General News about the Danish Royal Family Part 1: December 2008 - January 2013

[Halfdane]

As a Canadian, I can tell you I don't care for "my royal family". Politically, the British monarchy is seen as nothing more than a "nice" tradition. Frankly, the Commonwealth leaves a bad taste in my mouth as it is tired, old, and out-of-touch. I prefer the European monarchies as they have and do contribute to their countries.
Which brings me to my two cents, if I may. I think the BRF has some PR work to do. This wedding is an opportunity to keep the "commoners" happy. There are many in the UK looking to oust the monarchy, so making the upcoming nuptials between William and Kate a grand Royal affair would be a big mistake for them. Besides, I read somewhere that the couple preferred the affair to be low key. I think 1900 guests doesn't achieve that goal, but for a wedding of the heir to the heir, there should be some pomp and circumstance.
I expect representatives of the Commonwealth to be prominent rather than any other Royal House. I think that under the circumstances, it would be Joachim and Marie to attend, but most likely Princess Benedicte that will represent Denmark, and CP Pavlos for Greece?

Also, the official site to the Prince of Wales has stated that the official guest list will not be released until AFTER the wedding.

[tundra]

Originally Posted by Queen Penelope

That explains Isabella's mittens!!!! . I know that Frederik is an IOC member - was he a member during the Vancouver games?. I hope they enjoyed their time here. Must have been nice for them to be able to walk around anonymously like any other couple as I'm pretty sure there weren't any royal watchers at the olympics!!

Viv
You raise an intersting point. Yes, we're loyal to the RF, and with the impending visit of the newly weds this summer, I guess you could say we are indeed the jewel in the commonwealth crown! . However, we Canadians are a friendly, welcoming bunch and I would like to think that if there was an official visit by a member of another royal house that we would do our royal visitors justice. I'd hope there would be a nice turnout of crowds to see them!!. Let's put out some invites and find out!!

Where I live in Alberta, there is actually a very strong Norweigan ancestry in the area. The name of my hometown is "New Norway"!. You're probably right about the Danish communites, but not in my area. Western Canada is big, after all!!

I agree - nothing stopping them from coming to visit!! :flower:

My family (extended) is one of the Norwegian "founding" families in the Camrose area.

[Queen Penelope]

^^previous

Right on!! :)

[Madame Royale]

I guess you could say we are indeed the jewel in the commonwealth crown!

What cheek!...

[Queen Penelope]

Originally Posted by Madame Royale

What cheek!...

Viv's words...I just repeated!!!

[ricarda]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

Charles trip was planned before Mary's, things that had been set in motion couldn't be stoppped. It was actually rather mean of Mary to plan the trip at exactly the same time as the Prince, a week later wouldn't have hurt.

Excuse me, but how can you possibly know that? Can you give me the exact date when the planning of those 2 trips started?
And Mary is certainly not alone responsible for the date of an official visit.

To guess Mary picked the same date as Charles out of meanness is more than silly. If anything one might assume that there was perhaps a lack of information and communication (from the Australian side).

[Viv]

Originally Posted by Halfdane

This wedding is an opportunity to keep the "commoners" happy. There are many in the UK looking to oust the monarchy, so making the upcoming nuptials between William and Kate a grand Royal affair would be a big mistake for them. Besides, I read somewhere that the couple preferred the affair to be low key. I think 1900 guests doesn't achieve that goal, but for a wedding of the heir to the heir, there should be some pomp and circumstance..

Halfdane, IMO all top rank weddings are an opportunity to keep 'the people' happy, it's the stuff dreams are made of! However if the royal party of the couple counts among 'lesser royalty', the RF will usually keep it discreet and low key in order to avoid criticism of costs and relevance etc. Maybe Zara Philips will be allowed a more prominent wedding, because she's also a top drawer athlete??
As for the W & C wedding: IMO a certain measure of ambivalence is to be expected because of the times; the couple would be foolish not to signal some restraint, however I for one don't expect to see much restraint on the day!

Originally Posted by Halfdane

I expect representatives of the Commonwealth to be prominent rather than any other Royal House. I think that under the circumstances, it would be Joachim and Marie to attend, but most likely Princess Benedicte that will represent Denmark, and CP Pavlos for Greece?

