Interview With Crownprincess Mary

[Chatleen]

I realize that some parts of the translation of the book 'Kronprinsesse Mary - fortæller til Anne Wolden-Ræthinge' already have been discussed in the thread 'Frederik And Mary News Part 4'.

However, as Thor from the RBMB kindly has allowed me to copy and post all of his translations, I decided to start a new thread.

The book is written by the danish journalist Anne Wolden-Ræthinge, based on her 7 three hours interviews with HRH Crownprincess Mary.

Thor has translated some central parts of the book - a big applaud to him for his work :)

[Chatleen]

1.

Mary on Meeting with Frederik. From the book pp 44-46.

- I knew that work should't be filling my whole life. There should be a balance. It was in that period I met Frederik. It was september 16, 2000.

- And how did I meet him, then? Yes, I lived together with four others in a big house. It was at the time of the Olympic games in Sidney, and one of my flatmates had been invited to take a few friends along to a bar to meet some spaniards, who participated in the games. As it happens, that evening I was in fact going to a kind of goodbye party at a friends place a couple of houses down the street, but when the taxi arrived I thought: "No, I change my mind and take with you!". A sudden decision taken in a split second. I think perhaps because I was the one who had lived in the house longest, and because it was the first time we were going out together.

- We drove to a bar called "Slip-Inn", and it was there we met, then. It was a party of some Australians and two nephews of the Spanish king, plus Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, Prince Nikolaus of Greece and Princess Märta-Louise. I didn't new who they were. Half an hour later one my flatmates came up to me and asked"Do you know these people are prince this and princess that?". Of course we have Queen Elisabeth as head of state, but in many ways we are a kind of republic, we dodn't have royals in Australia, so it was kind of unusual to run into that kind of people. But aside from that it was quite ordinary.

- Frederik and I began to converse, and we simply didn't stop talking. And that was IT! A very long conversation, which continued over a year or rather 14 month.

- Next day he and his brother travelled to Melbourne. But a week later I met with him and his friends to a dinner. After that he travelled Australia for six weeks. When he came back we met again, but he was called back at home, because his grandmother was seriously ill (Thor:Queen Ingrid). He was very affected by this and wanted to leave as quickly as possibly. We got one and a half day together, then, where we had hoped for a week to learn each other a little better.

- It wasn't like 'BANG' the first night. That I knew that I have met the man in my life. It is diffucult to pinpoint that precise moment. There was a great distance between us and big gaps of time between our meetings, too. Because we spend so much time being alone, anything could happen for each of us. At such a distance both geographically and familywise, you cannot yust say: He's the rigth person. I takes time and you have to test each other, because there's a lot in the pot in this situation. But we kept in contact with each other. And each time we met, it came one step further.

- Now I knew who he was, of course, and this made the whole thing that more uncertain. Could it develope to something at all? On the other hand I wasn't that pessimistic, where I felt that it wasn't worth the trouble. It wasn't like that. And each step forward took us finally to a point, where we realized, that we couldn't continue to be that far away from each other. We had to take the jump and see where it would land us.

[Chatleen]

2.

Mary on the meeting with Frederik (cont'd):

pp46-48

- Even when I moved to Denmark, it wasn't sure that it would work out, for either of us. And everything had to have it's time to mature. Because the whole thing was very peculiar rigth from the start. Something extraordinary. The whole situation was strange. Just because he lived so far from me and in a completely different world than mine. So, why continue to talk together? But we did. Even if he travelled to Melbourne. Travelled around in Aystralia. Travelled to Denmark - and came back. The converstation was never interrupted. But I had my reservations, naturally, because it was impossibly to meet each other often enough to build a relationship. I think that stopped me in going further. But, of course, I was smitten by him.

- He was - and is - an extraordinary person. I felt that rigth from the start. Not because he was Crown Prince, but because he is the person he is. Of course I was a little excited by it all, and I was also a little .... - the situation was so... extraordinary. It was so .... weird, because I didn't believe in that it was possibly to get to know each other. But our contact continued and became deeper and deeper. We did it by real letters, e-mails and telephone. Almost every day. We send pictures and many different small things to each other. For instance I sent him a CD with Powderfinger, which still is my favourite rock-group, and he sent me some danish CDs, Sort sol (Black Sun) for instance. We took part in each others life in that way and shared what was possibly.

