Madeleine and Chris: Media and Public Opinion

[Kellydofc]

I also believe there have been preesure from the RF towards Madie to come back in Sweden, and that is not necessarily to the satisfaction of Chris. The younger generation will require a close relationship between Estelle and Leonore.

I think that generation will all be quite close. I think that M&C will be done after this baby and that CP&S will only have 2 as well. That means that generation of the royal family will be 5 people and their potential spouses which is not that huge. I really think there is a reason that the royal family released those pictures of Estelle and Leonore and I don't think it was just to show a happy family, otherwise it wouldn't have been just the two girls.

 

[MoonShadow123]

As to whether all this media criticism of Madeleine is deserved or not I honestly don't know, however to me it would seem it is getting a little out of hand. There are more important and serious issues happening in this world, in my opinion.

 

[MARG]

I have to agree. To me it's just a media variation of the various monarchies good prince, bad prince theme, with Charles versus Andrew and later William versus Harry. Phillipe versus Laurent and so it's got to be, good Princess Victoria versus bad Princess Madeleine.

The gossips have to have a protagonist and antagonist of the same gender which is why Princess Anne doesn't feature, nor does Prince Carl-Philip. Basically, when it comes to stories about such goings on, a exceptionally large pinch of salt is required.

 

[LadyFinn]

The court and Madeleine should herself think how to make her image better. For instance, she would have got positive press if she would have been even on just one day at the Nordic Ski World Championships in Falun, like the rest of the family and Sofia. Royals cheering for their own athletes gives always positive press. Now Madeleine seems like a total outsider.

 

[Marengo]

I doubt that it would have led to good press. At this point people are twisting anything that she does. So instead of being praised for her attendance some people would probably be angry that she takes the limelight away from her sister & nieceor that she doesn't do other public duties while in Sweden. Reality has little to do with the present negative mood.

 

[LadyFinn]

I doubt that it would have led to good press. At this point people are twisting anything that she does. So instead of being praised for her attendance some people would probably be angry that she takes the limelight away from her sister & nieceor that she doesn't do other public duties while in Sweden. Reality has little to do with the present negative mood.

She could have gone to Falun on Tuesday 24th February when there was no one else from the family. Then no one could have accused her of stealing the attention from anyone. Carl Philip and Sofia were in Falun for two days without anyone else from the royal family.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I agree that Madeleine should have gone to Falun. Instead she went to a luxus vacation and had to endure headlines that she is lonely.

Is she a member of the SRF or not? It seems to me that sometimes she is (big events) and sometimes she isn't (bread & butter events). Falun was such a bread & butter event, where the SRF cheers on their folk and mingle with athletes and other royals. But it seems that Madeleine had better things to do (holiday).

 

[Bine221]

I agree that Madeleine should have gone to Falun. Instead she went to a luxus vacation and had to endure headlines that she is lonely.

Is she a member of the SRF or not? It seems to me that sometimes she is (big events) and sometimes she isn't (bread & butter events). Falun was such a bread & butter event, where the SRF cheers on their folk and mingle with athletes and other royals. But it seems that Madeleine had better things to do (holiday).

Absolutely correct.
I feel a bit pity for her, that she is doing nothing "right" at the Moment.... but it is also her fault..... it gives the Impression she has lost "sense" for the mood of the Swedish People since moving to NYC. This is something she should improve ASAP - getting more sensible on what to do and what NOT to do....
BYe Bine

 

[MoonShadow123]

There does seem to some sort of sense that Madeleine is in a "no win situation" she can never seem to do anything right by some. By all means I'm not suggesting that Madeleine has not helped matters to a certain degree, however like I said earlier all of this criticism is getting a little out of hand.

 

[Anne2]

I agree that Madeleine should have gone to Falun. Instead she went to a luxus vacation and had to endure headlines that she is lonely.

Is she a member of the SRF or not? It seems to me that sometimes she is (big events) and sometimes she isn't (bread & butter events). Falun was such a bread & butter event, where the SRF cheers on their folk and mingle with athletes and other royals. But it seems that Madeleine had better things to do (holiday).

I believe the RF was sufficiently well represented, and as she is pregnant I see no need to be standing in Falun with cold temperature. As others say, whatever she does is wrong in these days...

 

[Marty91charmed]

I suppose the mags will blame her even for expecting a child in June Just wait until the wedding and you'll see titles like:" Mean Madeleine steals the bride show" and so on

 

[LadyFinn]

I believe the RF was sufficiently well represented, and as she is pregnant I see no need to be standing in Falun with cold temperature. As others say, whatever she does is wrong in these days...