One thing is certain: CP Pavlos will not be the official representative for Greece. The Greek government would be livid! IMO he'll count among 'friends of the family' IF he has been invited.

Originally Posted by Halfdane

Also, the official site to the Prince of Wales has stated that the official guest list will not be released until AFTER the wedding.

They never do, that's why the likes of you and me are speculating like mad !

Viv

Originally Posted by ricarda

Excuse me, but how can you possibly know that? Can you give me the exact date when the planning of those 2 trips started? And Mary is certainly not alone responsible for the date of an official visit.

I don't know what went on in the planning phase, but I do remember that the Mary & Fred visit was announced before the visit of the Prince of Wales. I also remember thinking that it was peculiar having two royal visits at the same time!

There's also this piece from the Guardian;
Leader: Australia | UK news | The Guardian

Viv

[ricarda]

Originally Posted by Muhler

But to return to the attendance of the DRF. My guess is on Mary and Frederik. That will be such a short event that they can take part without being separated from the twins for too long. And should they be unable due to considerations to the twins or whatever, Joachim and Marie will come in second.
As some of you pointed out, this is not a CP-wedding, so at present I don't think the Regent Couple will attend.

My guess is:
Frederik&Mary for William&Kate's wedding (or perhaps only Frederik as Mary is still on maternity leave; though the BRF would deserve it if the DRF sent someone lower ranking), Joachim&Marie for the Monaco wedding (so far Joachim attended all events there). I too don't see the Regent Couple at either event.

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by Sternchen

Mary and Fred were there on invitation so no, they didn't plan the trip themselves So if the Australian side couldn't (for whatever reason) schedule the trip for a week later, what should M&F have done?

I'm sure for Mary they could have reschedueled. Princes Charles future King of Australia, against Princess Mary who's just a woman who was born their and will reign over Denmark.

Originally Posted by ricarda

Excuse me, but how can you possibly know that? Can you give me the exact date when the planning of those 2 trips started?

That would be telling.

Originally Posted by ricarda

To guess Mary picked the same date as Charles out of meanness is more than silly. If anything one might assume that there was perhaps a lack of information and communication (from the Australian side).

Not silly in my mind, Mary must have had a hand in choosing the date, it must have had to fit with her calender and the baby. This is my own opinion.

[Sternchen]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

I'm sure for Mary they could have reschedueled. Princes Charles future King of Australia, against Princess Mary who's just a woman who was born their and will reign over Denmark.

They would only have rescheduled if it fit into the australian hosts calendar.

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

Not silly in my mind, Mary must have had a hand in choosing the date, it must have had to fit with her calender and the baby. This is my own opinion.

So you are indeed saying, that Mary had the visit in Australia scheduled at the same time as Charles out of pure meanness? As the visit from Charles was announced after the visit from Mary and Fred, and I doubt that the BRF called up the DRF to tell them "Charles will be in Australia from x to x, so stay out of the country to not steal the limelight!".
The Danish Royal Court first checked if there were any conflicting appointments when the invitation from the Australian hosts came. Btw. which baby are you talking about? Christian was born in October 2005.

[nwinther]

Originally Posted by ricarda

I too don't see the Regent Couple at either event.

Just adding fuel to a fire: By sending the Regent Couple you force W&C to recognize the seniority (in rank) of the guest (i.e. they'll have to bow/courtsy to the Queen and Prince consort as Royal HoS, whereas they won't have to if it's just J&M. Someone could find pleasure in that).

As to who is invited/who is going, I think the invitations extended are rather open. It would be an insult to invite, say, J&M directly and not the Queen herself. So it's surely an invitation with an RSVP that has the effect "You can send two - pleas inform us who it'll be".

Perhaps there is some coordination in that European forum (forgot the name) where the court administratives meet to coordinate and exchange views and experiences on royal matters.

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by nwinther

Just adding fuel to a fire: By sending the Regent Couple you force W&C to recognize the seniority (in rank) of the guest (i.e. they'll have to bow/courtsy to the Queen and Prince consort as Royal HoS, whereas they won't have to if it's just J&M. Someone could find pleasure in that).

