Princess Mary's Personality

[ricarda]

IMO there is no validity to be proven, it is a fact that TRH'nesses have not given an interview to the Danish press, but have obliged the foreign press, and this is the bone of contention that motivated the article, along with the possible reasons for this deficit.

This is actually absolutely no fact.
They have given several interviews to the Danish press and TV before their wedding, at the time of the wedding and after their wedding, for example when they visited Greenland, the Faroese, Bornholm or when they left the hospital with their newborn children. Mary and Frederik usually answer questions of the press when they are out on duty or for example on Christian's first day in kindergarten.

They gave an interview to Australian TV in connection with their visit there and, as it was stated back then, because they had not given any interviews to Australian media around the time of their engagement/wedding (whereas they gave a lot of interviews to Danish TV).
Besides, Mary posed once for an Australian fashion mag and once for a Danish fashion mag.
This was in late 2004, early 2005 and since then no TV station or fashion mag from any country got a personal interview or photo-shoot AFAIK.
They visited Germany twice and - unlike for example the Norwegian couple - they refused to give an interview beforehand, which actually upset the German media a bit IIRC.
So, one really can't speak of obliging the foreign press and ignoring the Danish press.

The editor of Se&Hor is complaining since 3 years now that Mary doesn't give an interview to the trash mag he is editing (my description) while she gave one to a serious Danish paper like "Politiken", actually he accused Mary of being a snob. And now suddenly they come up with the "possible reason" that her Danish isn't good enough for an interview? That really makes me laugh.

And why on earth should they give a big TV interview right now, only ~3-4 years after that overload of interviews in 2003/2004? There is no wedding, no visit to another country, no 40th birthday...
I remember Mary was critizised a lot on this messageboard for being too "media-crazy" and now she is critizised for not oliging the Danish media? Very strange.

I personally think the moment the CP couple starts giving interviews for no reason at all and to gossip mags like Se&Hor the DRF would be in real trouble (and loose my respect).

 

[ricarda]

If the reference is to speeches, then she has made an average of 4 a year since her initiation as a royal, possibly written by the scribes at the palace.

On the CP Couple's website 12 speeches in Danish are listed (since May 2005). And not all are listed (for example the one she gave when taking over the patronage for the Heart Association in Jan. 2005 is not). But even if she had only given 4 a year then this would be more than CP Letizia has given in her mother tongue in the same period of time. And whoever wrote the speeches she was the one who had to deliver them in a language she is still learning.

her confinement to monosyllabic answers has become an irritation

Obviously someone hasn't seen the interview when she left the hospital with Isabella. Monosyllabic answers? They must be talking about the "NO" they get to hear when asking for an interview.

The journalist, Qvortrup, can not be accused for 'imparting false information', he has written an article defining his opinion, aquired from his observation of the princess and her command of the danish language, and her apparent reluctance and avoidance for confrontation in the language of the country in which she will one day be Queen.

I think he can and he actually has been accused of doing this by many, and not only royalists. There are not many Danish celebrities left who are willing to give S&H an interview, the boat is definitely sinking since he took over as editor.

IMO we can discuss Mary's ability to master the language or ask ourself who is writing her speeches but to speak of "her apparent reluctance and avoidance for confrontation in the language of the country in which she will one day be Queen" is totally absurd and "imparting false information".

Mary gave a speech at the presentation of the CP Couple's Cultural Prize, an event which was aired on TV so every Dane could watch it. Since her husband was there and delivered a speech she didn't have to give a speech as well and to expose herself to possible criticism but she did. Now, where is the reluctance and avoidance for confrontation?

 

[Madame Royale]

There is validity to be proven. Because Qvortrup writes for the press (a tabloid magazine at that) doesn't mean his words are golden. In fact, because the publication he writes for isn't considered serious journalism he can embellish whatever information he desires to fit his agenda.

My point, exactly.

Se og Hør is not considered, in any resolute way, a periodical of edifying reliability. It is a gossip magazine and serves no greater purpose.

Having hoped off the phone with a girlfriend of mine in Copenhagen less than 30 minutes back, she had nothing to say regarding Mr Qvortrup's instructive criticisms other than he is somewhat considered a sociopath with a means to exploit his own, personal agenda. Now, the sociopath 'thing' I can't vouch for, but I found it interesting that of all people, my friend, a devout Republican respectively, believes Mr Qvortrup's ramblings about Mary are as attention seeking as 'his' magazines

Someone, as it stands the editor (go figure), whose nose has been placed out of joint because The Crown Princely couple aren't providing material for publication.

Whatever they said would only be manipulated and dissected anyway!

 

[wiwaxia]

On the CP Couple's website 12 speeches in Danish are listed (since May 2005). And not all are listed (for example the one she gave when taking over the patronage for the Heart Association in Jan. 2005 is not). But even if she had only given 4 a year then this would be more than CP Letizia has given in her mother tongue in the same period of time. And whoever wrote the speeches she was the one who had to deliver them in a language she is still learning.


Obviously someone hasn't seen the interview when she left the hospital with Isabella. Monosyllabic answers? They must be talking about the "NO" they get to hear when asking for an interview.


I think he can and he actually has been accused of doing this by many, and not only royalists. There are not many Danish celebrities left who are willing to give S&H an interview, the boat is definitely sinking since he took over as editor.

IMO we can discuss Mary's ability to master the language or ask ourself who is writing her speeches but to speak of "her apparent reluctance and avoidance for confrontation in the language of the country in which she will one day be Queen" is totally absurd and "imparting false information".

Mary gave a speech at the presentation of the CP Couple's Cultural Prize, an event which was aired on TV so every Dane could watch it. Since her husband was there and delivered a speech she didn't have to give a speech as well and to expose herself to possible criticism but she did. Now, where is the reluctance and avoidance for confrontation?

She has in fact made 14 speeches in 3 years, 3 of them in English. Since the thread is about C P Mary, I will desist in commenting on Letizia.

If the 'someone' in your second paragraph is me, then yes, I did see the exit from the hospital after the baby was born, it would take a long stretch of the imagination to call that an interview, and as such would not live up to the usual definition of the word.


IMO we can discuss Mary's ability to master the language or ask ourself who is writing her speeches but to speak of "her apparent reluctance and avoidance for confrontation in the language of the country in which she will one day be Queen" is totally absurd and "imparting false information". Other peoples opinions, in this case Qvortrups, are not by definition 'false information', just another slant in the democratic debate!

Thanks for your input to the translation!

 

[Mandy]

After much deliberation, the Danish Forum Moderators have decided to permanently close this thread. This discussion is similar to the many discussions that have popped up under various titles, but have ultimately been derailed into unsubstantiated critiques of Frederik and Mary, and critiques and comparisons of other princesses.

Moreover, since this subject has been covered at length (hashed and rehashed), we suggest that if you are interested in members’ opinions regarding Frederik and Mary, that you review the following threads: Frederik & Mary's Marriage or Work Schedule or What is your opinion of Frederik & Mary or Four years down the track; Is Mary OK now? because as of now, newly created threads designed to elicit members’ opinions and judgements on such volatile issues will be deleted without notice.

Danish Forum Moderators