General News about Frederik, Mary and Family 11: January - August 2013

[Hannelore]

Poor Fred. He's obviously not amused with them filming his fall. I don't envy their luxury lives with the press being there all the time. You could say they have the best and the worst.

A story from Ekstra Bladet Ekstra Bladet - Dynamoen drillede Mary: Cyklede hjem i mørke

About Mary having been out with her friend Caroline Fleming Wednesday at restaurant Geist, after which she walked Caroline Fleming back to Hotel D'Angleterre, where she is currently staying.

Mary had opted to go by bike and when it was time to return home it was dark (...)

Both Mary & Frederik have been seen cycling a lot lately! I love it too. Especially in the city it's become the quickest way of transport. Does anyone know which bike Mary uses in these photos? It's such a pretty one.

 

[dazzling]

Posts relating to Prince Frederik participating in the Nordic 24 Mountainbike race has been moved to the
Crown Prince Frederik, Current Events Part 4: May 2013
Thread
since it was an official event​

 

[Lady Rosie]

Mary and Frederik to visit Sydney 2013

Hello,

I just read this on a Sydney news site:


Danish royals to mark Opera House anniversary

I was unsure where to post so mods may want to move it if appropriate.

It seems Mary and Frederik will visit Sydney in October to celebrate the Sydney Opera House anniversary.

Very exciting.

 

[polyesco]

Hello,

I just read this on a Sydney news site:


Danish royals to mark Opera House anniversary

I was unsure where to post so mods may want to move it if appropriate.

It seems Mary and Frederik will visit Sydney in October to celebrate the Sydney Opera House anniversary.

Very exciting.

yes very exciting.
I just saw it on the DRF website
Kronprinsparret til Sydney - Kongehuset.

How appropriate i think for F&M to go.

"Crown Prince Couple participate as patrons in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House and awards the Royal Couple Rates 2013.
Crown Prince Couple visits in Sydney, Australia, 25 - 28 October as patrons of the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Opera House. On this occasion participant Royal Couple in the celebration and will at the same head the presentation of the Royal Couple Rates 2013."

 

[Hannelore]

I guess they will combine it with a holiday. How long has it been since they were in Australia?

 

[Lady Rosie]

They were last in Australia November/December 2011, so it will be just on two years.

More information from the Sydney Opera House website:

http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/Celebrating_40.aspx

 

[Roskilde]

Hello,

I just read this on a Sydney news site:


Danish royals to mark Opera House anniversary

I was unsure where to post so mods may want to move it if appropriate.

It seems Mary and Frederik will visit Sydney in October to celebrate the Sydney Opera House anniversary.

Very exciting.

Thanks, Lady Rosie

That's great news!! It always turn into something special when M+F visit Australia. Plus, it sound very exciting that they will hand out their Crown Prince Couple's Prizes in the Opera House. It will be transmitted both on Danish and Australian television. Don't know how with the time difference.

I too think they will combine it with a family visit. The week before their official visit is the childrens autumn holiday here in Denmark.

Wonder if it will be like in 2011 with a new official family portrait and all that?

 

[Muhler]

That sounds interesting.

It's good for Mary to go back and visit her family and friends - and by October autumn has set in here in DK, so Australia should be a nice change of weather... Not that I'm the least bit envious, perish the thought.

 

[dazzling]

Its great they are going back. I wonder how long they will stay, 1 week? 2 weeks? Its always nice to see them in Australia.

 

[chelly]

Wow your sidewalks are better lit at night then ours. (unless it was a very good flash). Oh and it is great that they are going to Australia again.

A story from Ekstra Bladet Ekstra Bladet - Dynamoen drillede Mary: Cyklede hjem i mørke

About Mary having been out with her friend Caroline Fleming Wednesday at restaurant Geist, after which she walked Caroline Fleming back to Hotel D'Angleterre, where she is currently staying.

Mary had opted to go by bike and when it was time to return home it was dark. (Relatively speaking, as darkness set in around 22.30 at this time of year, and it's only really dark past 23.00). A distance which I understand is about 1.5 KM.
Okay shortly after having started on her homeward bound, she discovered her dynamo was out of order and there was no lights on her bike. She tried to fix it, but no luck. So she continued home to Amalienborg without light. - However, her escorting PET officer had no lights on his bike at all...

The fine for driving without lights on your bike after dark is 700 DKK. But being a member of the DRF, Mary can't be fined.
Anyway, with a police escort it's hardly a big issue and there are such things a streetlights in Copenhagen.
Ekstra Bladet tries to angle the story so that people should feel offended by this breach of the law, but even their own readers don't buy that one.

The correct procedure would of course be for Mary to get off her bike and walk the kilometre and a half back to Amalienborg, buuut I somehow suspect PET would much prefer she covered that distance as fast as possible.

It's incidentally Mary's PET officer who is photographing Mary and Caroline Fleming.

 

[Roskilde]

Its great they are going back. I wonder how long they will stay, 1 week? 2 weeks? Its always nice to see them in Australia.

