Crown Princess Mary News: April 2004 - June 2004

[montecarlo]

Mary: "There are many norms of behaviour. Just the way I have to walk with him (Frederik). People judge you from a picture, from some wrong information, and this is hard because you can't defend yourself. I cannot go out and say I'll give an interview and comment about what is written about me."

I'm guessing that Mary or someone close to her, has visited Les Tribunes Royales or Royal Blue Forum.

[barbara_41172]

Well she's made a big turnaround. The more people will hear about Mary's thoughts and feelings the more they will feel closer to her. As she said she's been in some kind of no man's land, waiting to prove what she's all about. As a princess she can go out there and disarm her critics and prove them wrong.

TC
Barbara

[Alisa]

Lovely photos of a very lovely lady. Thanks :flower:

[kate14]

I agree lovely photos :flower:

Can't wait for the wedding :flower:

[samitude]

Those are beautiful photos of Mary. I do with that they were a little better resolution, but I guess it's better to see these then none at all!

[trinny]

Lovely photos, thank you.

I especially liked the close up of her eyes and the horse's eye!
She has beautiful eyes. :)

[karolinabraganza]

please find below a new article on mary's interview. although some parts repeat earlier postings, some things are new, e.g. the controversy about mary's meeting with the queen in april 2002

Donaldson tells of fairytale
By Vanda Carson in Copenhagen
May 10, 2004

FORMER Sydney real estate agent Mary Donaldson says she believes it was her destiny to marry Crown Prince Frederik, the heir to the Danish throne.


Destiny ... Mary Donaldson and Crown Prince Frederik
In an unprecedented interview published in a Danish newspaper yesterday, the Australian princess-to-be described meeting her fiance at a Sydney pub almost four years ago as "fate".

The wide-ranging interview stretches over five broadsheet pages and is unusual because Ms Donaldson has been gagged by the palace, speaking only a handful of sentences in public since she moved to Denmark in 2001.

Less than a week before she was to wed in a Copenhagen cathedral on Friday, Ms Donaldson said she and the prince wanted to raise their children themselves – with minimal use of nannies.

Published in Danish newspaper Politiken, the story says Ms Donaldson wants to do charity work, particularly in the area of mental health.

She also believes that the monarchy needs to modernise and become more business-savvy to ensure its survival.

"Perhaps my way of handling this is a little businesslike, because I have worked with marketing," she said, referring to her role in sales and marketing for Sydney prestige real estate agency Belle Property.

The interview was published the morning after Governor-General Michael Jeffery and his wife Marlena hosted an official dinner for the young couple.

Controversially, Ms Donaldson admits that she met the Queen and royal consort Crown Prince Henrik more than two years ago, despite repeated denials from the royal palace. Ms Donaldson says she met her future mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe, in April 2002.

This was almost 18 months before the engagement was officially announced in September last year.

The news contradicts the Queen's assertions that she had not met the 32-year-old Ms Donaldson, when she was interviewed four months after the meeting.

The ruse was necessary because confirmation of a meeting with the Queen would imply acceptance by the royal family and marriage would be the only logical step.

The Governor-General's dinner, which was also attended by the Queen and royal consort, was held at a historic hotel north of Copenhagen.

Fifty-two guests, including Ms Donaldson's close family members, Danish diplomats, politicians and senior royal staff, dined on a five-course meal surrounded by a massive security presence.

It was a serious affair compared with the party mood on Friday night when the royal couple let their hair down, dancing to Australian band Powderfinger at a charity rock concert.

The Australian

[montecarlo]

May 10, 2004 - The Copenhagen Post

Mary Bares Soul....

....In the documentary, which was viewed earlier today by correspondents for daily newspaper Jyllands-Posten, Donaldson speaks of the unexpected death of her mother in November 1997 as the start of an important emotional maturation process. "My mother's death was a shock for me, and it changed my perspective on life in many ways. At the beginning, it's impossible to find any meaning or fairness in what has happened. You experience all kinds of emotions, from anger to guilt. It was a turbulent time," Mary said.

