Danish Royal Family, Current Events 1: April 2003 - March 2008

[hrhcp]

These amounts are not donated by the royals privately but by their foundations. They might very well donate privately as well, but that is not likely to be made public.

It was my understanding that the royal foundations accept donations from the public.

Assuming that to be the case, the amount The Royals donated was therefore money from their 'pay' into the respective foundation ?

Otherwise, wouldn't there be a dilution of their intent?

 

[Chatleen]

It was my understanding that the royal foundations accept donations from the public.

Assuming that to be the case, the amount The Royals donated was therefore money from their 'pay' into the respective foundation ?

Otherwise, wouldn't there be a dilution of their intent?

I'm sorry, I don't know what you mean?

 

[mktv2000]

It was my understanding that the royal foundations accept donations from the public.

Assuming that to be the case, the amount The Royals donated was therefore money from their 'pay' into the respective foundation ?

Otherwise, wouldn't there be a dilution of their intent?

I get what you mean...that the money that was donated ulitmately came from the public, not the royals themselves.

I sort of see your point...but really since the royals really make all of their money from the government, and thereby the money comes from taxes, even if the money came from their own personal stash - the money would have been from the public. So either way you end up with the same result...the important thing (I think we would both agree) is that they have given money.

 

[GrandDuchess]

Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, Prince Joachim, Princess Alexandra, Princess Benedikte, Prince Richard, Queen Anne-Marie and King Konstantin are all attending the Gala Performance taking part right this moment to mark the opening of the new opera house in Copenhagen. I will start by posting some info, then let's hope for lots of pictures!

The Copenhagen Opera House timeline

In August 2000, the A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation donated an opera house to the Danish people. On 16 October 2001, the opera house project was presented to the public and construction work began shortly after on the island of Holmen in Copenhagen Harbour. On 1 October 2004, the opera house was handed over to the Danish State and will be administered by the Royal Danish Theatre. The Copenhagen Opera House will open with a Royal Command Performance on 15 January 2005. The first opera performance will be Verdi’s Aïda on 26 January 2005, and the first ballet performance will be Three Companies – Three Works on 16 January 2005.

The opera totals 41,000 sq.metres. Five of the fourteen storeys are subterranean. The auditorium and foyer totals 7,000 sq. metres of the total 41,000 sq. metres. The building has more than 1000 rooms including several rehearsal rooms for the opera and ballet and a large orchestral rehearsal room. The main stage of the opera seats an audience of approx. 1500, and Takkelloftet, the experimental stage, seats an audience of approx. 200.

The stage floor of the main stage and the five adjacent stages are constructed following a modular design where the individual elements can be mechanically wheeled from one stage to another to facilitate dynamic alternation between different opera or ballet set designs. The opera also features a custom made ballet floor which is mechanically elevated from below prior to a ballet performance.

The opera house is clad with southern German Jura Gelb limestone, and the foyer features Sicilian Perlatino marble. The wall of the auditorium facing the foyer is clad with maple wood, and the ceiling in the main auditorium is adorned with 105,000 sheets of 24 carat gold leaf.

The A.P. Møller and Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller Foundation has sought to create a world-class opera house and have contracted leading experts within stage technology and acoustics such as Henning Larsen Tegnestue A/S, Rambøll A/S, Theatre Planning and Technology Ltd., Ove Arup & Partners and E. Pihl & Søn A/S.