I'm sure that there were many pregnant woman at the championships in Falun. The court hasn't said that she has difficult pregnancy and she was seen skiing in Gstaad. For instance, at the women's relay day she could have gone there, the competition lasted about 50 minutes and leave back to Stockholm. Very easily she could have shown that she wants to support the swedish skiers like all the others in the royal family and almost every Swede. There wasn't sub zero temperature in Falun hardly on any day. These kind of sports events are also about mingling, there are presidents, prime ministers, other ministers from abroad and Sweden and important people from Sweden attending. And like Duke of Marmalade said, these are the bread and butter events.

Another day when she could have got positive press was the Holocaust memorial. Carl Philip was in a work trip in France, but all the other members of the royal family attended at Holocaust events, Victoria in Poland and the others in Stockholm. The press wrote that they attended at these events. The press in Sweden and everywhere wrote a lot of Holocaust. Madeleine could have gone to some event which would have lasted about an hour and showed that she cares.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I believe the RF was sufficiently well represented, and as she is pregnant I see no need to be standing in Falun with cold temperature. As others say, whatever she does is wrong in these days...

It's cold in Gstaad too and Madeleine is pregnant, not ill. The court just confirmed that she feels great, so I guess it's a question of choice again, holiday (or whatever comes in more handy) over duty.

 

[xenobia]

I still insist that Madeleine&Chris need help. They should talk to a good PR-person, who knows how to deal with the press, and can advise them on how to handle this mess. Because it is a mess.


And no, I'm not suggesting that they should have their own PR-department. Just that they should get professional advice right now.

 

[Marengo]

Well, cheering sporters in a winter resort in Sweden is for most people a form of leisure too. And what use it is to be number 7 there of the RF? The RF was already represented by the king, queen, crown princess, prince Daniel, princess Estelle and price Carl Philip.

Why does she need any help? There is little they can do against a press campaign like this, unless they want to sell themselves out as others have done in the past. The best thing to do is to continue to live their live the way they want it and perhaps slowly to disappear into the shadows as the kings sisters have done to a large extend.

She doesn't receive an income by the state, so any public duty she does is a nice bonus.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

The best thing to do is to continue to live their live the way they want it and perhaps slowly to disappear into the shadows as the kings sisters have done to a large extend.

She doesn't receive an income by the state, so any public duty she does is a nice bonus.

But that is not what they do. They pop up at the highest level when it suits.

 

[LadyFinn]

Well, cheering sporters in a winter resort in Sweden is for most people a form of leisure too. And what use it is to be number 7 there of the RF? The RF was already represented by the king, queen, crown princess, prince Daniel, princess Estelle and price Carl Philip.

Why does she need any help? There is little they can do against a press campaign like this, unless they want to sell themselves out as others have done in the past. The best thing to do is to continue to live their live the way they want it and perhaps slowly to disappear into the shadows as the kings sisters have done to a large extend.

She doesn't receive an income by the state, so any public duty she does is a nice bonus.

But that is just the point. The people love to see their royals act like "common" people, cheering for athletes, meet them at the sports events etc. The members of the royal family love sports. They want to support their athletes. Maybe Madeleine doesn't but at the same time she shows with her acting that she isn't interested in working at the normal events. I'm sure that now in the beginning of the year and in the spring there are a lot of events regarding the children's welfare, where she could attend. If she wants to have a maternity leave until the second child is born, it is totally fine. But then she shouldn't have attended at the representation dinner either.
And she gets the apanage when she attends at the events, so I think that her dress at the representation dinner was paid from the apanage.

During the time Madeleine lived in USA, she didn't do many "bread and butter" events when she was in Sweden, she attended just at the family celebrations, Nobels and parliament openings.

 

[Winnie]

But that is not what they do. They pop up at the highest level when it suits.

I guess I shouldn't say this, but I truly don't think that Madie cares about public opinion all that much. She will do what she wants when she wants. She is a sweet, nice looking woman that will float through life that way and be content in her life. She always appears to be truly insolated and self protected to me. JMO

 

[LadyFinn]

The storm of critics to princess Madeleine grows stronger
Kritikerstormen mot prinsessan Madeleine växer sig starkare Stoppa Pressarna

Princess Madeleine in the footsteps of Infanta Cristina
La princesa Magdalena de Suecia, tras los pasos de la infanta Cristina.

 

[acdc1]

I've noticed that Madeleine and Chris have been a bit more active within the past month, and have been bringing Leonore on some of their "official" duties, for instance, meeting the Pope.

Has this helped their public opinion at all?