Donaldson recalls her mother as a bastion of security and loving. Her paternal grandmother, who lived in Tasmania at the time of her death in 2002, was another person close to Mary's heart. The future Crown Princess speaks with admiration in the DR documentary of her grandmother's independence, vigor, and insatiable curiosity. After the loss of her mother, Mary realised that she could not deny her dreams and listlessly pursue a career in advertising, as she had done in Melbourne. Six months after her mother's death, she quit her job and travelled around the world.

It was during this sabbatical that she and her boyfriend of seven years began gradually to drift apart, Donaldson told journalist/author Anne Wolden-Ræthinge (Ninka)....Her travels in 1998 brought 26-year-old Mary to Edinburgh, Scotland, the birthplace of both of her parents. She visited relatives and took a job, but still smarting from the death of her mother Etta, Mary soon realised that it was too soon for her to be so far away from her family in Tasmania....

....Both the DR documentary and the Politiken interview left little doubt that for Mary, the decision to sacrifice her former life in Australia was made out of love for Frederik. "We both know that a relationship takes constant work. You have to talk very openly together, and have respect for each other. Give each other space. We don't cling to each other, but we have our own goals that we want to achieve. In that way, I think we complete each other really well...And we are also aware that it is important to the monarchy that this marriage does not end in divorce. I'd like to take the pleasure of saying today that it will never happen to us. I feel it in my heart. We have promised each other to work for that. And that's all we, as people, can do," said Donaldson.

[montecarlo]

May 11, 2004 - The Mercury Australia
Written By: Ben English

Mary Cries For Her Mum

Mary last night broke down and cried on Danish national television over the death of her mother....Mary broke down as she described her mother's dedication and love for her children. "I'm sure everyone would say the same of their mother but I don't think I could have had a better mum," she said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "I don't know why this is so hard to talk about...."

But the gravity of her loss would not sink in for some time. "Around 5am the phone rang. It was my father. He just said: `She's not here any more.' "I remember my feelings so vividly and clearly. I went into total shock. I dropped the phone and just kicked very, very hard, as if I wanted to hurt myself." It remains the most harrowing time of the young Tasmanian's life....Mary says her mother continues to give her strength - not merely through the values she instilled in her youngest daughter. "My parents have given me good and strong values in life: honesty, integrity and curiosity. But more than that, we felt a great love between them. Sometimes I feel she is very close," she says. "There are situations where she is right next to me."

[montecarlo]

May 11, 2004 - The Mercury Australia
Written By: Anne Wolden- Raethinge

My Wonderful Tassie Childhood

"My grandparents lived in Launceston in the north of Tasmania. In a kind of suburb they had a small, modest house and for us children it was nice to visit with them. We slept in the same room, my two sisters, my brother and me. At home we each had our separate rooms, apart from my sister and me, so it was great fun to sleep together, all of us at the same time. I vividly remember the day my grandfather died. I remember the grief in my father's voice and I remember crying. But I am not sure that at that age you feel grief in the same way you do when you grow older. Everybody cried. But did I cry because everybody around me cried, or was I really able to understand that I wouldn't see my grandfather again?"

"I was only six but I could see that my grandmother was so alone. She was a believer. She believed in God and was a spiritual person. And very positive. God was always with her, and she told us that. There was grief but there was also an acceptance and a kind of knowing that grandfather was still among us. My relationship with my grandmother was really special, maybe because I was named after her. But she treated all of us children individually. We each had our own special place with her, and at the same time we were regarded with the same affection. She had a big heart, and we felt that we each had our own part of it. She was there when my mother died and she was able to comfort me a lot then, exactly because of her way of thinking, her belief and trust, which I think is a rare quality in the world today."