- I didn't want to be exposed in any way.I would have been horribly, if I had stepped forward into the limlight, and next day just had to be my self again. I did not want my life exhibited, I wanted to minimize my exposure as much as possibly. But at a certain point in time I had to accept it anyway. I had to say to myself: I had to take this step completely. If I hadn't done that, I would have reproached myself for the rest of my life. But we took the step together, both of us. It was both of us who wanted to see what would happen. We knew, that this was very important, and we had to see what it would lead to.

- It was in november 2001. 14 month after we had met. We decided to take the chance to see if we were destined for each other. Then I left Australia.

to be cont'd.

[Chatleen]

3.

Mary on the meeting with Frederik (cont'd):

pp49-50

A difficult time


- I left as a uncomitted person. I wasn't 100 percent sure of the final result, but I knew that it was something I had to do. At first I visited my father in England, then I traveled to Paris, because I would not go to Denmark immeadiately. It would have been too premature. And we wanted more time, because when we were together it was so intense, We wanted to introduce a little normality and everyday life in our relationship, because that kind of dimension is important to have. It hadn't been possibly earlier. Although there had been these peaceful periods, where we had our vacations and everything was relaxed, without the daily routines and the threadmill. Paris was the next step, then. There I would be more protected.

- But it was a difficult time for me. In Paris I didn't knew that many and I doesn't function that well in a city that big. Yet another thing I have learned. Paris wasn't exactly my cup of tea. I was there for five month. From february to july. Then we had a short hollyday together and I moved to Denmark - in august 2002 - and started my work in september. At that time we both believed in our relationship. There was no uncertainty about it anymore. It was obvious, that what we had together, was something much bigger, than anything any of us had experienced, ever. Otherwise I wouldn't have left Australia. But to say then, that we would eventually would be married some day...that we could not know with certainty.

- Not even when I came to live in Denmark. So, the period of time before the engagement, a little over a year, was a strange period of time. Because so many people are interested in your relationship. There was these big expectations. Rigth from the first time somebody discovered me in Australia, it was almost like: "Oh, they are going to married tomorrow!" It wasn't before one year after the Olympics that it became like that, though. Because nobody knew I existed before that. But the more my life was exposed, the more difficult it would be to return to Australia. What would I come back from? The more you are in the spotligth, the more difficult it is withdraw from it.

- And my friends and family supported me very much. I had to tell them, it was necessary to test our relationship. But of course it have been a difficult time. But I'm sure it's going to be easier. When I say it have been a difficult time, I mean too, that to start a new relationship create problems, while you try to find a position in the world of another. The world of Frederik is much more complex that an ordinary man's world. There's many more circumstances to take into account. Vice versa, my background is very ordinary.


To be cont'd

[Chatleen]

4.

Mary on the meeting with Frederik (cont'd):

pp51-52

The Press

- I'm from a middle class family, have gotten a good education, and I'm proud of what I have achieved in my life and I know I have so much to achieve yet. I'm very, very happy about the challenge I face rigth now. But it's very overwhelming, especially with the amount of publicity. It's difficult to see one's face everywhere - I have always hated to be photographed. I was the one who said: "I'll take the pictures" at family gatherings and friend's parties. To be photographed made me uncomfortably, and now I am in a situation, where I just have to dispense with that feeling. And to learn to behave properly in public, too. The many norms of behaviour. For instance the way I have to move when I am walking with Frederik.

- You will be critizised. There is much critizism. People judge you from a picture and from false information, and that's hard, because you can't defend youself. I am not able to going to say: "Okay, I will give an interview and make comments on all the stuff, you are writing about me". In the first place it isn't my nature to do so, and if it was, the press can print whatever they want anyway. So in that way you feel yourself somewhat defenseless. You cannot say: "This is actually false!". For instance they printed a picture of my mom, which didn't was one of her! It was horribly.