Facts

* Excavation commenced: August 2001
* Construction commenced: November 2001
* Construction completed: 1 October 2004
* Inauguration: 15 January 2005
* Cost: DKK 2.5 billion
* Size: 41,000 m2 of which 12,000 m2 is subterranean
* Length of building: 125 m
* Width of building: 90 m
* Length of roof: 158 m
* Overhang: 32 m
* Height up to the roof: 24 m
* Height up to the fly tower: 38 m
* Storeys: 14
* Storeys below ground: 9
* Storeys above ground: 5
* Number of rooms: Approx. 1000
* Number of large rehearsal rooms: 5 plus an orchestral rehearsal room
* Orchestral pit capacity: Approx. 110 musicians
* Seats in Main Stage: Approx. 1500
* Standing stall capacity: 56
* Seats in Takkelloftet: Approx. 200

Official website of the Opera House
The Opera House project website (construction etc)

Pictures Part 1 - from DR:

Pictures Part 2 - from DR:

 

[GrandDuchess]

Programme for the Opening Concert - 15 January 2005 at 19:00 (7 PM)

Kuhlau: Elverhøj Ouverturen
Det Kongelige Kapel

Børnedans fra Elverhøj
Dansere: Ida Praetorius og Oscar Nilsson

Speeches:

1. Mærsk McKinney Møller
2. Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen

Carl Nielsen: Forspil til 2. akt af Saul & David
Det Kongelige Kapel

Poul Ruders: Sonet (Shakespeare, Sonnet VIII)
Hanne Fischer, mezzosopran

Peter Martins: Jalousie. Pas de Deux
Silja Schandorff og Nikolaj Hübbe
Musik: Jacob Gade, Douze Secrets + Tango Jalousi

Harald Lander: Etudes
Caroline Cavallo, Gitte Lindstrøm, Jean-Lucien Massot, Kenneth Greve
Andrew Bowman, Mads Blangstrup
Musik: Knudåge Riisager

Pause

Carl Nielsen: Maskarade - indledningen til 3. akt
Christian Christiansen, Jeronimus (sang)
Poul Elming, Leonard
Ole Hedegaard, Arv
Lise-Lotte Nielsen, Magdelone
Gisela Stille, Leonora
Michael Kristensen, Leander
Johan Reuter, Henrik
Djina Mai-Mai, Pernille
Guido Paevatalu, maskarademester
Det Kgl. Operakor

Delibes: Lakmé - Blomsterduetten
Inger Dam-Jensen, Lakmé
Tuva Semmingsen, Mallika

Verdi: Otello - Già nella notte densa
Tina Kiberg, Desdemona
Stig Fogh Andersen, Otello

Carl Nielsen: Maskarade - Henrik og Pernilles duet
Johan Reuter, Henrik
Djina Mai-Mai, Pernille

Bournonville: Blomsterfesten pas de deux
Gudrun Bojesen, Thomas Lund

Nielsen: Maskarade - Leander og Leonoras duet
Gisela Stille, Leonora
Michael Kristensen, Leander

Puccini: Tosca - Vissi d’arte
Inga Nielsen, sopran

Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor - Chi mi frena in tal momento
Niels Jørgen Riis - Edgardo
Per Høyer - Enrico
Anne Margrethe Dahl - Lucia
John Lundgren - Raimondo
Michael Kristensen - Arturo
Elisabeth Halling - Alisa
Det Kongelige Operakor

Saxofon-ballet
Gudrun Bojesen

Rossini: Rejsen til Reims - Gran Pezzo Concertato
Anne Margrethe Dahl – Folleville
Elsebeth Lund – Cortese
Lise-Lotte Nielsen – Maddalena
Gisela Stille – Corinna
Tuva Semmingsen – Delia
Hanne Fischer – Melibea
Elisabeth Halling – Modestina
Johnny van Hal – Luigino
Gert Henning-Jensen – Libenskof
Niels Jørgen Riis – Belfiore
Bengt-Ola Morgny – Gelsomino
Palle Knudsen – Sydney
John Lundgren – Profondo
Guido Paevatalu – Trombonok
Sten Byriel – Alvaro
Anders Jakobsson – Prudenzio

Richard Strauss: Rosenkavaleren - Terzet, 3. akt
Gitta-Maria Sjöberg – Marschallin
Randi Stene - Octavian
Henriette Bonde-Hansen - Sophie

Nielsen: Maskarade - Scene fra 3. akt
Poul Elming, Leonard
Lise-Lotte Nielsen, Magdelone
Christian Christiansen, Jeronimus

Nielsen: Maskarade - Hanedansen
Morten Eggert, Hanen
8 høns, Corps de Ballet

Verdi: Aida - Triumfmarchen
Det Kongelige Operakor, Det Kgl. Kapel

First two pictures! From Polfoto:

The opening performance took about 4 hours! Here's another pic, this one is from BT.