"My grandmother died only three years ago. She was a proud human being and could see something good in everybody. She was such a mild person and very warm-hearted. She thought of everybody in the family and did everything to hold it together. I miss her. I really miss her very much. (Mary is visibly touched). I'm sorry - I have never really talked about her since, because I was away when she died. Sorry! It is difficult when you talk about someone who has meant so much in your life, and who is no longer there - I miss her voice and her caring. She used to send me letters and she was the last person I myself wrote letters to. She really means a lot to me, because she was one person I looked up to. My grandmother taught me that what you give is what you get. I learned to be proud of who you are."

"Right up till the day she died she was completely independent, managed on her own, nothing was a problem. She was in a lot of pain throughout the last part of her life but you never heard about it. She enjoyed every second of her life, right up until the end. And when the time came, she was ready to die. Ready to depart. What I admire most about her, is her cheerfulness. Even if she was sad about something, she could always find the positive side of it. I strongly believe in ... she would use the word God but I would use that word in a much more unorthodox way than her. She would say 'God is with you.' That is not something I would say but I would have a feeling that there is 'something' that is with me, a kind of higher power. But she and the great sorrows in my life has opened me much more to this 'higher meaning,' this positive faith...."

[Dennism]

It´s so sad about her mom. I hope the Danish people will appreciate Mary even more for the loss that has happened in her life. She is stronger because of this loss and she will be a great queen one day!

[montecarlo]

May 11, 2004 - The Mercury Australia

Parents Imparted Good and Strong Values

"I have always known about happiness. My father told me, over and over: 'You should do that which makes you happy. That is the most important thing.' And he probably considers himself a lucky man. It seems as if he has an inbuilt strength, as if he could conquer the world. He has thought luck into the things he has done. He has also had the ability to give possibilities a chance. There are some who think but that is debatable that it was the Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard who said: 'To dare is to lose foothold for a moment. Not to dare is to lose yourself.' And I think that is precisely what life is about. It is a wonderful way to live life. So I agree with my father, because if you dare, your odds are normally good. But some will bet on lesser odds than others. And that makes a difference with people. My parents have given me my curiosity, but with that, also a confidence to use it. It is a very fine gift. Also a trust in one's own abilities. Of course there were certain things I did, beyond all discussion, but they showed me confidence, and that's why I dared take responsibility. And my mother? I have my mother's tender heart." (She laughs).

"She has given me the ability to see every human being as an important human being. She has given me the love of animals. They are so helpless, and we were both touched by their dependency on people's care and respect. These are some of the things my mother gave me. That we all count the same. I hope that when I have children, I will be like my mother. I think that the mother in certain periods of one's life is the most important person. One's greatest love. But not all through life. Like everything else, this also changes. But in every child's heart the mother quite naturally has a prominent place. Furthermore, I think I have my independence through the fact that I was the youngest of four. When I got older my mother told me that since my earliest childhood I hadn't needed her at all! Of course I needed her, but I was very much like: 'I can do that myself!'....My relationship with my father's new wife is different from that with my mother. She is of course not a mother to me, but she is a friend. And she is an important person in my life, because she is an important part of the family."

[montecarlo]

May 11, 2004 - The Mercury Australia

Butterflies Before Big Appearance

"It really became serious when we stepped out on the balcony at Amalienborg. Butterflies before big appearance. When we stood in front of the doors I tried to relax and take a few deep breaths. I had a feeling I couldn't go out there. I didn't feel that I wouldn't go out but it was just so overwhelming ... the combination of the sound from the crowd and then the need to calm myself down and say 'Let's do it!' "

"This was the first time I stood next to Frederik...in the official way, and to see how much people love their royal family. It was unbelievable. They cheered the Queen, Prince Henrik and Frederik - and then also me, because he has chosen me and we have chosen each other. It was wonderful to see our flag in the crowd and people were so happy. It was overwhelming just to look out at the thousands of people - I didn't know beforehand how I would feel. All these people around Frederik and me - it was a very moving moment. I don't think I could quite fathom it, so part of me just observed it. Frederik was also quite moved and both the Queen and Prince Henrik looked very happy - and my father was quite calm."