- But I imagine that I was lucky enough to have one whole year here, making me experience what feels like to live in Denmark. And the media haven't been equally bad all the time. In the beginning they didn't show much respect, but now it's become better. And either you just don't read that kind of magazines or try to keep up a kind of armlength principle in your relation with them.

- The media has quite a lot of power. In a way they can write whatever they want - the credibilty of their articles will perhaps not be questioned, and for the everyday reader it may easily lead to: "Well, now she do it that way, what a jerk! She should have done it completely different!" As I formerly have done myself, before I landed in this situation. But I believe that the Danes take it with a grain of salt. In fact I believe they are able to make up their own minds very well, about what is true and what's not.

- Naturally I'm aware of, that publicity and the press is a factor we always have to take into account in our life. But to be exhibited all the time is difficult. But Frederik support me tremendously regarding this. He has had some tough experiences with the press himself, which means he can teach me about this complex of problems.

- It became realy seriuos, at the time we appeared for the public on the balcony. When we stood behind the glass doors, I tried to relax and made deep breathings. I felt that I could't go out there. I didn't felt that I wouldn't go out there, but it was all too overwhelming....It was a combination of the sounds coming from the mass of people, and the necessity to make myself calm and say to myself: "Now, we go out and do it!"

To be cont'd

[Chatleen]

5.

Mary on the meeting with Frederik.

cont'd

Page 53.


- This was the first time I stood besides Frederik - completely official. And watched how much people love their royal family. They cheered at the Queen, Prince Henrik and Frederik, and me too, because he had chosen me, and we had chosen each other. It was wonderful to see our flags spread everywhere among the people. And people was so happy. It was overwhelming just to look out on the large crouds - thousands of people - I didn't knew beforhand, how it would be for me. All these people all around us - around Frederik and me - it was a very moving moment. I don't think I could contain it all, so a part of me just kept observing it. Frederik was quite overwhelmed too, and both the Queen and Prince Henrik looked very happy. And my father took it quite calmly. It was an incredibly experience. And they wanted to see us again and again! A very happy day.

- But that day and night was so busy, it was rushing from one thing to another. It was a big day, because it was the first time, I had to present myself to the Danish people. They had seen pictures of me, but nobody had ever heard me speak. Nobody knew what was going on in my head, and naturally you are apprehensive about whether people are going to be nice to you. And would I be able to express what I wanted. Bacause there is this thing with the language! Therefore, even if it was a really happy day, it was at the same time difficult to call it a completely free feeling of joy. But that feeling we have experienced at other moments. We had had a lovely time up to this, which was our very own.

End of this part.

[Chatleen]

6.
Mary on love. From the book pp 54-55.


Love
- For quite a long time now, we have been aware of that it was going to be "us". Now Frederik is somewhat romantic too, so he couldn't just propose without asking me to wear a ring afterwards. Well, we had made a decision beforehand, but the formalities around it didn't fall into place, about a week before he proposed. I had made a guess when it was going to happen. I didn't know the precise moment it would happen, of course. But when he started to behave somewhat out of character, I knew that something was going to happen. I did happen in Rome. It was wonderful.

- But I don't walk around like in a dream. Or walk on air - yes, in certain connections, but long before we reached this point, I had to consider the frame of circumstances into which I was moving. And decide if I could live with that. Take the decision for the right reasons. But how was I able to know or feel, what was real, when reality was foreign to me, at the same time.

- Now, this reality is not foreign to me anymore, but if anyone syas to me: "You are going to be the next queen of Denmark!" then I feel quite - - - and people have said that to me. And this is diffcult to imagine. But when you are with Frederik or the Queen, they are only some very nice human beings, living in a kind of fairytale surroundings.

- This I believe in fact, in life it doesn't matter who or what you are: As soon as you are put into a new situation, it's a new process, which takes time. And I have suddenly arrived in a situation, which is a great challenge, and I have to do it step by step, in small bites, so to speak. And everything gets bigger. My wedding for example. Formerly, I have never given any thougth to how my wedding should be someday. I am sure, though, that I would never have imagined that it would be in this way.

