What irks me slightly is that on occasion I notice the Queen and Prince Consort almost brushing aside the act and while the ladies curtsey they have almost moved onto the next person.
Agree, if you only judge from the pictures. The curtsey, from both Mary and Marie takes at most about two seconds. It happens fast!
If you look in one of the pictures, it looks to me that That Mary is very much using Henrik's hand as support. She has a fairly firm grip on her hand.
- And it takes place
after the kissing of the cheeks.
A bow or a curtsey can be compared to a salute. You still salute whether it's noticed or not.
And it's also a fine balance. If the Regent Couple were to stand still and just keep looking at M&M while they curtsey, it can so easily be misinterpreted.
Something akin to: "Now Mary/Marie, be sure to remember to curtsey for me. You must show me respect. Good. There's a good girl".
Jon Bloch Skipper, a historian, was asked recently why Frederik and Joachim do not bow. He suggested that they did not in order not to be seen as too formal, almost akward in their behaviour. In other words that onlookers would appreciate the warmer kisses between what is after all family members more, than the formal show of respect by bowing.
Denmark is a society with a lot of emphasis on egalitarianism. Many show their respect for the DRF by bowing/curtseying, because they
want to, not because they
have to. And it is perhaps in this light we should view these nuances in behaviour.
As for the MP's who only nodded slightly, mentioned by nwinther. Mogens Lykketoft is a Social Democrat, and leaning towards the left of that party. Holger K. Nielsen, is from the Socialist People's Party. Their behavior is founded in their political beliefs. Both of them respect QMII very much, but they do not, from an ideological point of view accept the concept of a majesty. As such they do not bow.
Søren Espersen, is from the Danish People's Party. Which is a nationalist party (perhaps more correctly, extreme right wing Social Democrats, but that's another story) which is very much in favour of the monarchy, as such it would be most unfortunate, if he did not bow to QMII.
No I wouldn't imagine that they do. Is there an Order of Precedence in Denmark as there is in the UK? If that is the case, don't they rank higher than her as a result of their marriage.
Something like this:
Queen of Denmark (Henrik)
Crown Prince Frederik (Mary)
Prince Joachim (Marie)
Beneditke
Elizabeth
As Frederik currently outranks his father, etc.
That's correct. Mary and Marie follow their husbands.
Constitutionally speaking Frederik already outranks his father. According to the protocol, he does not, - as long as QMII is alive.
The second Frederik become a king, he outranks everybody else in every official capacity.
What respect he will show his father, as a widower, in private is interesting to speculate about.
Theoretically speaking there is nothing to hinder Mary from acting as a Regent (actually Rigsforstander) in case, QMII, Frederik, Joachim and Benedikte were incapacitated or outside Danish soil.
In which case, Mary would constitutionally speaking outrank her father-in-law.
- One might fear he would get another fit!