From Colourpress:

 

[Mandy]

Thank you for sharing this information and photos with us.

 

[Alisa]

Here are a few more photos:

 

[GrandDuchess]

Here are some pictures from Berlingske Tidene.

From Colourpress:

 

[Lena]

Thank you for posting those great pictures!
It seems to me, that Mary becomes more and more a real part of the danish RF. While she high likely was accepted from the beginning, she seems now, as if she really belongs to them, as if she has always done. She is now like a fish in the water, when performing duties.

To the new opera...I know and fear that many might disagree (esp. "proud" Danes) Actually I even don´t know much about the other locations for operas in Denmark...and from an architectural point of view this new opera house is an masterly achievement, but what I really don´t like is, that old great operas should be performed in this new modern building. Was there really no possibilty to restore the/an old building?

 

[Mandy]

Thanks for the great pictures GrandDuchess. Mary looks very pretty and at ease with herself. Lena, imho that's a very astute and accurate assessment of Mary.

 

[KikkiB]

Thank you for posting those great pictures!
It seems to me, that Mary becomes more and more a real part of the danish RF. While she high likely was accepted from the beginning, she seems now, as if she really belongs to them, as if she has always done. She is now like a fish in the water, when performing duties.

To the new opera...I know and fear that many might disagree (esp. "proud" Danes) Actually I even don´t know much about the other locations for operas in Denmark...and from an architectural point of view this new opera house is an masterly achievement, but what I really don´t like is, that old great operas should be performed in this new modern building. Was there really no possibilty to restore the/an old building?

This hit me last night when the news reported the opening of the new opera in Copenhagen, that some of the same issues have caused discussion and disagreement with the new opera in Oslo (and they just started building it). It has had critic on the arcitecture, the choice of materials (Norwegian expencive granite vs. Italian inexpencive marble) and most of all the location. In the middle of the industrial harbour area in Oslo. The consequence is that the roadsystem has to be put in a tunnel under the sea and the industrial harbour has to be moved elsewere. Some of the discussion has been about restoring the old opera, but the employees would like to have modern working conditions. And also I think the opera house in Oslo also would be used for other events as well. Funny how things are so alike in the Scandinavian countries...

 

[hillary_nugent]

Wow...the Copenhagen Opera House is one funky building! ^___^

 

[DKgirls]

We watched the show last night, and it was really nice!

But for us, mostly because of the Royalties And they all looked really nice and seemed to have a good time! And it was nice to see all of the family together!

 

[Lyonnaise]

Here a few more photos from the GREMB..

 

[GrandDuchess]

A few more pics from Imagine Scandinavia.

On 3 of the pictures you can see how the new Copenhagen Opera is situated in relation to Amalienborg - right in line - across the water. On the night of the opening, the royals arrived on the water.

 

[Chatleen]

Kalender

15/01 05Regentparret, Kronprinsparret, H.K.H. Prins Joachim, H.K.H. Prinsesse Alexandra, H.K.H. Prinsesse Benedikte, H.H. Prins Richard, H.M. Dronning Anne-Marie og H.M. Kong Konstantin deltager i Gallaforestilling i forbindelse med indvielse af Operaen i København, kl. 19.00.

The Royal Couple, The Crown Prince Couple, HRH Prince Joachim, HRH Princess Alexandra, HRH Princess Benedikte, HH Prince Richard, HM Queen Anne-Marie and HM King Konstantin attends the inauguration of the Opera in Copenhagen, at 19.00

15/01 05H.M. Dronningen, H.K.H. Prinsesse Benedikte og Grevinde Ruth af Rosenborg deltager i begravelsen af H.K.H. Storhertuginde Joséphine-Charlotte af Luxembourg i la Cathédrale de Luxembourg, kl. 11.30.

