Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg's Charities and Patronages


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Calm your tits people. I don't get neither bitterness nor jealousy from the original Danish language article. It might come across as a strange comment given the age of her sons but as a mother I imagine that she feels that they still need having their father around.
 
Okay, time for a full translation I think.
Polyesco's translation was correct, :flowers: but Google doesn't get the nuances.

Q: How are the boys in regards to M&J moving to Paris?
A: (Laughing slightly.)
Jeg tror, de har det bedre, end jeg har. - Vi var to herhjemme.
"I think they feel better about it, than I do. - We were two here at home."

Q: Havde de helst set, at Joachim var blevet hjemme?
"Had You preferred that Joachim had stayed at home?"
A: Jeg skal ikke beslutte, hvad han vil, og selvfølgelig er det en stor og spændende udfordring for ham, men det er rart, når man er to forældre om børn,«
"I am not to decide what he wants and of course it's a big and exciting challenge for him, but it is nice when you are two parents taking care of/looking after children."

Nikolai and Felix are looking forward to visiting daddy in Paris:
A: (Grinning.) De siger, at nu har de et sted at bo der og en god guide,
"They say that they now have a place to stay there and a good guide."

They haven't yet visited J&M though.
A: Nej, ikke endnu. Han skal lige have lov til at falde på plads og have deres to børn dernede i skole og nyt job og det hele
"No, not yet. He needs time to settle in and have their two children start school down there and a new job and all."

Alexandra declined to get into too many details about her future plans, except that it involved giving lectures/speeches.

- It is my impression that Alexandra is a little miffed she wasn't counseled by Joachim before he (and our Marie) decided to move to Paris.
But come on, Nikolai has already moved away from home. He left home years ago in fact and he is not coming back, that's for sure! That's life and that's how it should be.
And Felix is still in high school and as such he lives at home anyway, so she still keeps an eye on him on a day to day basis. With Joachim until now basically standing in from time to time after school and during weekends.
So not much will have changed and it's no different from other divorced dads who are stationed abroad for a period. They can't come home and take an active part in their children's lives during that period either.

I also think it does smells like a clean break from her protections when her apanage ends.
We can discuss how much value she has as a figurehead for a cause today. It is after all quite a few years since she was royal. To put it brutally.
We can also discuss how sincere she was in regards to her protections if she drops them when her apanage ends. But to that you can argue, that there is nothing to hinder her from continuing to support causes, as a private person.
And if I am to be cynical. Nikolai and Felix are so far away from the throne that they will rarely have anything to do with the official side of the DRF anyway, so they will have to make a life for themselves. And while a title of Prince might be an advantage in some respects, I will claim that the less "royal" they are, the better for them. And having a mother who is acting semi-royal by being a patron of this and that might be a hindrance for Nikolai and Felix.
Out of sight, out of mind = much more freedom for Nikolai and Felix. - If you get my meaning.
 
Okay, time for a full translation I think.
Polyesco's translation was correct, :flowers: but Google doesn't get the nuances.

Q: How are the boys in regards to M&J moving to Paris?
A: (Laughing slightly.)
Jeg tror, de har det bedre, end jeg har. - Vi var to herhjemme.
"I think they feel better about it, than I do. - We were two here at home."

Q: Havde de helst set, at Joachim var blevet hjemme?
"Had You preferred that Joachim had stayed at home?"
A: Jeg skal ikke beslutte, hvad han vil, og selvfølgelig er det en stor og spændende udfordring for ham, men det er rart, når man er to forældre om børn,«
"I am not to decide what he wants and of course it's a big and exciting challenge for him, but it is nice when you are two parents taking care of/looking after children."

Nikolai and Felix are looking forward to visiting daddy in Paris:
A: (Grinning.) De siger, at nu har de et sted at bo der og en god guide,
"They say that they now have a place to stay there and a good guide."

They haven't yet visited J&M though.
A: Nej, ikke endnu. Han skal lige have lov til at falde på plads og have deres to børn dernede i skole og nyt job og det hele
"No, not yet. He needs time to settle in and have their two children start school down there and a new job and all."

Alexandra declined to get into too many details about her future plans, except that it involved giving lectures/speeches.

