Prince Frederik and Princess Mary's Official Visit to Australia: November 19-26, 2011


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
I guess the DRF set on Mary's star/celebrity quality for survival. Will it work out? Is it good or bad? Who knows. Other royal houses try the survival strategy of the CPs as business couple but at some point people will find out that royals are powerless and only do or read speeches of what the government tells them.

I guess the celebrity strategy is not more or less risky than others, sad but true. I think that Mary did very well considering people dont seem to mind Mr Donaldson (the Danish CP that is) tagging along.
 
As an Aussie she sounds Australian to me.

I'm a bit over this " she doesn't sound Australia "that keeps coming up here.

A lot of people from other countries can't even tell the difference between Australian and New Zealand accents !!!

Thanks for your comment :flowers: - You too, American Dane :)

You can count me among those who can't tell the difference between New Zealand and Australian accent. :sad:
I don't because I don't know what to listen for and I'm not subjected to New Zealand accents often enough to know.

On the other hand there are probably quite a few non-Europeans who can't tell the difference between central German and Austrian German accents.

So, educate me. Is Mary speaking with a Tasmanian accent, a Sydney accent or a kind of BBC-newsreader-Australian?
 
Well if I had to label it I'd say a private school accent but really it's just an Australian accent that is heard all the time
Cheers
 
Love her evening gown! How beautiful does she look ? Always perfect and with a beautiful smile
 
Well if I had to label it I'd say a private school accent but really it's just an Australian accent that is heard all the time
Cheers

That's what I wished to know. :)

In case anyone is interested. Mary speaks neutral Danish with a clear Copenhagener pronounciation.
The same with Frederik, except that he has a slight Hellerup/northern Zealandic (posh) tone.
QMII has a distinct Northern Zealandic pronounciation and it's very distinct with Princess Benedikte.
Our Marie on the other hand speak an even more neutral Danish than Mary, without the distinct Copenhagener pronounciation. Presumably because she's is subjected to the Southern Jutlandic accent. - Which I've been told a few times is the most easy to understand for foreigners. (But not the dialects, mind you)!

I speak with an eastern Jutlandic pronounciation and that means I sound different from Copenhageners, especially in regards to the vovels E and A and the letter D. And sometimes I add a bit of dialect.
Mrs. Muhler speaks north-eastern Jutlandic and when she switch to dialect, she sounds very different from me and we only grew up about 80 kilometres or so apart.

However, if you didn't know that and listened to us and Mary speaking, you might very well sit there wondering why Mary doesn't sound like the "natives".

And a little clip about Mary and the anti-bullying: http://video.news.com.au/2170982649/Mary-dazzles-at-Crown-gala-dinner?area=videoindex1

ADDED: And a gallery from Billed Bladet of Mary in her gala-dress: https://picasaweb.google.com/100865900034584557354/MaryStraler
 
Last edited:
I guess the DRF set on Mary's star/celebrity quality for survival. Will it work out? Is it good or bad? Who knows. Other royal houses try the survival strategy of the CPs as business couple but at some point people will find out that royals are powerless and only do or read speeches of what the government tells them.

I guess the celebrity strategy is not more or less risky than others, sad but true. I think that Mary did very well considering people dont seem to mind Mr Donaldson (the Danish CP that is) tagging along.

This trip certainly is taking royals as celebrities to a new level.
 
Mary er en steg - Royale - BT.dk
The article isn't something worth writing home about but for those who are interested in downloading two HQ pics of Mary, take a look.

Also, remember to check out the links at the end of the article for more HQ pics, some of which have already been posted here. (The ones with the little red arrows).

Have a nice Saturday. :)
 
Last edited:
Hello everyone,
I have just woken to these beautiful photos of the CPC at the gala. Thank you to all for the wonderful contributions of photos, articles etc this past week.

RE: accent. In my own opinion, Mary still sounds Australian but you can hear the Danish lilt. Her accent is like that of someone who has been given diction/ speech classes. My son has had speech therapy and has a definite crispness and roundness of vowels.
So if I was guessing ( and I am!!) I would say, Mary was probably well spoken anyway but has polished her diction and pronunciation in preparation for her role, as well as the awareness of speech when learning her Danish.
In some clips you would have heard "Aussies" talking about meeting/seeing Mary. We don't all speak like that, but is not unusual in some parts. The ABC newsreaders are probably closer to the more well spoken "Aussie"
I think I rambled too much. Forgive me.
AnnaNotherThing did you go to see Mary in Melbourne?
 