HM The Queen, HRH Princess Benedikte and Countess Ruth of Rosenborg attends the funeral of HRH Grandduchess Joséphine-Charlotte

16/01 05H.M. Dronningen samt H.K.H. Prinsesse Benedikte og H.H. Prins Richard deltager i indvielsen af Operaens lille Scene "Takkelloftet", kl. 16.00.

HM The Queen, HRH Princess Benedikte and HH Prince Richard attends the inauguration of the small stage in the Opera "Takkelloftet".

17/01 05Offentlig audiens på Christiansborg Slot, kl. 10.00.

Public audience at Christiansborg.

18/01 05Regentparret modtager mexicanske journalister i Chr. IX's Palæ, Amalienborg, kl. 14.30 - 15.30.

The Royal Couple meets mexican journalists at Amalienborg.

18/01 05H.K.H. Prins Joachim udnævner to kroatiske H.C. Andersen-ambassadører (cellisten Monica Lescovar og filminstruktøren Vinko Bresan) og to danske H.C. Andersen-ambassadører (violinisten Nikolai Znaider og skuespilleren Paprika Steen) i Hofteatret i København.

HRH Prince Joachim appoints two Croatian HC Andersen ambassadors (the cellist Monica Lescovar and the film director Vinko Bresan) and two Danish HC Andersen ambassadors (the violinist Nikolai Znaider and the actress Paprika Steen) at the Court Theatre in Copenhagen.

18/01 05H.K.H. Kronprinsessen deltager i møde hos Psykiatrifonden, kl. 14.00.

HRH the Crown Princess attends a meeting at the Psyciatric Foundation.

25/01 05H.M. Dronningen modtager en delegation fra Mongoliets Parlament under ledelse af det formand, H.E. Nambaryn Enghbayar, i privat audiens i Chr. IX's Palæ, kl. 11.45.

HM The Queen receives a delegation from the parliament of Mongolia, under leadership (??) of the president (of parliament) HE Nambaryn Enghbayar, in a private audience.

25/01 05H.K.H. Prins Joachim deltager i Danmarks Kartoffel Råds årsmøde 2005 på Egeskov Slot, kl. 10.30.

Prince Joachim participates in The Danish Potato Society's (??? ) yearly meeting.

26/01 05H.K.H. Kronprinsen deltager i VL-møde i Cirkusbygningen, København, kl. 11.00 - 13.30.

HRH the Crown Prince participates in VL-meeting (don't know, what the VL is)

26/01 05H.K.H. Prins Joachim deltager i højtideligholdelsen af 60-årsdagen for befrielsen af Auschwitz-Birkenau lejren til den 27. januar.27/01 05

HRH Prince Joachim attends the the memorial in Auschwitz.

H.K.H. Prinsesse Benedikte forestår udnævnelsen af H.C. Andersen-æresambassadører i Reykjavik. H.K.H. Prinsesse Benedikte overrækker Olave Baden-Powell Society medlems Certifikat til den islandske Præsidents hustru. H.K.H. Prinsesse Benedikte deltager i middagen på Den Kongelige Danske Ambassade i Reykjavik.

HRH Princess Benedikte appoints HC ambassadors in Reykjavik. HRH Princess Benedikte presents the membership of the Baden-Powell Society to the wife of the Icelandic president. HRH Princess Benedikte attends a dinner at the Danish Embassy in Reykjavik.

 

[susan alicia]

danish royals plunge into the red (bbcwebsite)

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40154000/jpg/_40154369_11couple203.jpg


The lavish wedding was held at Copenhagen's Lutheran cathedral

The Danish royal family overspent by 17m kroner ($3m) in 2004, its first annual financial report has revealed.

The 59m kroner Europe's oldest monarchy received from the taxpayer to run their household with 125 staff was insufficient to meet last year's costs.

