske interview separate from the remarkable immigration topic and also sparate from the Alt For Damerne interview, otherwise it'll be too difficult for me to keep things apart and things are happening and being added continually.

ADDED: The first part of the interview in Berlingske: http://www.b.dk/personlig-udvikling/eksklusivt-interview-med-dronningen-vi-skal-ikke-lade-os-kyse
In Danish though. If someone else would like to write a summary of translation please do so, I'll be busy handling the Alt For Damerne interview.
The interview is very interesting! She praises the Poles and express her admiration for them and she also talks about how M&F and also J&M take over more and more and that that is very much on purpose.
 
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Muhler said:
In the interview in Berlingske QMII also talks about her first meeting with Mary and this is a summary from BB: Sådan var det første møde mellem dronning Margrethe og Mary | Billed Bladet

The Queen cannot hide her joy that the Crown Prince choseMary. And she says in the interview that she is convinced that her mother Queen Ingrid would have been just as thrilled. The two never met though. Frederik had only just met Mary when Queen Ingrid died.
Queen Margrethe tells that she sense that Frederik already back then was pretty certain that this is where the opportunity should be seized (best possible translation I can come up with), as the Queen puts it. After the very first meeting between the Queen of Denmark and the young Australian Mary Donaldson, the Queen was in no doubt: She hoped it would last.
- "As you say the basis of the layered cake was in order. That expression my mother often used and it was obvious that the basis of the layered cake was very much in order".
The QMII is asked whether it's a proud mother-in-law who speaks, to which she responds that THAT it is and she is not at all sorry to say that she is proud.
"Might be I'm a terrible mother-in-law, but she's proud"!


QMII goes on to praise M&F for the good team they are and praise Mary for her work with the Mary Foundation: "She does thing, that I have never been able to do likewise".

- QMII also praise M&F in the Alt For Damerne interview, but more on that later.

And yes mods, I keep the general Berlingske interview separate from the remarkable immigration topic and also sparate from the Alt For Damerne interview, otherwise it'll be too difficult for me to keep things apart and things are happening and being added continually.

ADDED: The first part of the interview in Berlingske: Eksklusivt interview med Dronningen: »Vi skal ikke lade os kyse« - Personlig udvikling | www.b.dk
In Danish though. If someone else would like to write a summary of translation please do so, I'll be busy handling the Alt For Damerne interview.
The interview is very interesting! She praises the Poles and express her admiration for them and she also talks about how M&F and also J&M take over more and more and that that is very much on purpose.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the link: I have copied the text to google translate for English speakers, the result is (just) readable:
Keep a cool head and warm heart....
However, the interview is too long to post, so please copy the text and translate yourself if you are interested: you will find the effort worthwhile:flowers:
 
The Queen of course can not do anything else than sining the praise of Mary... That is obvious. Always remember that they want to paint a public façade. Yes, also in Denmark. The best example was the very last official photoshoot of Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra, all Hallelujah and Love Is In The Air, looking to each other with amour et tendresse and all that... That lovestory was made public (Aaaaahhhh!!! How sweet!!!) and suddenly the couple announced their separation...

The words of Queen Margrethe about Mary were wonderful. But could she say anything else at all? "Well, I was disappointed indeed."??? No, of course not. Of course she will say that at first sight that real estate agent from Hobart, Australia was the dreamed future Queen of Denmark. That is part of the story she wants to tell. How close this is to the truth, only the persons involved will know...

:flowers:
 
Muhler said:
A BB video: VIDEO: Prinsesse Isabella og prins Christian overraskede til farmors festaften | Billed Bladet

At around 0:30 someone among the photographers must have complimented Isabella, because she nods and say thank you.
Click to expand...

Just watched it again. No doubt who's the superstars in the DRF. Hear the cheering from people when the Crown Prince family arrive and step out of the car :D

**

Courageous statement of Margrethe today, but that certainly is shared by large parts of the Danish people, including me. She is good to have said it in a unique way.
 
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Not quite sure how interesting these interview really are, I can hear crickets...

But here is part of what QMII had to say about M&F in the Berlingske interview, that is even more interesting than the Alt For Damerne interview!