"It was an unbelievable experience. Then they wanted to see us again and again! A very happy day but the whole 24 hours were so busy, it was really from one thing to the other. It was a great day, because it was the first time I had to present myself to the Danish people. They had seen pictures of me but nobody had heard me say anything. Nobody knew what really was going on in my head and, of course, you are worried if people will be nice to you - and if I will be able to express what I really want to say. There is this thing with the language! At the same time it was a very happy day but not what I would call a free, happy feeling that we have experienced on other occasions. We have had a wonderful time before, just the two of us."

[montecarlo]

May 12, 2004 - The Mercury Australia
Written By: Ben English

Danish Lilt Replaces Mary's Aussie Accent

Mary Donaldson's transformation from Tasmanian commoner into a Danish princess has already claimed one casualty -- her Australian accent. A fly-on-the-wall documentary shown on Danish TV revealed the former Taroona High School girl now speaks English with a distinct Scandinavian lilt.

Mary has been studying Danish three hours a day in a bid to perfect the notoriously difficult language before her marriage to Crown Prince Frederik this Friday. The bride-to-be's new accent sounded all the more stark when her siblings Jane, Patricia and John appeared on the film with broad Australian voices. Even her father acknowledged the dramatic change. "I think there is no doubt she has taken on Danish airs," John Donaldson said on the program, aired on Danish network DR1. "She does have a slight Danish touch in her voice, in her accent. Perhaps it's not obvious to people in Denmark but it's certainly obvious to us that there's a slight accent there."

The documentary followed Mary and Frederik on a trip to her homeland, where they caught up with family and friends in Hobart, Melbourne and Sydney. In interviews interspersed through the show, Mary, her siblings and Professor Donaldson recall Mary's life from when she was a young girl, through her school and university years to her budding career as a marketing executive. Her bosses at various advertising companies also speak about the young career woman. Frederik is not interviewed but is filmed kicking back with the whole family and in some lighter moments with Mary as she drives him around her island home. Professor Donaldson also speaks glowingly about the prince, particularly his old-fashioned gesture of asking him for his daughter's hand. The move caught the mathematics professor, who was in Korea at the time, off guard. "I was absolutely delighted," he says.

[montecarlo]

May 12, 2004 - The Mercury Australia

A New World And Many New Ways

"Danish is a difficult language. I can only compare it with my own, because I haven't learned foreign languages before. The most difficult part is the pronunciation. To me it is a completely new way of making sounds. It is not easy to understand either, because in the beginning you can't hear the difference between the words or the expressions. It takes time for your ears to become trained in listening to and understanding Danish."

"At the moment it is rather exciting -- I understand more and more, and the more I understand, the faster I learn it. The easiest is to read it and I also write in Danish. It is probably because I learn better ... visually. If, for instance, you say a new word, I prefer to know how you spell it, then I can create a picture of that word in my head. I already know that Danish and Australian humour is alike, so I can feel the Danish humour in the Danish language, which is nice. It is still nice to be able to have a deep conversation in English and it is hard to change from English to Danish when you know somebody really well. Frederik and I speak English with each other, because we got to know each other through the English language, but we speak more and more Danish together, because it is good for me to practise."

"I try to have tuition every day, so my head is full of the Danish language. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday I have lessons from 8.30 until 11.30; Tuesday and Thursday from 2.30pm until 5.30pm. I would like to become as fluent as I can and, preferably, as fast as possible. The lessons have highest priority now. I still prefer to express my innermost thoughts in English. It will be very hard for me to explain my feelings and very complicated subjects in Danish. Gradually I am able to be more spontaneous in Danish but if I am stressed, the language can suddenly disappear. That worries me a little. All of a sudden I don't know what to say. Even if I know what I want to say, I can't. Everybody who has to learn a new language experiences that kind of thing."

"When we have children, the language at home will be Danish, of course, but also a mix from the very beginning, because children so easily absorb new things -- language, too -- like a sponge. They learn so easily and if they do so from the very start, they get good at languages. At the dinner-table, for instance, you often sit and talk together and it is there family life blossoms, so that will be in Danish."