On the other hand, that didn't appear to be a problem at the Continental weddings.

[grevinnan]

[QUOTE=Lumutqueen;1208633]I'm sure for Mary they could have reschedueled. Princes Charles future King of Australia, against Princess Mary who's just a woman who was born their and will reign over Denmark.

CP Mary will not reign over Denmark anymore the P. Henrik is reigning over it now.

[Alison20]

I believe that the Danish and British RFs are actually in quite close contact. Just because there aren't many 'official' meetings doesn't mean that they are not in contact. I remember seeing Queen Margarethe on the BP balcony at a Remembrance Day ceremony a few years ago. I also know that she was over at Balmoral Castle for a private visit some years ago. They are fairly closely related (? 3rd cousins), so I think they probably communicate quite amicably about such family matters.

It is true that following the First World War the 'Windsors' withdrew from contact with most Continental Royals - there was even a big problem with Prince Philip's 4 sisters all being married to German princes, and none were invited to his wedding in 1947. The Queen herself is never seen holidaying abroad, although she has attended many important birthday and other celebrations of fellow senior European RFs. She is also particularly close with the former Greek monarchs (and Queen Anne is a sister of Queen Margarethe), who have largely lived in London since they were deposed.

As to the protocol of bowing/curtseying to those higher up the social scale - this is so much inbred in all RF members that I don't for a moment think it causes them any problem. Only if you are the Monarch do you not have to stop and think, because you know that every one is either your equal or your inferior!!

[Sternchen]

Wasn't there also a group-photo of all the Monarchs with QEII for her birthday?

[nwinther]

Originally Posted by Alison20

As to the protocol of bowing/curtseying to those higher up the social scale - this is so much inbred in all RF members that I don't for a moment think it causes them any problem. Only if you are the Monarch do you not have to stop and think, because you know that every one is either your equal or your inferior!!

I don't know. Queen Victoria was raised to Empress (of India) because her daughter, married to the German Crown Prince, would soon become Empress herself. And the British didn't want Victoria to be "subordinary" to her own daughter.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by Sternchen

Wasn't there also a group-photo of all the Monarchs with QEII for her birthday?

There was one at the Golden Jubilee.
http://img159.imageshack.us/img159/2354/x0011392yf.jpg

Btw, this thread is really derailing to "The DRF and the British wedding".

[Alison20]

Duke of Marmalade - thanks for posting that picture - I really like it!

[camelot23ca]

Duke of Marmalade, that's a wonderful picture, and one I'd never seen before. Thanks for posting it!

I imagine the royals themselves consider this issue differently than it's been sometimes portrayed on this board. The European royal houses would have been invited to the wedding because that's the way things are done, period. Whoever shows up from each of the families, shows up. I doubt William and Catherine, or any of their staff, are expending any sort of mental energy worrying about whether it's Mary and Frederik or Joachim or Queen Margrethe; as long as they're given enough notice so they can arrange the seating in the abbey I think they'll be happy. Similarly I also doubt that the Danes, for example, are spending much time thinking, "well, so and so came to our wedding but then we sent X to Y in London a couple of years ago and QEII never goes to weddings and who do those Brits think they are anyway - let's send Prince Henrik Jr, he's way down at the bottom of the succession list, that'll show them! Bonus points if he throws a tantrum during the ceremony!"

[Viv]

Originally Posted by camelot23ca

Similarly I also doubt that the Danes, for example, are spending much time thinking, "well, so and so came to our wedding but then we sent X to Y in London a couple of years ago and QEII never goes to weddings and who do those Brits think they are anyway - let's send Prince Henrik Jr, he's way down at the bottom of the succession list, that'll show them! Bonus points if he throws a tantrum during the ceremony!"

Ah.. this is where you may be wrong! You're correct in so far that no Danes are losing any sleep over it! However for royalty watchers it's a different story, and for royalty watchers contributing to a royalty forum, there's really something to discuss ! It certainly wasn't lost on any Danes watching, that the BRF sent egg no. 4 to Danish egg no. 1's wedding! The Pow had been attending CPly weddings before and after May 14th 2004, but on that particular day he chose to be on Mount Athos! Snub, anyone?

Viv