- The Queen does leave more tasks to the Crown Princely Couple - and that is deliberate - but she also makes it clear that there is a limit.
"They must have tasks so that they feel they get their lives filled with things worthwhile doing. But there are still things that must be done by me and my husband, and there are things the CP-couple and Prince Joachim and Princess Marie can deal with. These are not the same things".

Q: How much is the Crown Prince listening to you? Do you offer good advise?
QMII: "You should be careful with good advise, but we discuss a lot of things together. That comes easy for us and I think he is a tremendously sensible person. I think he does things very well. He has his grip of things that is different from mine".

If QMII is to talk about similarities, she'd rather emphasize the similarity of the Crown Prince to her own father, King Frederik IV.
"It's not just because the Crown Prince has strong tied to the navy, as did my father, but it matters. The Crown Prince served his time as conscript (national service) in the Lifeguard, but it was as if the Navy uniform fitted him even better and he suddenly found more of himself. The time in the Frogman Corps developed him incredibly. He proved to himself and others, that he could when he really wanted to and when it really mattered. Then he could put in all his strength also the mental, because the physical is not enough. It has to be in order up there as well".

Also in another area has the Crown Prince distinguished himself. The son ha managed to find a life's companion, whom the Queen simply can't hide her joy over.
"I think my mother would have been very fond of Mary. They never met. Frederik had only just met Mary when my mother died. But I think that he already at that point was pretty certain that here was where it mattered/where he had to step up. I must say that the very first time he let me meet her, I hoped it would last.
As you say the basis of the layered cake was in order. That was an expression used by my mother and it was clear that the basis of the layered cake was very much in order". (Must be a Swedish expression because I've never heard it before).

Q: How will Your Majesty characterize the work by the CP-couple?
"It'san exemplary pairing at work. They are fantastic together and they are excellent parents. they do things well. They grab the ball, both of them, when it get to them. The way Mary has worked with her foundation and the effort she is doing for your women who are victim of abuse and her work against bullying in the schools is just the right thing for her to take on. She can do things that I have never been able to do likewise".

Q: One senses that it's a proud Queen and a proud mother-in-law who speaks?
"Why, it is! I'm not at all sorry to say that. It might be that I'm a terrible mother-in-law, but she's proud".
 
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Duc_et_Pair said:
The Queen of course can not do anything else than sining the praise of Mary... That is obvious. Always remember that they want to paint a public façade. Yes, also in Denmark. The best example was the very last official photoshoot of Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra, all Hallelujah and Love Is In The Air, looking to each other with amour et tendresse and all that... That lovestory was made public (Aaaaahhhh!!! How sweet!!!) and suddenly the couple announced their separation...

The words of Queen Margrethe about Mary were wonderful. But could she say anything else at all? "Well, I was disappointed indeed."??? No, of course not. Of course she will say that at first sight that real estate agent from Hobart, Australia was the dreamed future Queen of Denmark. That is part of the story she wants to tell. How close this is to the truth, only the persons involved will know...

:flowers:
Click to expand...

Of course.

But QMII is not a woman to throw big words around if she doesn't mean it. Her mastery of Danish is way too superior for that.
So I'd say she's pretty pleased with Mary.
 
Duc_et_Pair said:
No, of course not. Of course she will say that at first sight that real estate agent from Hobart, Australia was the dreamed future Queen of Denmark. That is part of the story she wants to tell. How close this is to the truth, only the persons involved will know...
Click to expand...
There's nothing wrong with being a real estate agent, but Mary was never one.
 
Duc_et_Pair said:
Heu... before she moved to Denmark she was working as one of the sales directors of Belle Property and that is a real estate firm, see their website.
:flowers:
Click to expand...
I do know where Mary worked and what Belle Property is, but I didn't know that "Sales Director and a member of the Management Team" is the Australian equivalent for "real estate agent". ;)

From everything I have seen, and all the interviews I have read, I think it's quite clear, that Queen Margrethe is very fond of CP Mary. If she was less than thrilled, she would use different words when answering questions.
 