The family was in the red mainly due to the cost of Crown Prince Frederik's wedding and Queen Margrethe's purchase of a new car, the report indicated.

However, it did not offer any detailed breakdown of the expenditures.

"Most of the amount can be traced to the celebration of the crown prince's wedding in May 2004," the report said.

In addition to the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik to Australian commoner Mary Donaldson, who became Crown Princess Mary, the document put the overspend down to extensive renovations to the newlyweds' palace. It also revealed that the royal house was worth 12.8bn kroner ($2.2bn). Denmark's monarchy was founded by the Viking King Gorm the Old in the 10th century.

 

[Dennism]

Program for Kongeskibet Dannebrog 2005

Tirsdag den 19. april.

Kl. 12.00 Regentparret indleder sæsonen og går ombord i Kongeskibet Dannebrog, som ligger ved Bøje 1 i Københavns Havn.
Salut fra Sixtus.
Kl. 14.30 Regentparret går i land på Nordre Toldbod.

Fredag den 20. maj.

H.K.H. Prinsgemalen sejler med Dannebrog til Ebeltoft og deltager i åbningen af nyt museum ved Fregatten Jylland.

Tirsdag den 24. maj.

Kl. 10.00 Regentparret ankommer til Rønne og besøger Bornholm i anledning af Svanekes 450-års købstadsjubilæum.

Torsdag den 2. juni.

Kl. 09.15 Hendes Majestæt Dronningen modtager ombord i Dannebrog salut fra Kronborg.
Kl. 09.45 Dannebrog ankommer til Helsingborg. H.M. Dronningen besøger Sofiero.

Søndag den 19. juni - torsdag den. 23. juni.

Regentparret og Kronprinsparret besøger Færøerne ombord i Dannebrog.

Fredag den 22. juli.

Kl. 10.00 Ankomst til Haderslev i forbindelse med Regentparrets ophold på Gråsten Slot.

Tirsdag den 13. september.

Kl. 15.00 Regentparret går i land fra Kongeskibet Dannebrog ved Nordre Toldbod
som afslutning på sæsonen.
Salut fra Sixtus.

Ove Ullerup
Hofmarskal

Program for the Royal Ship Dannebrgg 2005

Tuesday, April 19

12 noon, The Royal couple introduce the season and go onboard the royal boat, Dannebrog which lies at Bøje 1 in Copenhagen Harbor

2:30 PM Royal Couple will arrive at North Toldbod.

Friday, May 20

Prince Henrik will sail on the Dannebrog to Ebeltoft and participate in opening of new museum on Fregatten Jutland.

Tuesday, May 24

10:00 AM, Royal Couple will arrive at Rønne and visit Bornholm on occassion of the 450 years since Svaneke became a part of Denmark. It is the oldest and smallest trading post in Denmark, originally a fishing village.

Thursday, July 2

9:15, The Queen will sail onboard the Dannebrog from Kronborg

9:45: the Dannebrog will go to Helsingborg(in Sweden). The Queen will visit Sofiero(famous palace and former summer home of the Swedish Royal Family)

Sunday June 19 to Thursday, June 23:

The royal couple and the Crown Princely Couple will go to the Faroe Islands aboard the Dannebrog

Friday: July 22

10:00 Arrival at Haderslev, the Royal couple will stay at Gråsten Palace

Tuesday, September 13

Royal Couple will dock the Royal Ship Dannebrog at Nordre Toldbod to conclude the season.

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

Queen Margrethe, Princess Benedikte and Queen Anne-Marie have invited Mstislav Rostropovich to give a concert in memory of their mother Queen Ingrid. It will take place 5 years after her death, on 6 November 2005 in Tivoli, Copenhagen - in the presence of Ingrid's family. Rostropovich was a friend of hers and also gave a concert when she turned 80. And in 2000 he attended her funeral.