Last edited:
I guess the DRF set on Mary's star/celebrity quality for survival. Will it work out? Is it good or bad? Who knows. Other royal houses try the survival strategy of the CPs as business couple but at some point people will find out that royals are powerless and only do or read speeches of what the government tells them.

I guess the celebrity strategy is not more or less risky than others, sad but true. I think that Mary did very well considering people dont seem to mind Mr Donaldson (the Danish CP that is) tagging along.
Crown Princess Mary only gets this kind of huge media attention in Australia (well apart from Denmark)...which is natural as she is a former Australian. She will always generate this kind of interest in Australia.
But let's face reality...outside of Scandinavia and Australia, she does not have such a huge star/celebrity kind of following...just look at the recent visit to New York. While there was some local media interest...not a huge amount compared to what the Duchess of Cambridge will receive.
So I disagree about this concept of the DRF relying on CP Mary's "huge celebrity"....IMO, the DRF are relying on a modern Crown Prince Couple and their family as a unit.
As for Crown Prince Frederik as "Mr. Donaldson"...well...at least Crown Princess Mary has a husband who is very proud of the great media and public interest that his wife and family receives in Australia and supports her at all times. He isn't threatened by her popularity...and that says a lot about Crown Prince Frederik as a man IMO!
 
Last edited:
TV2 News (Denmark) stated this morning that though CP Mary was the focus of attention throughout the Ozzie visit, CP Frederik doesn't seem to mind. Well, hopefully he doesn't.. though it must be strange being considered as an accessory knowing, that you are the reason for the other person being elevated and famous :whistling:.

viv
 
TV2 News (Denmark) stated this morning that though CP Mary was the focus of attention throughout the Ozzie visit, CP Frederik doesn't seem to mind. Well, hopefully he doesn't.. though it must be strange being considered as an accessory knowing, that you are the reason for the other person being elevated and famous :whistling:.

viv
I think that it was during their first official visit in 2005 when CP Frederik said that he would find it strange if Crown Princess Mary wasn't the main focus in the country of her birth. This massive media attention only happens in Australia...no where else. I think it is just as amazing to Crown Princess Mary that she attracted the kind of attention she did, given that she has been married for a number of years now.
But Crown Princess Mary attracting such huge media attention in the land of her birth seems to be exceptional. Did Alexandra attract such huge media attention when she visited Hong Kong? Would Princess Marie have huge media interest when she visits France or Geneva? Does Maxima have huge media interest when she visits Argentina?
 
I think that it was during their first official visit in 2005 when CP Frederik said that he would find it strange if Crown Princess Mary wasn't the main focus in the country of her birth. This massive media attention only happens in Australia...no where else. I think it is just as amazing to Crown Princess Mary that she attracted the kind of attention she did, given that she has been married for a number of years now.
But Crown Princess Mary attracting such huge media attention in the land of her birth seems to be exceptional. Did Alexandra attract such huge media attention when she visited Hong Kong? Would Princess Marie have huge media interest when she visits France or Geneva? Does Maxima have huge media interest when she visits Argentina?

Well, Alexandra and Marie married the second son. There's still a story there but it's not quite the same as someone who marries the future King. Maxima, I think, does get quite a lot of attention in Argentina.

I think there have been plenty of times when Mary rather than Frederik was the focus of attention even in Denmark. He's never seemed to mind. Frederik doesn't seem to crave or even enjoy the spotlight, and I've sometimes wondered if he's not a little relieved to have a partner who takes some of the most intense attention off him.
 
thanks for all the contributions on the visit, it's been a nice update on the activities, which are very different and distinct from those on their first visit to australia. it seemed to me this visit was much more relaxed and "personal" than the previous one.

But Crown Princess Mary attracting such huge media attention in the land of her birth seems to be exceptional. Did Alexandra attract such huge media attention when she visited Hong Kong? Would Princess Marie have huge media interest when she visits France or Geneva? Does Maxima have huge media interest when she visits Argentina?

i don't think this is comparable. australia, being a (parlamentary) monarchy themselves, can identify with royals and what they mean than the french, the argentinian or the chinese, of course. just like the royal visit of william and kate to canada recently, the danish visit raised expectation in australia as people identify with how important monarchy is. none of this is the case for any of the other countries, whose experience with monarchy has been unexistant in recent history or ended in political turmoil and a guillotine in france.
 
