Who Is The Most Professional Queen?

[Duc_et_Pair]

When Baudouin was alive, no two were as seamless as he and Fabiola. Now, I'd give that title to Harald and Sonja, whom I like very much.

Queen Regnant is hands down...no competition...Queen Elizabeth II. Long may she reign.

But eeerh... how is measured that Fabiola was "the most professional"? In post 147 you can read how Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands streamlined her court organization and enforced the implementation of ISO-standards for every possible function, action or material. That is what I call professionalism, the court and the "sister organizations" (the Royal House Archives, the Royal Forestry, the Royal Mews, the King's Cabinet, the King's Flight, etc.) are accessible for / accountable by internal and external audits.

From what I see, hear and read, the Belgian Court is (one of) the most unprofessional court organizations working today. Still not what someone's specialities are but WHO he/she is still very much define the access, place and career in that organization. So Queen Fabiola (or Queen Mathilde) as "most professional" is nice, congratulations to them, but WHY ???

 

[Lee-Z]

Depends a lot of which definition of Professional you use, but when using "skilled in an activity or profession" i can imagine people mentioning all of the ladies above

Q.Beatrix i would categorize as "the most businesslike" but that technically is not the same as "professional" (even though ofcourse imo Q.Beatrix was quite professional too)

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Queen Juliana "ruled the Netherlands" from her private residence, Soestdijk Palace. It functioned as a family home but necessarily also state functions were organized in that palace. The bulk of the court organization remained in The Hague, out of the eye of "the boss". Never a good idea. The court organization was also very much a clique. People did not need to apply for jobs. Instead the staff at the Court was asked to look for "trusted persons" in the own circle. It is the same as the Countess of Grantham asking Mrs Patmore (the cook): "Maybe you know someone who could assist you in the kitchen and recommend her to us?"

The court organization under Queen Juliana was characterized as "a lovely chaos". When people were giving a job or a commission, they remained there for the rest of their life. After retirement they often were given a grace and favour home, remaining connected to the Court. It resulted into an arch-loyal workforce but not necessarily the best equipped for their duties, not always the best and the brightest. Queen Beatrix started to make a strict separation between work and private. She moved to the Residence (The Hague). "The Boss" was in the house again. Instead of giving people a job or commission at the palace, in silence ministerial departments, the armed forces, the embassies, multinationals, etc. are "screened" and excellent candidates are detached into the service of the Queen (King) for a couple of years. Having on your curriculum that you were working at the palace is always a pro for the rest of a career... So the Queen managed to get a modern, professional Court without the dangers of a "clique" encapsulating the members of the Royal House: after a couple of years, people are moving again, to make a new step outside the Court.

The disadvantage is that the "romantic Household" with aristocrats, patricians and "old money" has disappeared for a major part. A new head of the Intendance of the Palaces? No, no Count so-and-so or a Baron this-and-that. We recommend an experienced executive from an Amsterdam or The Hague international five-star hotel to run the Intendance of the Palaces. A new Treasurer? No, no Lord this-and-that but an experienced manager from a private equity bank. All very professional but the "lovely chaos" has been replaced by "managers".

 

[maria-olivia]

Well said , but what do you think about the Press overshowing your Queen Maxima, people asking to be on pictured only with the Queen and King WA had to move !!

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Well said , but what do you think about the Press overshowing your Queen Maxima, people asking to be on pictured only with the Queen and King WA had to move !!

That has nothing to do with the professionalism of the Royal House, of course. It has everything to do with the immense popularity of Queen Máxima, which has been remarkably on a constante since her entrance into the family.

What can the courtiers do? Push the people away who scream for the Queen? Since the Investiture, when the King and Queen are doing an engagement together, the Queen really tries to keep the focus on the King but the people see the Queen and scream "Máxima! Máxima! Máxima!". The King doesn't seem to mind. He seems to love it that his wife is so popular. How can ever "win" with such a glamorous spouse?

 

[episcogal]

But eeerh... how is measured that Fabiola was "the most professional"? In post 147 you can read how Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands streamlined her court organization and enforced the implementation of ISO-standards for every possible function, action or material. That is what I call professionalism, the court and the "sister organizations" (the Royal House Archives, the Royal Forestry, the Royal Mews, the King's Cabinet, the King's Flight, etc.) are accessible for / accountable by internal and external audits.

From what I see, hear and read, the Belgian Court is (one of) the most unprofessional court organizations working today. Still not what someone's specialities are but WHO he/she is still very much define the access, place and career in that organization. So Queen Fabiola (or Queen Mathilde) as "most professional" is nice, congratulations to them, but WHY ???

I didn't use the word professional for Fabiola. I said the two of them were seamless as a team. She helped him, encouraged him and stood by him as rock solid, but I didn't use the term professional. To me, Fabiola was very warm and loving - not a cool type professional like QEII.

Fabiola did cut out a lot of costs related to her position while queen consort - she had her seamstresses copy couture pieces and formal gowns of friends, etc. She was extremely no-nonsense - they both were.