- I have always known that I would only marry if I met the BIG love. My parents knew each other from they were 12 years old. They have been togeher since they were 14, and they were only 22, when they were married. That is very young. Therfore I knew that the most important thing was completes unconditional love. Unreserved. And you recognize it, when it hits you. And that love and happines follow together.

[Chatleen]

7.

The Mary interview book. cont'd

pp58-61

Reunion
- Three and half month later (after we had met) Frederik came to Australia. But these month were difficult. I imagined that he anyday would call and say: "I cant come. It won't work out." Or he would stop calling or sending e-mails.

- But we e-mailed every day. We didn't write ordinary letters everyday, it was a little more rare. But if there was a day when I didn't hear from him I thougth immeadiatetly: "Well, here is the bad news!"

- I didn't call him often, he alwas called me. He said everytime that he would come back and visit me, but I wouldn't ask him to do it! I'm probably very proud. I'm sensitive, but I don't show it much. I probably try to protect myself from being hurt. I probably think too rational. It made me a little pessimistic. The optimism did arrive when we couldn't be without each other anymore. It was a year later. He returned to me, then I travelled to Europe, and then he returned two-three times to Australia.

- For the first three and a half month after we had met, the period after the death of Queen Ingrid, we didn't see each other. Frederik was very glad, that he could be there for her, and say goodbye. And that she was aware of him being there. It was so important for him. He told me about how he felt and I was able to give him a couple of advises, because I had had some experiences myself. We talked about how he could learn something from the sorrow. About what to read to get help. I send him a book. It was one of the books I had read myself when my mother died - "A Grief Observed".

- We both sensed that we became closer, even if we spend our lives on each side of the globe. It was kind of romantic in this way, to learn more and more about one another through ordinary letters, paper and envelope. Because it's oldfashioned. One cannot hide behind the words. It's more difficult. If you are starting an ordinary relationship, you see each other often, and it becomes very physical. You are together a lot and there is not that much room for the words, I believe. We didn't talk much about his work, almost not at all. It has been a slow introduction to his world. He wanted to protect me. Perhaps he was afraid that it would scare me. That would have be logical. But I have never asked him about that. Sometimes our e-mails was very long, some pages, sometimes only four lines. That depended on the situation.

- The week when Frederik returned to Australia to visit me for the first time, and the day when finally arrived, that day was a very nervewracking day for me. Shuddering/Shrilling. Perhaps it was a process, where I was waiting for him - - and finally he was there. The purpose of his travel was to meet me, and only that. And I was the only one who knew that he came. But he hadn't in anyway demanded that I kept it secret.

- When I went to the airport I was terribly nervous. I didnt want to be in the airport building itself, I stayed outside. Frederik later told me that I stood in a dark corner - I really tried to be as little conspicious as possibly. He found that quite funny. It took a couple of days for us to relax completely, because we had't spent that much time together before.

- He stayed for little over two weeks. And I crossed my fingers, I wanted it to go well. Because it was possibly that we after a day or two would have said: "No, this isn't working". But fortunately it went well. We travelled a bit in car - my car - and stayed at one my friends' summercabin at the beach. We swimmed in the sea and took walks in the bush, went on sigtseeing in and out of Sidney, just the two of us. I knew it was serious, but still I was a bit sceptical. Necessarily it had to be a stepwise developement. And could that developement continue? That was the question! But even after those two weeks, as the thougthful person he is, he couldn't just say: "Well, come with me to Denmark!" This isn't in his nature. It could have been all too much for me and much too early. I think we had to get to a point, to which we arrived later, where we just could't stay so far away from each other.

- Next time we met was in Europe, and we travelled two weeks again. Wonderful. We travelled to Caïx, where we met some of his friends. But after that it became much more difficult, because we both wanted to be together a little more, but we didn't know how it could be possibly.

- The only solution was that I moved. And that was a big step. Naturally, Frederik couldn't ask me to, unless he was 150 percent sure. Not necessarily sure about that it would end in a wedding, but sure about that we had to try, to let our relationship develope further, to find out, if it would or could end like that. And yes, people can meet for six month, but normally they are together very intensely before deciding to marry.