I guess longer than one week, Australia is far away for only one week.


More about their visit to Australia

Australian Woman's Day: Princess Mary is coming back to Australia!

DR: Mary og Frederik uddeler kronprinsparrets priser fra operahuset i Sydney | Kultur | DR

BB: http://www.billedbladet.dk/kongelige/danmark/kronprinsparret-deler-priser-ud-i-australien

 

[Frelinghighness]

Still no helmets I see, on either adult. Maybe Mary will be the early user in royal circles for those, as she was in skiing.

 

[Muhler]

Thanks, Roskilde.

Here is some additional info from Jyllands Posten: Kronprinspar drysser stjerner ud over kunstnere - Rytmisk musik - Kultur

Two prizes will go to the Danish artists MØ and Rune Tonsgaard. Rune Tonsgaard is a violinist and MØ, is a singer whose civillian name is Karen Marie Ørsted. - Apart from that I don't know her. - I'm too old, I guess...
Mø incidentally means (young) maiden.

To get a prize in the first place is of course a great thing for budding artists, but to get publicity in Australia as well is something of a bonus.

- I wonder if M&F will also present prizes to Australian artists?
Especially as this is a cultural exchange - and a promovation of DK and Danish design, commerce and so on. It may be somewhat cynical but M&F are not just going to Australia because the weather is better.
As you have probably noticed, members of the DRF are hardly going anywhere at all, without also promoting Danish commerce. Which is perfectly in line with the current governments very active stance in regards to aiding Danish businesses.
- In that respect I can add that the Danish export to some countries, has gone up very considerably, surpassing neighboring countries like Sweden and Germany. One of these countries is Brazil, - and the DRF has been a very active instrument in aiding Danish commercial interests in getting a better foothold there.

 

[NGalitzine]

Still no helmets I see, on either adult. Maybe Mary will be the early user in royal circles for those, as she was in skiing.

Helmets are more of an American thing, much less commonly worn in Europe.

 

[Lumutqueen]

Helmets are more of an American thing, much less commonly worn in Europe.

Seriously?! I don't see a cyclist in York without a helmet nor did I see one without when I travelled to the Netherlands last year. I don't think you can put safety down to it being a country thing.

 

[MaggieDenmark]

it is great they are going back to australia! i can imagine that mary miss her family since it been two years since last time and think how much the twins has grown

 

[NGalitzine]

Seriously?! I don't see a cyclist in York without a helmet nor did I see one without when I travelled to the Netherlands last year. I don't think you can put safety down to it being a country thing.

Seriously, I find the lack of helmets worn by adults on the continent quite noticable.

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

How lovely that they're going back to Australia, and I think it's very appropriate to have them going since the beautiful Sydney Opera House largely was built by Jørn Utzon.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Seriously, I find the lack of helmets worn by adults on the continent quite noticable.

I think its a cultural thing, most people - including me - who are now Mary's age grew up without any health and safety. When I was a kid there weren't even safety belts in cars. Other than safety belts, wearing a helmet is not required by law. In most countries on the continent you will see children wearing helmets but not adults when riding a bike on ordinary streets. Its a different thing when riding to work with heavy traffic or go on a bike tour riding on a challenging surface.

I'd say its a calculated risk not wearing a helmet on ordinary bike rides, its a decision any adult can take. I said it in another thread, in a few decades it is likely that even pedestrians will wear helmets (with electric cars on the street) and that everyone due to a health & safety overkill will walk the streets wearing outfits like the Michelin Man.

 

[princess gertrude]

I think its a cultural thing, most people - including me - who are now Mary's age grew up without any health and safety. When I was a kid there weren't even safety belts in cars. Other than safety belts, wearing a helmet is not required by law. In most countries on the continent you will see children wearing helmets but not adults when riding a bike on ordinary streets. Its a different thing when riding to work with heavy traffic or go on a bike tour riding on a challenging surface.

I'd say its a calculated risk not wearing a helmet on ordinary bike rides, its a decision any adult can take. I said it in another thread, in a few decades it is likely that even pedestrians will wear helmets (with electric cars on the street) and that everyone due to a health & safety overkill will walk the streets wearing outfits like the Michelin Man.

Oh DOM! That was great! The Michelin Man comment was priceless! And we must have grown up around the same time, let's just say 40-ish years old. No helmets, no crazy car seats. I remember being all over the back seat on long trips with my parents. The whole thing was a bed, tent, whatever. Even curl up in the floor board of the back seat sometimes. And I'm still alive and well to tell about it.

 

[NGalitzine]

I agree Duke, I also tend not to wear them (even at home in Dorset) and when I was in Italy last yr and mentioned helmets to some of my cousins before we took off on bikes they looked at me like I had 2 heads and laughed.

Oh DOM! That was great! The Michelin Man comment was priceless! And we must have grown up around the same time, let's just say 40-ish years old. No helmets, no crazy car seats. I remember being all over the back seat on long trips with my parents. The whole thing was a bed, tent, whatever. Even curl up in the floor board of the back seat sometimes. And I'm still alive and well to tell about it.