Additionally, their bringing Leonore on public duties indicates, at least to me, that they are preparing her for a future active role as a member of the royal family (like Victoria and Daniel bring Estelle on many of their official visits or duties). Is this M&C's wish, or perhaps the desire of the Swedish Royal Family, since for the time being Leonore is the "spare" of this generation?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

[...]
Additionally, their bringing Leonore on public duties indicates, at least to me, that they are preparing her for a future active role as a member of the royal family [...]

I think you read way too much in this. It was an unique opportunity for the Princess and her family to meet the Pope in private. As her husband is Catholic, it might have meant a lot to him, to see his precious little daughter blessed and kissed by the Pontiff. It really says nothing about a future active role, the kid is just one year old...

 

[Mbruno]

I've noticed that Madeleine and Chris have been a bit more active within the past month, and have been bringing Leonore on some of their "official" duties, for instance, meeting the Pope.

Has this helped their public opinion at all?

Additionally, their bringing Leonore on public duties indicates, at least to me, that they are preparing her for a future active role as a member of the royal family (like Victoria and Daniel bring Estelle on many of their official visits or duties). Is this M&C's wish, or perhaps the desire of the Swedish Royal Family, since for the time being Leonore is the "spare" of this generation?

I believe their latest "happy family appearance" in the audience with the Pope may have eased some of the media speculation about a crisis in their marriage. But, then again, Chris didn't show up for the King's 69th birthday celebrations.

 

[princess carmen]

The press seems to like to invent problems. Chris has a job he is not a royal therefore no need for him to attend every event.

 

[Marty91charmed]

If Chrishad been ther, it would certainly rise complaints as to why he went there. Just saying... Press has it at this couple, seriously...

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

The press seems to like to invent problems. Chris has a job he is not a royal therefore no need for him to attend every event.

That's exactly the problem, because he choses what events to attend. Meeting with the Pope, who would miss that? FIL's birthday, nah, I've got something better to do. We don't know what business is Chris attending to but it gives the impression that he makes himself available when it suits HIM.

If he wants to be a private person than be a private person but don't surface every time something big is on the agenda.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

That's exactly the problem, because he choses what events to attend. Meeting with the Pope, who would miss that? FIL's birthday, nah, I've got something better to do. We don't know what business is Chris attending to but it gives the impression that he makes himself available when it suits HIM.

If he wants to be a private person than be a private person but don't surface every time something big is on the agenda.

I am a Catholic so maybe I am biased, but meeting the Pope in a private audience, together with your wife and your precious little daughter, is really hors categorie and an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So Mr O'Neill has my full understanding for being there, at the Vatican. He has to be selective, he still has to run a business and to make money for his expensive spouse... I guess it is a selection of this or that, not a selection of this and that.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I am a Catholic so maybe I am biased, but meeting the Pope in a private audience, together with your wife and your precious little daughter, is really hors categorie and an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So Mr O'Neill has my full understanding for being there, at the Vatican. He has to be selective, he still has to run a business and to make money for his expensive spouse... I guess it is a selection of this or that, not a selection of this and that.

of course you are right, but the fact that he does a selection opens the door to critizism, he only got the audience because he is related to the SRF. So in cases like these he seizes the opportunity and makes use of his connections while on other occasions he doesnt have time (even family events, FIL's birthday). Its understandable but questionable at the same time.

 

[Zonk]

Exactly...and who is not to say he didn't celebrate his father's in law's birthday privately with the rest of the family.

Let's face it folks...as a private citizen who works, who is married to a member of any royal family...there are going to be times during the royal work day when he is also working and won't be able to attend to certain events. So yes, he is going to pick and choose. I would imagine they are looking at his work schedule, and telling him of the events that he can possibly attend. Should he give up his job and live off the Swedish taxpayer

I am confused by what people want of Chris now. It seems to change daily.

Everyone uses family connections. It just that some connections are greater than others.

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

I am confused by what people want of Chris now. It seems to change daily.

Everyone uses family connections. It just that some connections are greater than others.

Sure, but don't be surprised of critizism or scrutiny.

 

[Moonmaiden23]

Exactly...and who is not to say he didn't celebrate his father's in law's birthday privately with the rest of the family.

Let's face it folks...as a private citizen who works, who is married to a member of any royal family...there are going to be times during the royal work day when he is also working and won't be able to attend to certain events. So yes, he is going to pick and choose. I would imagine they are looking at his work schedule, and telling him of the events that he can possibly attend. Should he give up his job and live off the Swedish taxpayer

I am confused by what people want of Chris now. It seems to change daily.

Everyone uses family connections. It just that some connections are greater than others.

This. I suspect if there is tension/problems in his marriage it has to do with his exasperation at the nitpicking and potshots from the media. Only the strongest person would not be driven bonkers.