- It was equally important to find out if we could live together. If I could come to Denmark, live here without participating directly in his life, without going into his world. For us it was like, that all nuts and bolts had to be completely in their rigth places. So I didn't knew how the future would develope. If I was found unsuitebly for him, for instance. Then, no, we didn't talk about wedding at all. But it was always a possibility. It wasn't something we discussed, but we said neither: "Impossibly!" You have to take the necessary time to find out about all of it.

To be cont'd

[Chatleen]

8.

The Mary interview, cont'd

pp 62-65

The Media

- The first time I told my father about Frederik was rigth after our first meeting. But it wasn't like: "Oh, I have met this really wonderful man!" It was more like: "You can't guess, what happened some evenings ago when some friends and I were in a bar, and there were these and those people there." It wasn't actually a secret, that I had met these people. But on the other hand nothing epoch-making had happened. I think my father was a little surprised that we continued our relationship/connection. He was in Oxford and partly in Australia. He was a little worried. He said all the time: "Now, be careful." He didn't want me to be hurt or disappointed. He was a little bit sceptical. In fact I didn't tell him how serious it really had become. This was another mark of my wish to protect myself.

- Naturally my sisters knew about it, but I wouldn't really admit to myself how serious it had become. This I can do now!. I'm joking of course, it was before going to Europe, or else I wouldn't have been able to take this step. It was after Frederik's last visit. When we both felt seriously, that we couldn't be apart anymore. That we had to give it a chance. Be more together and see where it would lead. It could go terribly wrong. Maybe it was only working because we only were together once in a while. It became serious when we decided to take the next step.

- Of course I was conscious that it could be a wrong decision, that everything might come to nothing, But when you are with someone , who makes you happy. When you have so much in common and the relationship is so fine - then you give it a chance. If it suddenly stops, if one has to end it, obviously you'll be down and sad. But my disposition at that time, was to give it a shot and risk the sorrow, rather than not have the experience.

- I lived in Paris. I didn't want to go to Denmark directly, and this was the best for Frederik at that point in time, too. If I had done that, the press would have been on to us immeadiately. They had already found out about it, but it happened two weeks before I left Australia. It must have been november 2001. At that time I knew I was going to Europe. In fact I left two weeks later. A Danish journalist from the tabloids (BB) found out about it somehow. Frederik had left in the morning. At evening I was leaving the building where I work and a nice looking woman approached me. I thougth she was a tourist, who had lost her way, so I stopped and asked: "Can I help you?" Then she said:"We know you are the Crown Prince' girlfriend!" I was stunned. She didn't present herself but asked: "Could we take some pictures?" I said "No thanks, I'm sorry." Pictures were taken, though, on which I looked quite cross! There was a photographer, but I didn't take up a position at all. He had already taken pictures of me without I noticed anything.

- I hadn't discussed with Frederik how to handle a situation like this. Of course it would happen someday, but not in Australia, where nobody recognized him. We could go anywhere and nobody would lift an eyebrow. I was very shocked. And I even couldn't call him on the phone, because he was traveling back to Denmark. I had to wait until he had arrived. He took it very calmly. He said that it was only a question of time before it would happen, and that we had been lucky that it didn't had happened before. There had been writings for some time in the papers that he had a girlfriend in Australia .

- I met only that particular journalist, and I thougth it was a singular happening, not to be repeated. I was so naive. Next day, when I arrived at work, there was photographers all over the place. Australian photographers. And from that moment they followed me around all the time. Wherever I went. If I was jogging, there was suddenly one. If I went to a movie, there was one. To and from work - they were everywhere ... It was the newspapers which printed them. The Australian, The Sidney Morning Herald, and the papers in Melbourne too.

- I felt myself exhibited. I was surprised by the intensisty of it all. I have never been interested in to be at the frontpages in the media. I'm not a "public" kind of person. I tried not to be discovered, when I walked on the street, and always evaded questions. For example they asked if I was going to be in Denmark at Christmas. I could truthfully answer that question NO, as I would be with my father. I just said what felt right. Frederik was very surprised because of the intense media interest in Australia, but I would travel to Paris in a short while. And they couldn't find me anymore.