Fabiola was the first Belgian queen consort to do away with a traditional lady-in-waiting. She established a secretariat to address the problems brought to her attention through the letters she received from Belgian citizens. In that way, she was extremely professional.

However, I merely stated they were seamless as a team, and now I see that same seamless quality in Harald and Sonja, which I like very much.

 

[ladongas]

Dame Edna?

 

[royal rob]

Dame Edna?

Ha ha love it ??


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community

 

[Tarlita]

Well Dame Edna is certainly the funniest!

 

[cristal]

Belgium

Queen mathilde of course!

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Queen mathilde of course!

Why is she "the most professional"? That is what this thread is about.

The Belgian Court organization is a chaos. "Laeken" conflicting with "Belvédère". Poor interaction between the various departments. Poor handling of media (miscommuniction in the foundations of the late Queen Fabiola, miscommunications because the one royal dong interviews without the chef of the House even knowing it, amateuristic mistakes (first sending a Thank You-card for condoleances offered after "the death of Queen Paola"......... Queen Fabiola was meant, of course. Then a new card was sent, with thanks for the condoleances offered after "the death of King Fabiola".......... Queen Fabiola was meant.) The organization of the funeral was by accounts of experienced royalty watchers "a chaos".

Queen Mathilde has a lot of work to do, making her court organization working again according acceptable standards. I would say: look to the Dutch Court and start with implementing audits and ISO-standards. Make organization charts, handbooks, describe the processes and recruit for the best and the brightest, not because of "us-knows-us".

 

[Lee-Z]

^^^^^^
Well, if you are tackling this question in this way than the first question should be:
What is the job-description of the profession of "Queen"?
Only with a clear jobdescription you can than specify targets the Queen should accomplish and then define measurements in which the achievement of these targets is accomplished.

You seem to assume that implementating ISO standards and handbooks is a measurement for the professionalism of a queen, but if that's not in her jobdescription it's a moot point.

So as long as we don't have one official jobdescription for all queens in the world (maybe two, one for queen-regnant, one for queen-consort), any "measurement" we think we can apply is just our own vision on what a queen should do and when it comes down to it, that's nothing more or less than an opinion.

This thread is about opinions and therefore if someone considers Q.Mathilde or Q.ElizabethII or Q.Sonja or Q.Beatrix the most professional, all these opinions are equally valid and are not right or wrong.

(i voted for QEII in this poll, but only because the rockband Queen weren't on the list )

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I am just curious to learn why someone says: "Queen Fabiola" as most professional, or someone else. In my book professionalism says something about competences, skills, management and leadership. Especially for consorts like Queen Letizia or Grand Duchess Maria Teresa it is very diffficult to say how "professional" they are because we only see a pretty dressed lady waving. From the outside the role of a consort is: "Shut up, and be pretty!"

The only way to learn something about professionalism is to look how the courts are organized, how major events are "done", how smooth and dignified ceremonial proceedings are executed, how they present themselves to all various forms of (digital) media, how transparent the annual reports are and how a Court is reviewed by auditors from the State or indepedent organizations.

In my personal view, regarding all this, Queen Margrethe II is the most professional Queen. She presents the monarchy as a lean-and-mean, smooth running organization with a great eye for history, tradition and detail. The way the Danish Court presents itself, for an exemple via de website, is outstanding. The lack of "endurance" by the new Queens Máxima, Mathilde and Letizia makes that we can say little about them. They are still very much in a pre-set setting, left by their predecessors.


Queen Paola, for an example, comes over to me as a lady whom had little or no interest in the Belgian court organization. King Albert just went on with the courtiers already working under King Baudouin. That impression, a lady whom prefers to sit at Belvédère than to be "the boss" is purely fom the outside. God knows how different reality is. In Belgian media however, soon there were sounds of discontent leaking through the palace organization when Queen Mathilde took the reins. There were complaints about a "demanding Queen" and her wishes to be correctly addressed by "Your Majesty" and proper etiquette. Nothing outrageous at all. To me it is a proof that at least for two-three decades the Belgian court has become stuffy and sleepy and now are shocked to see a Queen who indeed really tries to change things.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I think its difficult to compare Queen Monarchs, such as Margrethe, QEII or Beatrix with Queen consorts such as Silvia, let alone those who only recently became Queen consorts. A monarch has far more power or opportunities to lead, change or leave your mark.

 

[episcogal]

I would submit that the efficiency of the court vs. the professionalism of the queen are not the same things. I thought we were talking the queen, not the entire inner-workings of the various courts.

I hope your continued irritation over the Belgian issue is NOT because I said Baudouin and Fabiola were a seamless royal couple? Because I explained where I was coming from relative to that statement and how I see that continuing through Harald and Sonja.

Just to be crystal clear, I think ALL the politics in Belgium is horridly watered-down and hopelessly bureaucratic. I VOTED for Queen Elizabeth II.

Peace to you, my friend.

 

[eya]

Of course I voted Queen Elizabeth. 63 years but this is more because although it is about 90 years old is active as ever. And that's professionalism. From the newest i say the Queen Mathilde he has to do more work and organization from the others.