Well, Alexandra and Marie married the second son. There's still a story there but it's not quite the same as someone who marries the future King. Maxima, I think, does get quite a lot of attention in Argentina.

I think there have been plenty of times when Mary rather than Frederik was the focus of attention even in Denmark. He's never seemed to mind. Frederik doesn't seem to crave or even enjoy the spotlight, and I've sometimes wondered if he's not a little relieved to have a partner who takes some of the most intense attention off him.
Excellent point! You've hit the nail on the head I think!:flowers:

i don't think this is comparable. australia, being a (parlamentary) monarchy themselves, can identify with royals and what they mean than the french, the argentinian or the chinese, of course. just like the royal visit of william and kate to canada recently, the danish visit raised expectation in australia as people identify with how important monarchy is. none of this is the case for any of the other countries, whose experience with monarchy has been unexistant in recent history or ended in political turmoil and a guillotine in france.
Thanks! Interesting point...I didn't think of that!:flowers:
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I agree with the points above. Also, I think there is a feeling of "good for Mary, she is doing a fabulous job, she is doing us ( and herself) proud.

I was a big Diana fan and used to go to see her in Australia and when I visited London. But, I haven't been to see any of the touring British royals since. I think some of their magic has faded for my generation.

Certainly William and The Queen attract crowds but we don't seem to identify with them as "one of us". I remember when M & F toured in 2005 ( i think) at the same period as Charles, the Danes attracted far bigger crowds.

My point? We certainly love the royal family here and it is part of our DNA. But Mary seems to make it more real for us and we are very happy for the wonderful union of M & F and family.
 
AnnaNotherThing did you go to see Mary in Melbourne?

Hello Rosie...to answer your question: I never had any intention of going to see them in Melbourne...I only applied for the Canberra ballot because if I was successful, then my attendance would be out of my control...I would HAVE to go because I was INVITED ;)

But my feelings towards royalty/celebrity are a bit double edged...while I am curious and would meet them if compulsory...I am cautious of not being a sad fawning groupie who puts such people on a pedestal...The is my personal conflict of ambivalence...I have curiousity about them as people but dislike what they represent (elitism, etc)...

I remember this being the case about 20 years ago when I lived in Townsville, QLD and my favourite royal at the time Sarah, Duchess of York was visiting our town...I was beside myself and went down to the park for the meet and greet but hung back from the sycophantic crowd and vowed not to be as pathethic as them and want to touch them (they aren't GODS after all) but I still got a good look without introducing myself or touching...So I am curious without wanting to be fawning..
 
This trip certainly is taking royals as celebrities to a new level.

Imo, that's nonsense.

Australian's, moreso than most American's it has to be said, recognise (imo) the difference between celebrity and royal. In this country celebrities attract fawning teenagers who scream, cry and require medical assistance. Not school children, mothers, fathers, grandparents and the like who perhaps want to get close enough to shake their hand, give them some flowers and exchange a few pleasantries.

Mary's no celebrity, and she cannot help how magazines portray her. Most people are sensible enough to acknowledge the fundamental importance of Mary's position in Denmark as Frederik's consort and having been Australian, inpsires much goodwill, curiosity and affection from those she once lived amongst.

I think that Mary did very well considering people dont seem to mind Mr Donaldson (the Danish CP that is) tagging along.

Good thing "Mr Donaldson" doesn't appear to mind then. No battered ego's here it would seem.
 
Last edited:
Celebrity and royalty...they are not mutually exculsive...Mary is a royal who is a attracted a lot of celebrity on her visit...Oprah is a celebrity who is treated like royalty...It is not either/or to me...Both co-exist...I hope I have meade sense?
 
Last edited:
Mary is a royal who has attracted a lot of interest on her visit, but I'd not classify that as celebrity, certainly not in light of what that appears to suggest nowadays.