To be cont'n

[Chatleen]

9

The Mary interview

pp 65-67

The Media (cont'n)

- I lived in Paris about 5 month. But I was in Denmark a lot. Practically every weekend. I was staying at Amalienborg, but the press didn't precisely know where I was. They only wrote that I was in Denmark. Frederik couldn't travel back and forth as much as I could. In fact I believe they wrote, that I lived here already. But I didn't move to Denmark before august 2002, when I moved into an appartment at Langelinie in september and started a new job.

- I had met one of Frederik's friends, who was a business man in Denmark. He introduced me to what was called Navision. They had use for several coworkers at that time. It was a big enterprise, english speaking, and I could use my experiences in project management. Naturally my professional background was the most important asset for them. But they offered me the kind of flexibility I wanted. I got an insigth knowledge in the Danish job culture. And I got some friends. Learned a lot. I had fun. I think I was very forunate there.

- In the beginning the press was standing right outside my apartment building at Langelinie and kept watch over me. Finally it migth have got too boring! Because nothing happened: I went to work, I came home. Normally quite early, because I rode (on horse) before going to Navision. Well, there wasn't anyone ouside my apartment at 6:30 in the morning! I rode on horseback - I still do -and I will continue to do so.

- Only a few pictures was printed in the papers, one from a time I was here in a weekend and one of us in a car. We took the car in the weekends to different places in the country. One picture from a wedding. It was the first time I did go out with Frederik in this way. He had prepared me for what to expect, that there would be photographers, but not very thoroughly! He is so use to it, that he don't think a lot about it. Now I am better prepared to handle those kind of situations, but I still find it quite unpleasent. As I have sad before I have never like the camera., When I was together with him, I never wanted walk too close to him - I don't rigthly know why - perhaps I didn't want to show too much of myself to outsiders. It felt like kind of akward, and I feel much better to be more in the background. Trying to disappear in the crowd.

- While I was in Paris, I tried to keep my profile as low as possibly. I waited for the point of no return in my life, the thin line which would be crossed, when I would be seen in public together with Frederik. Therefore I always tried to minimize my exposure to the media. I didn't want anyone to know anything about me. Because if all this would appear to be a "fata Morgana"/ a chimera -- I would be able to return to be "Mary" again. In that situation I migth go to London or some place else, where nobody knew me anyway. But all the time the thougth: " When will I reach the point of no return?" was in the back of my mind. Of course I could try to pick up my former life - - most people forget easily. It's like this, that if you read something about yourself, you read it twenty times, while others, who have no relation to you, read it once - and it's forgotten.

- But, Naturally I was afraid that this exposure would change my life in a way, that I never would be able to get out of it again, if necessary. Quite obviously I avoided to answer any questions at all. I have been so lucky to have close friends, who wouldn't talk either. I made sure that they were aware of the the different ways the press could approach them to get information, and I wanted to the cards as close to me as possibly. I didn't say to my family or my friends: "Don't this and that!" It was rather: "Be on watch. This is the way I would try to handle it." I asked them to respect this. But my nearst friends and family could reveal something out of pure naivity. The media are smart -- cunning. And they could easily catch persons without experience in their net. My father and his wife have several times been cited for small deatils, which have been blown out of proportion. They have learned the lesson the "hard way". Now they are just polite.

to be cont'n

[Chatleen]

10

Mary interview.

The Media (conclusion)

p 68

- Frederik is normally very relaxed with the press - but to introduce me to the public, wasn't a thing he took quite that easily. And I'm absoluty sure that he wasn't very relaxed about it.

- From the moment it came into ligth that Frederik had a sweetheart, that nobody knew about for almost a year, the media had been on their toes! I was like: "they are going to be married next month!" Maybe they thought he would do the same as Prince Joachim did. Perhaps. They were very excited: "Oh - we don't know anything, what are we going to do?" And they never relaxed, and they kept harping on the same theme, that: "Very soon it is going to happen!" It was quite annoying. We hadn't reach that point yet. But we didn't let that influence our decision. We didn't let it pressure us. But after the kiss at the pier in Tasmania, we became more open about our relationship. The kiss had underscored that it was serious. And the media could let out the air and breath again - - they had put money on the right horse! Even if it wasn't totally definite for us, it was a sign, that they were on the right track. Now it was only a matter of time.