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From what I understood in the pre-wedding interviews, Belle Property was a small/medium-sized firm back then. In the meantime it has developed into one of Australia's bigger real estate agencies. I am a "member of the manegement team" as well but sometimes have to repair the coffee machine myself... so that does not make clear what that is. But okay, she was something in a real estate agency.
 
:previous: Excuse me, but what does it have to do with Margrethe being proud of her daughter in law? :lol:

It's radiates from Margrethe how thrilled she is Frederik found Mary (we Danes too) and she certainly has absolutely no reason to be anything else!! :p Boy, our Crown Princess has done it well, and from day one.

Here is my (fast) translation of the familiar part of the interview. It IS a long interview so maybe Muhler or other Danish members translates too :flowers:

In Berlingske's large birthday interview with Queen Margrethe she talks about her first impressions of her then future daughter in law and how proud she is of the Crown Prince Couple's effort in a time where they take over more and more:

How will your Majesty characterize The Crown Prince Couple's effort?

"It's an exemplary partnership. They have it fantastic together, and they are excellent parents. They do the things really well. They both take up the ball when it comes to them. The way in which Mary has been working with her foundation and the work she does for young women who are victims of violence, and her efforts against bullying in schools is just right for her to go into. She can do things that I had never been able to do before."

One senses that it's a proud Queen and a proud mother in law, who speaks?

"Well, it IS that! I'm not at all sorry to say that. It may be that I'm a terrible mother in law, but she is proud!"

It is a proud Queen, mother and mother in law who takes stock of the Crown Prince Couple's effort in a time where they as the next genration has taken over much:

How much is the Crown Prince listening to you? Do you offer good advise?

"One must be careful with good advice, but we're talking about many things together. That comes easy for us and I think he is a tremendously sensible person. I think he does the things very well. He has his grip of things that is different from mine".

"And now he is both married and settled and very confident in her own self. He is a grown up man with wife and four children, and they have really found their place and both does it tremendous well."

Should the Queen talk about similarities, she will rather highlights the Crown Prince's resemblance to her own father, the folksy King Frederik the 9th.

"It's not only because the Crown Prince has strong ties to the navy, as my father had, but it has something to say. The Crown Prince served his military service in the Royal Guard, but it was as if the Navy uniform suited him better, and he suddenly found something more of himself. The time in Frogman Corps developed him in an incredible way. He proved to himself and everyone else that he could if he really wanted and when it really mattered."

Also on another field, the Crown Prince has excelled. He has managed to find a life partner with whom the Queen can't hide her delight.

"I must say that the very first time, Frederik let me meet Mary, I hoped that it would last. A you say the basis of the layered cake was in order. That expression my mother often used and it was obvious that the basis of the layered cake was very much in order. I think my mother would have been very happy for Mary. They never met. Frederik had only just met Mary when my mother died. But I think he already at that time was pretty sure it was here the opportunity should be seized."

The Queen laugh when she is asked to comment on her well grown family.

"Yes, we have two sons and suddenly we stand here with eight grandchildren!"

The Queen likes to keep up with how the flock evolves.

"Maybe I don't give myself enough time to be with my grandchildren. I'm aware of that. But it's lovely when we are together. At Christmas we had collected not just our own grandchildren, but both our sisters and their children and grandchildren. It was a terrific Christmas! The whole house full of all ages - from three and a half year to 80 years. That's something!"

When the Queen didn't see much of her grandchildren as she would like to, it's because she remains fully focused on her role. Being Queen of Denmark. A task she takes - even after more than four decades - not easy and she intends to continue as long as health is good.

The Queen does indeed leave more and more tasks to the Crown Prince Couple - and it happens completely conscious.

ADDED:
There is also a part where Margrethe talks about her husband... I will translate it when I have made dinner :D

The interview online (in Danish though):

Eksklusivt interview med Dronningen: »Vi skal ikke lade os kyse« - Personlig udvikling | www.b.dk
 
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It's of great benefit that Queen Margrethe have a wonderful and loving relationship with her daughter-in-law. The more love and support Crown Princess Mary get from her husband and in-laws, the better she can be comfortable io carrying out her royal role of Crown Princess of Denmark and future Queen Consort.
 
Muhler said:
Of course.