And in Australia Mary is not in our media on a day to day basis, not even on a weekly basis. Only in the leadup to the visit had Mary again started to front the covers of a few women's magazines. That will no doubt die down again after the visit is over and until something notable happens or something sensationalised is reported yet again as "fact". Being a commodity of the media is not something that can be necessarily helped if you hold a high profiled position in society, but the disparity between who is a popularized celebrity and those who live their lives according to the dynastic institution's they are born and married into is considerably great. The monarchy's existance represents an entirely different platform of meaning and cannot be sensibly drawn into such comparison.

Granted although an example, I still find it rather odd to compare the finaticism of Oprah maniacs (or any celebrity for that matter) to a grandmother, mother and daughter (3 generations) picking flowers from their garden in the hope they may be fortunate enough to give them to Mary herself. Modern day celebrity culture does not inspire that kind of wholesome interest or any sense of community pride.

And a notable point has here been made. Oprah is treated (worshipped) like an American version of 'royalty', but doesn't come close to the real deal. There are people who live their lives according to her advice and the mere fact she breathes has people going ga ga. She's a 'guru' and an emotional crutch for millions in America and around the world who perhaps need a therapist or counsellor, moreso than an Oprah Book Club membership.

That's not to detract from the good works she has done in her life, but she is the personification of celebrity.
 
Last edited:
Madame Royale, I concur with your explanation of royalty being different to celebrity.

Funnily enough, my mother has clippings from when QE 2 was young, then as she married, became Queen etc. I must have picked up the interest from her. My son and daughter saw Mary and Frederik with me.

As you say, it was welcoming, showing respect to the couple and also curiousity to see M & F. It was an enjoyable, wholesome day. I think the couple themselves feel very pleased at such greetings.

In my career I was in a position to meet many famous/VIPs/politicians so I do not get overawed by "a famous person". I do however have a respectful, interest in the royal family of the day and learning about the history/culture that goes with it.

I respect your views AnnaNotherThing. I'm sorry you didn't get to see the couple in Canberra. I think the weather was a bit inclement that day anyway.
 
So, educate me. Is Mary speaking with a Tasmanian accent, a Sydney accent or a kind of BBC-newsreader-Australian?

She has an Eastern Australian accent, i.e. a Sydneysider. I'm from South Australia and our accents are closer to English since South Australia wasn't settled by convicts. NSW, Victoria and Tasmania have more of a cockney(?) accent. You can tell she grew up in the Eastern part of Australia
 
I think there have been plenty of times when Mary rather than Frederik was the focus of attention even in Denmark. He's never seemed to mind. Frederik doesn't seem to crave or even enjoy the spotlight, and I've sometimes wondered if he's not a little relieved to have a partner who takes some of the most intense attention off him.

I agree. Sometimes he seems relieved that it is not him in the focus but his wife. No anger here from his side, rather the opposite.
 
Princess at the ball on MSN Video

A news clip, where Mary is heard giving a speech.
I gotta hear your comments on that.
I realise there must be a lot of regional accents in Australia and I can't tell the difference, but when I listen to Mary speaking English and the news reporters, there is litterally a world's difference.
For those who lament the decline of regional accents, listen to the range of Australian accents! To my US ears, they all sound Australian, some we would characterize as "thicker" accents than others, just means harder for us to understand (like the Prime Minister! or the Scottish!:flowers:
 
She has an Eastern Australian accent, i.e. a Sydneysider. I'm from South Australia and our accents are closer to English since South Australia wasn't settled by convicts. NSW, Victoria and Tasmania have more of a cockney(?) accent. You can tell she grew up in the Eastern part of Australia

The further west you go, the more 'english' they sound.

I certainly wouldn't describe my accent nor those of the people I'm related too, associate with or know as being 'cockney'. Not in the slightest :)

I do however get the point you're trying to make and there is, depending on a range of factors, a slight difference in diction.

Mary speaking English and the news reporters, there is litterally a world's difference.

News reporters are renowned for altering their voice to some degree, normally drawing out sentences and adding depth to the execution of words. Apparently, it makes them appear serious and professional.

Where as Mary is rather delicately spoken and articulates herself with caution. Her voice is, certainly to my ear, considerably clear, polished and rather indistinct in terms of regional influence which I believe has more to do with her adoption of the Danish language.
 
Last edited:
Mary is a royal who has attracted a lot of interest on her visit, but I'd not classify that as celebrity, certainly not in light of what that appears to suggest nowadays.