- But Frederik and I weren't that far in the proces, as the press. They had already married us. But I didn't dare to let myself believe in it. I knew it was serious at that point in time, but it was a graduate developement, which we still took step by step. And I believe, that at that moment in Tasmania we took another step forward. And we in our minds knew, that from that moment it was a question of "when" rather than "if". But even with that inner knowlegde everything could still change. For kiss or no kiss it could still develope in a wrong direction. Many probably have also experienced it - that the final decision is difficult to make - but naturally it was extra difficult in our special situation.

End of this part.

[Chatleen]

11.
Mary interview book.

p 105-107

Butterflies in the stomach

- The press has written, that right after I had met Frederik, I started on a modelling course (Starmakers), to feel more confident! There wasn't anything calculating or designing by that. Nothing like: making myself ready to handle the situation. Fact is, when I started on that course I hadn't met him at all! BTW the confidence didn't appear, when I three years later - on our engagement day - was to be presented to the Danes on the balcony at Amalienborg.

- I almost can't remember my physical reaction - rather like a gasp - rigth before I went out on the balcony. My friends told me: "Oh, that moment when you almost shuddered, before you went out there!" "Did I really do that?" I thought, because the impressions from that situation appeared almost quite unconscious to me. It wasn't meant as a critism of me. Everybody understood that it was a completely new situation for me, and if I had positioned myself there, as if I could handle it all, and as if I was totally perfect in all ways, then it wouldn't have been true. I simple had to take a deep breath to calm myself. I think most people are able to understand that situation and my reaction to it.

- It was all a question of balance. Two days before the engagement was to be declared I felt tense and nervous. Nothing serious. I just felt like butterflies in my stomach (Thor: Danish metaphor for nervous expectations). The next day - the day before the the engagement - I was like a child before christmas eve, hyperactive and full of energy. Then my dad and his wife Susan arrived, and we had a lovely dinner together in the evening. I went to bed and the next day, when I woke up, I was completely calm, which surprised myself. Now it was only: "Today you are just going to do it!"

- The moment rigth before going into the big press conference, I felt like I rather wouldn't......quite childish! - "I won't!" But there wasn't any escape: I had to do it. And then we stood there, they took their pictures, and there was all that ligth - a sea of ligth - and so many people there. Then the Queen, Prince Henrik and my parents left the room and we could sit down.

- I had decided that I would be the first to take the word. It was a decision I had made with myself, perhaps a fortnight before, and it was my own idea. Naturally I discussed it with the chief of Court - Mr. Per Thornit - and he agreed. There had been a tremendous, build-up expectations in the press, for example that I could speak fluently Danish, but I couldn't. And this would be the first time I said something publicly, and I knew, I had to be the one, who set the agenda, or set the frame for all these expectations. This was the reason why I chose my words, as I did. I'm so happy, I waited until it was more quiet in the hall. Until I could sense that there was enough peace and quiet and they would listen. But the first words almost wouldn't come out of my mouth. Later, when I had started, it went better.

[Chatleen]

12.

The Mary Interview Book.

pp 108-109

Happiness

- Today, when we sit rigth here - february 17, 2004 9:40 - I'm more than anything else: happy. But happines is a word which difficult to explain. Happines is just a warm feeling. You walk on air. Everything feels good. You look at things in a new light. You don't worry so much. To be happy is probably the most important thing in the whole world. Happines! It sums up how I feel right now, but at the same time I know there's a lot of expectations of me. Many different ones. And you can't fulfill them all. But you have to do the best you can.

- First of all, I'm very absorbed by the wedding - and I'm a little tense about it. Perhaps not so much right now, but I know, that later I will be. In fact I'm curiuos to know, how I'm going to feel about it in the ceremony - you can't know it, before walking down the aisle. That's exactly what I mean by: "Why waste time on thinking: "I'll never going to manage that." No use to think that, because I know I'm going to do it - manage it. And there's so much to do before the wedding, that there's not much time to speculate about the details. There's a lot of practical things to do, which take a lot of time.