LOL, me too. Whenever my mother would hear about the latest safety regulation she would laugh and say "Oh My, its a wonder any of our children ever survived to adulthood".

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Oh DOM! That was great! The Michelin Man comment was priceless! And we must have grown up around the same time, let's just say 40-ish years old. No helmets, no crazy car seats. I remember being all over the back seat on long trips with my parents. The whole thing was a bed, tent, whatever. Even curl up in the floor board of the back seat sometimes. And I'm still alive and well to tell about it.

Absolutely! Some things are better now, people used to smoke everywhere at that time, even on planes or on TV Shows.

But life has its risks, with or without helmets, and a lot of 40-ish and older people take them because its the way they grew up. In Germany you see lots of families on a day out where the kids wear helmets but the parents don't.

Mary went without functioning lights too, that less forgivable. She should get a fine like everyone else, DRF or not DRF.

 

[AfricanAUSSIE]

Hello,

I just read this on a Sydney news site:


Danish royals to mark Opera House anniversary

It seems Mary and Frederik will visit Sydney in October to celebrate the Sydney Opera House anniversary.

Very exciting.

I agree, they are most welcome. Mary is a fantastic export and has married a lovely man. She has done us proud.

Also:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/a...--beating-Duchess-Cambridge-SECOND-place.html

 

[Muhler]

Yes, it's nice to see how glad Mary is when she is visiting Australia.

And Frederik, as the decent husband he is, allows his wife to shine.

My little dream is that they would one year go on a tour of Australia onboard Dannebrog. Even though she's an old ship and it's a long journey it could be done and I think she would look very decorative in Sydney harbour.

 

[Tarlita]

Yes Dannebrog in Sydney Harbour would be a magnificent sight. Such a graceful looking ship, with a wonderful history. I am sure many smaller craft would go out to meet her, and escort her inside the harbour.

 

[Roskilde]

Yes, it's nice to see how glad Mary is when she is visiting Australia.

And Frederik, as the decent husband he is, allows his wife to shine.

My little dream is that they would one year go on a tour of Australia onboard Dannebrog. Even though she's an old ship and it's a long journey it could be done and I think she would look very decorative in Sydney harbour.

Totally agree, but how long would it take to sail from Denmark to Australia?
If Mary, Frederik and children would be on board I guess they should sail from Denmark in exceptionally good time

 

[Muhler]

Totally agree, but how long would it take to sail from Denmark to Australia?
If Mary, Frederik and children would be on board I guess they should sail from Denmark in exceptionally good time

Not sure. A containership at economic speed takes some 44 days to get to Sydney from DK.
Say some six weeks for Dannebrog to get to Sydney via Suez? Dannebrog is a little slower than a containership and she needs to be refuelled a couple of times.
Supplies is no particular problem, the escorting warship handles that.

I don't know if it's faster to go via Panama.
But with a couple of calls in a few countries on the way, (perhaps combined with a statevisit), where the ship is joined by various members of the DRF, - say some two months to get to Australia.
A tour of the Australian coast lasting say two weeks, then off to New Zealand with a visit there.
A pitstop at Pearl Harbour before going to San Francisco, through Panama to the Caribbian before heading home. Altogether five months.

It'll cost a good deal of money, but Danish commerce would love the idea! So would the Foreign Ministry and not least the Navy.
Two crews needs to be rotated onboard the warship, but Dannebrog can use the same conscript crew. As it is now, conscripts are queuing to serve onboard Danneborg and they would be fighting each other to get on this trip! - Serving onboard Dannebrog is good on any CV. Having been on a five month cruise is even better when applying for a place to a maritime or navy academy.

Aren't there some major event or anniversary in Australia in the next few years where Dannebrog, the DRF and the navy (with Danish businesses benefitting from that)can show the flag? - The 100th anniversary for Gallipolli is coming up, so there might be an opportunity...

ADDED: With all due respect for Perth, I think that port would be bypassed for Singapore, where DK has major economic interests.
So Brisbane first, with M&F flying in from Tasmania. Then Sydney and Melbourne, perhaps Hobart? Before heading for New Zealand.
How is the weather around Australia in say late September?

 

[Lady Rosie]

Muhler, what a dream trip that would be for all concerned.

Weather in late September in the southern states (below Brisbane) is still cool with spring typically quite windy and rainy (there is a term here "spring rains").

By late October it is warmer and probably a better time. November even better.

 

[cepe]

Totally agree, but how long would it take to sail from Denmark to Australia?
If Mary, Frederik and children would be on board I guess they should sail from Denmark in exceptionally good time

they could do what the BRF did with Britannia. The ship sailed ahead of the tour and the BRF flew out to meet it. THose were the days! Entertaining locals on board a little bit of Britain - wonderful

 

[AfricanAUSSIE]

I think this would not be feasible. It takes them away from their families and other work commitments for too long. There are also safety and insurance issues.

It does sound rather romantic though and would certainly get a lot of coverage.