But QMII is not a woman to throw big words around if she doesn't mean it. Her mastery of Danish is way too superior for that.
So I'd say she's pretty pleased with Mary.
Click to expand...

I couldn't have said it better myself.

I'm fairly certain that she would've shrugged the question off with some quick remark about how pleased they are with Mary and then have taken the interview in another direction and refrained to go on about her if she hadn't meant what she was saying. I also think it's evident that she is proud of Mary (of both of her daughters-in-law) when you see her speak of her. Her eyes are almost shining with happiness when she speaks of her daughters-in-law and it's such a pleasure to see.
 
Dman said:
It's of great benefit that Queen Margrethe have a wonderful and loving relationship with her daughter-in-law. The more love and support Crown Princess Mary get from her husband and in-laws, the better she can be comfortable io carrying out her royal role of Crown Princess of Denmark and future Queen Consort.
Click to expand...

Indeed and I think (in addition to all Mary's own efforts and hard work) a fair part of how well she has done it and how happy and confident she is also is because she has ended up in loving supportive royal family.

*

The part with PC Henrik:

Queen Margrethe has lifelong received great support from the Prince Consort. Together they stand at the head of a large family with children, in-law and grandchildren. And jointly releasing the remains a passion for art.

"He has been my good support through all these years we've been married. It will soon be 50. In two years, we have golden wedding, if we live that long. It is a very important part of my life that we're married and have our two wonderful sons together and a number of grandchildren and some lovely daughters in law. It really means something."

That the Prince Consort had to struggle to settle in Denmark the Queen both could see and feel, but she was not prepared for that her husband would face so huge challenges in Denmark.

"I hadn't done me any ideas about it from the start. I was incredibly naive. I thought that such things probably just went well, but they did not."

Today, she has learned that the stumble threads can be close when you have to settle in in a new country, even when it comes to the Nordic countries which look alike, on the surface.

"The root is not the same and although it's equally appealing in my eyes and ears in all the Nordic countries we are different. I can see that when we talk with my cousins and relatives in general. We have different ways of doing things. There are things you can do here on Denmark that you could not dream of doing in Sweden or Norway. There are things that they do which we would not think of doing similar to, and which also wouldn't fit here."

Often the difference lies in the detail.

"It's not that big, but there are plenty of small differences. When my mother Queen Ingrid came to Denmark was she criticized for acting a little distant and formal, until it dawned on her that in Denmark you could, in so far, act more relaxed than in Sweden - or at least she felt she could in Sweden. She once said that Denmark had taught her to smile! She had had a difficult childhood, because she lost her mother when she was only ten years and she was a serious young lady, when she came to Denmark. Here the joy, the smiling and the extrovert came to life as she happily possessed. Today no one can remember how it was before she found out."

There are indications that it may also be the story of the Prince Consort.

In recent years, the Danes have gained more respect for the support he has given the Queen and they seem to have get an eye for his qualities.
 
It would be lovely to get a new picture of the Queen surrounded by her grandchildren.
 
:previous: I couldn't agree more. I loved the pictures taken for QMII and Henrik's 40th wedding anniversary with Nikolai, Felix, Christian and Isabella. It'd be lovely if they arranged something similar for this birthday. And also one of QMII, Frederik and Christian, that would be great as well.
 
They do have that especially creepy family painting from a couple of years ago that makes some of the kids look possessed :)
 
A huge thank you to Muhler and Roskilde for providing the translations for the articles! :flowers:
Margrethe is an interesting woman. I always enjoy reading an interview with her because she's forthright and doesn't shy away from speaking her mind. She gives real, well articulated responses, not boring sound bites.

While I don't think Margrethe would ever say anything negative about her daughters in law - because it would be bad for her family and the monarchy - I do feel that the way she's spoken about Mary, in particular, over the years indicates genuine fondness and admiration. She's under no obligation to go into as much detail as she does about Mary's good qualities. To be sure, if Margrethe was asked to come up with a hypothetical dream candidate for Frederik's wife she may not have described a random commoner from Tasmania, but hypothetical perfection is not the same as what works in real life. There are plenty of examples of royal marriages that were perfect on paper and miserable in reality.
 
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