- I'm excited about the furture. In the future I have many opportunities to work to could make a difference in many areas.

- In fact you can say it's all a modern fairytale. A fairytale normally is happening in your head, but I could never, ever had imagined this. It's a fairytale for anyone who findes the person they want to spend the rest of your life with, and who plans for a wedding. This is a fairytale for all. My fairytale is just the same, in a larger scale. But the core of what we do is the same, as for every other couple. We remember that every day and this is the most important aspect.

- There is another kind of responsibility, though. Therefore in the course of events leading to the situation, where we are right now, we haven't been able to take things easely. Rigth now I can tell it's a very happy time. Very happy for me, for my family and for Frederik and his family. And for the Danes who are intereted in the Royal Family.

- And we know that we, at the same time, are a kind of role models for a lot of young people. That we are seen as an ideal. This is something we discuss. Something very important. I'm still quite inexperiended, but I know that the media of today will report anything at all. This is the differens between now and the time of Queen Ingrid. Then it was much easier. Then there was a lot of ordinary - daily life things - the royal family could do, without anyone knowing anything about it, because that would have been a breach of trust. Today, if you chose to travel or visit some friends in the quiet, it will be written about in the press, and perhaps critizised. The press feel they have a right to know and watch everything. At the same time there are an expectation to keep the distance between the people and the Royal House. Once in a while this distance is broken down. The Princes have gone to ordinary schools, drafted to military, followed courses at the university on equal footing with their contemporaries. And the Danes love it. The Danish Royal Family has manifested that it has a right and a willingness to do it in this way. To live like that. But there has to be a distance.

To be cont'n

[Chatleen]

13.

Mary interview.

Happiness (cont'n)

pp 110-111

- For us everything will change once we are married. If we are going to travel, we just can't arrive like anybody else. We will be recieved by ambassadors, or whome migth be appropriate in the situation. Or if we are going to have representative tasks abroad. We cannot be discrete and reserved anymore. We have to announce, that we arrive, that we have to go by the protocol, and we have to travel in this professional way.

- For me personally it is a period of great change. I'm still in an unofficial position and can't be seen (in a public function)- sometimes I get letters from people who write: "What are you really doing here?" Well, I work fulltime to prepare myself to my new job, and primarly learning Danish. Those who think that I don't do anything, have to understand that I'm in a kind waiting position, in a no man's land. And if I started to visit hospitals or other institutions I would be critizesed for that! I find my self in a kind of timepocket. But this'll change. And people are going to see me work, that I'm going to carry out variuos jobs. But right now it's: "What she doing?" I have to accept that.

- I have done some serious thinking about my new jobs. I have considered so many things. But I'll going to have some advise about it too. Nothing has yet been discussed, but have expressed my interest for what I find really exciting and stimulating. What type of work I would like to be involved in. But I wont say anything concrete about that right now. Primarly because I have to discuss it with the organizations involved.

- I have never really been deeply involved in politics. Of course there have been areas which have interested me. Right now I read alot about the danish political system, the governement and the organisations. It's necessary that I know who belongs to what party, and I know the differences. The different political points of view. For the first time in my life I enjoy learning about such things.

- I have never before had any political education. You get to know something in the school of course, but I have never studied it. Now I find it really exciting, especially the foreign policy of Denmark. It's something I will cultivate a lot, but naturally not be openly involved in.

- I read a lot of daily newspapers. It's important that I'm fully updated abou twhats happening in the world. To a much higher degree than when I was an ordinary citizen in Australia. It's necessary than I learn about it now, and as a part of my "education" I visited the Premier's office last week, and in this week I visit the Folketing/Parliament to speak with some of the younger members. To see and understand how the political reality works. It's like the start of my introduction to the constuction of the Danish Society, the Governement, Democracy.

- Later comes the trades and industries, where I'm going to meet representatives for the more influential branches in Denmark. Not necessary the biggest but the most important.

cont'n