And in Australia Mary is not in our media on a day to day basis, not even on a weekly basis. Only in the leadup to the visit had Mary again started to front the covers of a few women's magazines. That will no doubt die down again after the visit is over and until something notable happens or something sensationalised is reported yet again as "fact". Being a commodity of the media is not something that can be necessarily helped if you hold a high profiled position in society, but the disparity between who is a popularized celebrity and those who live their lives according to the dynastic institution's they are born and married into is considerably great. The monarchy's existance represents an entirely different platform of meaning and cannot be sensibly drawn into such comparison.

Granted although an example, I still find it rather odd to compare the finaticism of Oprah maniacs (or any celebrity for that matter) to a grandmother, mother and daughter (3 generations) picking flowers from their garden in the hope they may be fortunate enough to give them to Mary herself. Modern day celebrity culture does not inspire that kind of wholesome interest or any sense of community pride.

And a notable point has here been made. Oprah is treated (worshipped) like an American version of 'royalty', but doesn't come close to the real deal. There are people who live their lives according to her advice and the mere fact she breathes has people going ga ga. She's a 'guru' and an emotional crutch for millions in America and around the world who perhaps need a therapist or counsellor, moreso than an Oprah Book Club membership.

That's not to detract from the good works she has done in her life, but she is the personification of celebrity.


Thank you Madame Royale for an excellent post, I completely agree. It would've been very weird if a home-grown Australian royal didn't attract this much attention in Australia. Having people in the country of your birth and where you were raised be proud of you and want to see you is not celebrity IMO...
 
I guess the DRF set on Mary's star/celebrity quality for survival. Will it work out? Is it good or bad? Who knows. Other royal houses try the survival strategy of the CPs as business couple but at some point people will find out that royals are powerless and only do or read speeches of what the government tells them.

I guess the celebrity strategy is not more or less risky than others, sad but true.
I think this (setting on star qualities of one/two members for survival) is much more true for the Dutch RF (Maxima) or the British RF (William&Kate) than for the Danish RF.

Whether Mary is popular in Australia or not, does IMO have no effect on the survival of the DRF in the end. Their popularity in Denmark is what counts. And in DK IMO the DRF clearly sets on a "family strategy" - as could be seen in the documentary of 2009 - and as they always have done since Frederik&Ingrid.
And although Mary has added to the DRF's popularity (not least by giving birth to 4 cute kids) - I don't think that Queen Margrethe's or CP Frederik's popularity is based on Mary's star qualities. I don't want to belittle Mary's achievements but it's a fact that she married into a very popular royal family to begin with (IIRC the DRF had the highest approval ratings of all European RF in 2004).

Besides, this visit to Australia was definitely a business visit - as has been mentioned in the Australian media as well. They were there to "mark the strong cultural and commercial cooperation between Australia and Denmark" and that's exactly what they did IMO. (I actually think that their official visit in 2005 had much more of a "star/celebrity" feeling to it.)
 
Thanks for the comments about Mary's Australian and your info on Australian accents. That's something I personally find very interesting. - And I've learned something. Not a bad way to start a day. :)

Now that the official part of the visit is over, what are your thoughts?

From the hip:
I'm very glad and pleased to see the genuine warmth and interest M&F, Mary in particular, was recieved with by the Australians. While still respecting the role Mary has now, I.e. an official royal representative for Denmark.
There were however a couple of times when I looked and heard some the onlookers and thought: Easy now, Mary is still a mortal.

I thought Mary handled herself with grace and warmth. She was genuine and natural, yet professional.
Pride is such a strong word but it comes close. In any way it confirmed what I believe. Mary is queen material.
Frederik deserve a bit of praise as well. He stood back and allowed Mary the center stage. He seemed confident and I noticed from the few clips I heard that he spoke English without his usually very heavy accent. Presumably from being surrounded almost 24/7 by English speakers. I also think his laid back style and interaction with children suited this visit.
In short: M&F passed the dress rehersal and they are more than ready to take over.

I think this presented M&F and thus the DRF and as a consequence Denmark (and Danish products) in a very positive light in the eyes of the Australians. In that respect as well M&F succeeded.

Now, from Googling news stories it's very difficult to get an idea about how this visit was covered and how big an interest there really was in the Australian media. My impression is that it was covered fairly well and that there was a good deal of general interest. Am I off the mark?
 
Back
Top Bottom