- It is my impression that Alexandra is a little miffed she wasn't counseled by Joachim before he (and our Marie) decided to move to Paris.
But come on, Nikolai has already moved away from home. He left home years ago in fact and he is not coming back, that's for sure! That's life and that's how it should be.
And Felix is still in high school and as such he lives at home anyway, so she still keeps an eye on him on a day to day basis. With Joachim until now basically standing in from time to time after school and during weekends.
So not much will have changed and it's no different from other divorced dads who are stationed abroad for a period. They can't come home and take an active part in their children's lives during that period either.

I also think it does smells like a clean break from her protections when her apanage ends.
We can discuss how much value she has as a figurehead for a cause today. It is after all quite a few years since she was royal. To put it brutally.
We can also discuss how sincere she was in regards to her protections if she drops them when her apanage ends. But to that you can argue, that there is nothing to hinder her from continuing to support causes, as a private person.
And if I am to be cynical. Nikolai and Felix are so far away from the throne that they will rarely have anything to do with the official side of the DRF anyway, so they will have to make a life for themselves. And while a title of Prince might be an advantage in some respects, I will claim that the less "royal" they are, the better for them. And having a mother who is acting semi-royal by being a patron of this and that might be a hindrance for Nikolai and Felix.
Out of sight, out of mind = much more freedom for Nikolai and Felix. - If you get my meaning.

Sounds like she a little more than just miffed. From the text I bolded, it's a dig at Joachim for going to Paris without consulting her. And I don't understand why he would need too. From the way she answered those questions, if I hadn't of known Nikolai and Felix were aged 20 and 17 respectively, I would have assumed her children were primary-school aged. And they are far from that.
 
Permit me to venture into the realm of psychology here and present a thought:

Alexandra are seeing those nearest to her move on with their own lives, "leaving" her behind, - alone.

It is I think a very common and human feeling.

First Nikolai has left for good - and he has found girlfriend who is now the most important woman in his life and they are busy nesting. (Whether it will last is of course an open question, but right now they are nesting.)
Felix is 17, he is also becoming more and more independent - it would be terrible if he wasn't! Next year he is to appear before the draft-board, and in contrast to his brother, it is my impression that Felix is more physical, so he might sign up for the military.
He is unlikely to return home after that, except for a brief period, until he finds somewhere to live.
Joachim is happy in his life and has moved to France (permanently?) so she hasn't got him anymore either, to talk children (and anything else) with.
She is still hands on in regards to Nikolai's modelling career, but he is going to be very busy at CBS now, and in his spare time he has his girlfriend, so it will only be a matter of time before he either drops his modelling career (that has pretty much been hinted IMO) and/or tell his mother to back off in that regard.

On top of that I think Alexandra must still be smarting from her last two relationships, Martin Jørgensen and the fraudster. That would only be natural.

So for me, it would only be natural that she should feel a sense of abandonment, until she has come to terms with her sons leaving and settling into a new routine. Now even more out of the limelight.

You are after all both happy and proud when your children leave home - but also a little sad.
 
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It's called "Syndrom of abandoned nest".

Who is "fraudster"
 
JMHO, but I think Alexandra is going to be one of the sadder stories amongst royal families. She had hoped to find love and a life with someone new and, unfortunately, both relationships failed. I hope she finds a strong, permanent relationship.
 
Permit me to venture into the realm of psychology here and present a thought:

Alexandra are seeing those nearest to her move on with their own lives, "leaving" her behind, - alone.

It is I think a very common and human feeling.

First Nikolai has left for good - and he has found girlfriend who is now the most important woman in his life and they are busy nesting. (Whether it will last is of course an open question, but right now they are nesting.)
Felix is 17, he is also becoming more and more independent - it would be terrible if he wasn't! Next year he is to appear before the draft-board, and in contrast to his brother, it is my impression that Felix is more physical, so he might sign up for the military.
He is unlikely to return home after that, except for a brief period, until he finds somewhere to live.
Joachim is happy in his life and has moved to France (permanently?) so she hasn't got him anymore either, to talk children (and anything else) with.
She is still hands on in regards to Nikolai's modelling career, but he is going to be very busy at CBS now, and in his spare time he has his girlfriend, so it will only be a matter of time before he either drops his modelling career (that has pretty much been hinted IMO) and/or tell his mother to back off in that regard.

On top of that I think Alexandra must still be smarting from her last two relationships, Martin Jørgensen and the fraudster. That would only be natural.

So for me, it would only be natural that she should feel a sense of abandonment, until she has come to terms with her sons leaving and settling into a new routine. Now even more out of the limelight.