According to the British Royal Website,today and tomorrow TRH The Duke and the Duchess of Gloucester will visit Copenhage and undertake engagements there.Any news tell that?Or will they have any meetings with the Danish Royals?

 

[norwegianne]

According to the British Royal Website,today and tomorrow TRH The Duke and the Duchess of Gloucester will visit Copenhage and undertake engagements there.Any news tell that?Or will they have any meetings with the Danish Royals?

It seems that they will join the Queen and Princess Benedikte, on the morning of May 5th, in marking the 60th aniversary of the liberation of Denmark, in Mindelunden. At least from what I read on BT.dk.

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

It seems that they will join the Queen and Princess Benedikte, on the morning of May 5th, in marking the 60th aniversary of the liberation of Denmark, in Mindelunden. At least from what I read on BT.dk.

Are there any pictures of TRH in Copenhage yesterday yet?

 

[norwegianne]

Picture from the memorial service in Holmens Kirke today. Princess Benedikte and Queen Margrethe.

I'm not quite certain who the people sitting next to them are, but may it be the Duke and Duchess?

The picture was from BT.dk.

 

[Alexandria]

Picture from the memorial service in Holmens Kirke today. Princess Benedikte and Queen Margrethe.

I'm not quite certain who the people sitting next to them are, but may it be the Duke and Duchess?

Yes, I think you're right that it's the Duke and Duchess of Gloucester in that picture. I think Richard (barely, barely visible) is sitting next to Benedikte and Brigitte is dressed in the lilac.

 

[HMQueenElizabethII]

That's right Norwegian.That's the Duke and the Duchess of Gloucester.But where did you find the pic,i did not see it anywhere.

But i like Princess Benedikte.It looks nice.

From AAP Image: I also like the Duchess'new hat:

 

[rchainho]

I don't know if this report was posted before.

Royal family in the red

By The Copenhagen Post
The royal household budget came out DKK 17 million in the red in 2004. The crown prince's wedding and a new car took its toll on the court's finances

Queen Margrethe II and her family reported a deficit of DKK 17 million in 2004, according to the first financial statement made public by the court.



The wedding of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, the purchase of a new crown car, and the restoration of the Chancellery Building at the Palace of Fredensborg brought the finances in the red, the court announced.

'Most of the amount can be traced to the celebration of the crown prince's wedding in May 2004,' the court said of the deficit in the royal economy.

The public annual statement was hailed as an important step for the court, which has been criticized for keeping the public in the dark about its finances.

'Throughout the last year the court has worked on improving its information efforts,' Lord Chamberlain Ove Ullerup wrote in his statement to the press on Monday.

The report revealed that the court had been bustling with activity in 2004, not least because of the royal wedding, but also because of numerous inaugurations, anniversaries, meetings, and official visits during the course of the year. The 45-page report describes the year's most important events, its tasks, functions, and economy. The report also explains the meaning of the phrase 'constitutional monarchy', Royal Household, and the wide array of royal orders and decorations handed out by the Queen every year.

 

[Mandy]

Pictures of the Danish Royal Family visiting the Faroe Islands have been moved to the following thread:

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6256

 

[Mandy]

Here is the thread of Royal Family visit to Faroe Islands. http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6256

 

[pdas1201]

June 11, 2005: Queen Margrethe and the Crown Princely couple attended a gala show of "Bournonvilleana" at the Copenhagen Royal Theatre.

 

[bigheadshirmp]

05/07 05Officielt besøg af USAs Præsident George W. Bush og fru Laura Bush til den 6. juli.

does that say offical visit by Bush and her wife? anyone know if there'll be gala and stuff?

 

[GrandDuchess]

05/07 05Officielt besøg af USAs Præsident George W. Bush og fru Laura Bush til den 6. juli.

does that say offical visit by Bush and her wife? anyone know if there'll be gala and stuff?

Yes, official visit by George W Bush and Laura. I don't know any details, maybe someone else does? But if it's just a one day thing, my guess is that he will also be meeting with politicians, and that there won't be so many events as on a several day long visit.