"I use a lot of methods to learn Danish. I watch Danish TV series -- that's a very good way to learn the language, the Danish mentality, Danish history and culture. I read a lot of books by Danish authors and Danish history books and I read the paper every day. I have two teachers. We go to exhibitions, visit art museums, see a lot of different things. It is fundamental for me to be able to speak the language. If you live in a country with a language different from your own, it is your duty to learn it if you want to be part of that country."

[montecarlo]

May 12, 2004 - The Mercury Australia
Written By: Ben English

Mary's Vision For A Royal Makeover

Mary Donaldson has developed a business plan to secure the future of the royal family she will join this Friday. The former marketing executive has shown a more ruthless side to her character by outlining her blueprint for the Danish monarchy's survival. In the most extensive interview before she embarks on a new life as a crown princess, Mary says the traditional royal model must be modernised. She warns the institution will be doomed unless it moves with the times. "You cannot exclusively cut ribbons at openings, you must also think strategically," she tells Danish newspaper Politiken in her own words, exclusively obtained by The Mercury. "You must be able to 'read the market' and find out in which direction you can develop yourself in order to stay 'relevant' in that 'market'. You must test some new limits, new methods. There is nothing wrong in trying some new ideas, you know. You can always test them on a few 'focus areas' in society."

Mary describes the Danish monarchy -- which has managed to avoid the public relations disasters that have dogged Britain's royal family for years -- as "the definition of a modern monarchy". But she says there is no room for complacency in a 21st century royal family. "I think the royal family must show enough wisdom to see how they can continue developing a strategy for survival. Just like any other undertaking in a competitive world. What must we do to secure our position? What will we have to change? What can you add to monarchy as a trademark to give it more importance and meaning in society? The royal family and the court must work intensively to understand the ongoing change in society and on finding those areas they can fill out. The monarchy must itself show intelligence. There must be a warm, positive feeling around it. Honesty. Far-sightedness. Not just do things the way they have always been done. Because society is not like it has always been. You must be wise enough to see the necessity of change. You must follow with the times."

During the extensive interview, conducted during seven sessions over five months in the Danish capital, Mary acknowledges what many have thought since the world learnt of her romance with the crown prince. "I guess you could say, it's a modern fairytale," she says. "A fairytale goes on inside your head, I guess, but I would never have been able to imagine this. It's a fairytale for everybody who meets the person they want to spend the rest of their life with and who are planning a wedding." And the princess-in-waiting reveals her desire to carve out a Diana-style career in helping the needy -- in particular the mentally ill. She also talks for the first time about children, and the sort of mother she'd like to be. "We both see ourselves with children. I don't know how many. It depends on so many things. But I hope we will get a chance to have as many as we want. There must be an element of discipline, but the best gift you can give to your children is the good, strong values." Mary insists she that while she intends to continue to work for the monarchy, she will never depend upon hired help in raising her kids. "To a large degree, I will see myself as a mother working away from home. But I will be 100 per cent mother. My children shall not be raised by nannies," she says.

[konan]

There was a discussion of Mary being anorexic. Before I read the discussion I saw a picture of Mary in a grey outfit (not the one with the marine) and I was shocked by her appearance. She looked very thin and the jacket too large. My thoughts were that she must me anorexic. I searched for the photo, but I couldn't find it again. I was pleased that she looked great on the other photo's. I love the couple almost more than our W.A. and Maxima. I like her most on unofficial occasions, I didn't like the official clothing with the marine. It looked forced to me and not her own kind of clothing. I look forward to their wedding and their appearance in public.

[happy_27]

Hi

A documentary titled "Mary Elizabeth Donaldson" has just aired on television here in Australia, I just wondered what peoples thoughts were on it (those in Australia who just saw it) I'm not sure if it has been shown around the world - probably has though, as it showed a fair bit around Australia.

Shane