You are after all both happy and proud when your children leave home - but also a little sad.

I couldn't agree more with your above comments, Muhler.

It's clear Alexandra is starting to feel more like an empty-nester; and her hold over her sons is slipping. Taking aim at her ex-husband's ambitions is making her seem bitter. Even worse when she's using her sons as the bullets.

I truly hope she finds inner peace and happiness in her life.
 
BT is currently writing a series about the most wealthy businessmen and families in DK, some of whom are very discreet!
https://www.bt.dk/kendte/alexandras...este-det-er-ikke-mig-at-loebe-op-ad-den-roede

One of them is 62 year old Mikael Goldscmidt, who is a personal friend of Alexandra.
A self-made billionaire Goldschmidt has helped Alexandra on a number of occasions.
When Alexandra sold her house in Gentofte, a short while after the breark-up with Martin Jørgensen, it was Goldschmidt who offered her a luxury apartment he owns in downtown Copenhagen, that she could rent, until she was ready to move into her current home.

When Nikolai left the army, it was Goldschmidt, who offered him in internship in his business.

He is an extremely shrewd businessman, with an exceptional good nose for when to buy and especially for when to sell. As such he came out on top of the recent financial recession, because he sold most of his properties before the financial crisis was a fact.
I would not be the least bit surprised if he offer Alexandra advise on her investments - now.
It is certainly clear to me that Martin Jørgensen would never have been allowed to, let alone getting away, with squandering a not insignificant amount of Alexandra's money on his "investments" had Goldscmidt been in over it as well.

- I mention this because in order to get a fuller picture of the DRF (and former DRF-members) you need to look at who their friends are.
 
Alexandra stops as patron for the National Association for Infant Mortality.
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kendte/danmark/adelhof/grevinde-alexandra-siger-stop

She will be stepping down by the end of this year. In her statement she doesn't give a reason for stopping.
Her last job, so to speak, for the association will be on Sunday, at a service in Vor Frue Church (Isn't that the cathedral?) in Copenhagen.
Traditionally Alexandra has at this annual service read aloud the names of the dead infants. (Presumably those who have died within the past twelve months.)
 
Alexandra's decision is being praised by two royal experts, Sebastian Olden-Jørgensen and Søren Jacobsen.

https://www.bt.dk/royale/grevinde-alexandra-faar-ros-god-doemmekraft-og-klog-beslutning

They believe that since Alexandra receiving an apanage ends when Felix turns eighteen, it's a proper and wise decision of her to quietly give up her protections, as she is now getting even further away from the DRF. (In not getting an apanage.)
There was nothing to hinder her from remaining a patron, but they still believe it's wise, symbolically, to know when it's time to move over.

They also praise her for acting with discretion in regards to her divorce from Joachim. While she has said (or let slip) a very few details about her divorce from Martin Jørgensen, she has never said a word about Joachim.
 
Will she be succeeded as patron by another royal person?
 
:previous: Eventually, I guess. It's a good cause, worthy of support.

My initial thought was that it might wait for one of M&F's children, perhaps Isabella.
But no, I now think it must be a royal, who is also a parent.
Who is better than a parent to truly begin to understand how it must be to lose a child?
 
Alexandra stops as patron for the National Association for Infant Mortality.
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kendte/danmark/adelhof/grevinde-alexandra-siger-stop

She will be stepping down by the end of this year. In her statement she doesn't give a reason for stopping.
Her last job, so to speak, for the association will be on Sunday, at a service in Vor Frue Church (Isn't that the cathedral?) in Copenhagen.
Traditionally Alexandra has at this annual service read aloud the names of the dead infants. (Presumably those who have died within the past twelve months.)

Countess Alexandra participated for the last time at the memorial service of the Association Infant Mortality in the cathedral of Copenhagen

https://www.ppe-agency.com/show.php?zoektype=2&search=03-11-2019 Countess
 
Alexandra on the cover of the magazine Strada, where she talks about homlessness and homeless people.
https://gademagasin.dk/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Strada5_281019_Final_Lowres.png

The magazine is behind a paywall, but of more immediate interest here is the photo.

I understand Finland has more or less eradicated homelessness. I don't know the details though.

In DK there are of course people who are homeless as well, most suffer from some sort of addiction, alcohol or drugs. Others from various forms of mental disorders and then there are those who for whatever reasons don't really fit in. They become vagabonds or as they call themselves Landevejsriddere = Knights of the Road. - There are less than 100 of these, who form a lose network and conform to various unwritten rules within their community. Like not stealing. They meet once every summer in Jutland. - Which is also frequented by kindergartens and school classes who use this opportunity to talk with real homeless people about living a life as a homeless and why they ended up there.
That's the more romantic part of homelessness.

Most are not living on the street because they want to. And while the social services help them find a place to live, many end up being evicted, because they don't pay their rent or act in a way they leads to the being kicked out.

If they are Danish citizens or have a residence permit they are eligible for social welfare, but you need to have a fixed address to have a bank account, so most homeless walk into a social service office where they get enough money in cash to last them through the day, even though many end up buying alcohol or drugs for the money. They are the hopeless cases, those that cannot be "activated" because unless you are sick, you have to work or go through an education in order to qualify for social welfare. Of course an alcoholic can't do that.

Many supplement their welfare by odd jobs, begging, collecting bottles (they are recycled for money, and you can actually earn fairly well collecting bottles) or selling a homeless paper. The money they earn from selling the paper go to the homeless himself. It is a kind of legalized begging, but the paper is actually an interesting read. And the homeless have to conform to certain standards in their behavior or they lose the right to sell the paper. No public drunkenness, no plaguing people and not too unwashed.
Most homeless own a phone, partly for practical and social reasons, but also to call for help in an emergency and last but not least, so they can read letters from the municipality or doctor etc.
Also interestingly, many homeless own a large dog - apart from being a companion and protection, they also get extra welfare to cover the needs of the dog.

At the very bottom are those who hopeless drug addicts being constantly high. They live a precarious - and often short - life. They are too messed up to even being able to able to collect welfare. And they are usually barred from the homeless shelters, due to their behavior. They have to resort to begging and petty theft to get their next fix until one day they overdose in a public toilet somewhere.

Those I have described so far are citizens and residents. To that come probably an equal large group of foreigners without residence permit. They don't exist on paper and as such don't get welfare, so they have to rely on very odd jobs, begging and stealing as well as collecting bottles. Eventually they are destined to be picked up by the police and deported.

- It's cold these days and there are not enough room in the shelters to accommodate all, so some will commit minor crimes in order to - if they are lucky - spend the night in jail. And if they time it right, in time for a hot meal.

Most homeless gather in groups in the city centers, for social reasons and because something happens there to break the tedium. Much to the annoyance of local residents and shop owners. The police usually leave them alone unless they disturb the peace, fight or harass people. Because most ordinary people are left alone, also in the buses. (In many places in DK you check yourself in at the public transport but if caught riding without having paid the fine is very hefty!) Beforehand when I rode the buses in Aarhus I would sometimes listen in on the conversations between homeless people and many such conversations were very informed about current event and often downright philosophical. I guess there is plenty of time for pondering when you live on the streets. - To more amusing episodes, one I will never forget were two drunk (female) homeless who sang a less than flattering song about their social worker.

My brother-in-law when he was young and had his small daughter, would often park near a group of homeless and leave the car unlocked, asking them to look after his car and (usually sleeping) daughter. In return he would buy some beers or give them money. No one, no one at all would be allowed to touch that car! (Including parking wardens...) Many had after all had families, good jobs and children, before ending up on the streets, so my brother-in-law showed trust and respect and that was much appreciated and they lived up to that trust.
No one dreams about ending up on the street...

- I realize that this is very similar to how it is in many other countries, so this was just a picture of how it is here in DK.

And finally a couple of Knights of the Road in their very recognizable attire.
https://images.jfmedier.dk/images/4...417_4_90_0_0_4032_3024_1440_1080_d0add7bc.jpg
https://image.isu.pub/150818170512-f261a1a9619b4f3edaa6ebae2b5af849/jpg/page_1.jpg
 
Countess Alexandra as Patron of the Parkinson Society participated in the Parkinson's Unity Walk yesterday, May 13.

Asked about how she was, she answered she had had better years than the last one (directed at the title drama), but that she was fine and planned to spend some time with her sons this summer.


** BB article: Grevinde Alexandra havde ikke sine sønner med til Parkinson Unity Walk: Se hvem hun havde med i stedet **


** BB article: Grevinde Alexandra efter hårdt år: Det glæder hun sig til **
 
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