Princess Mary's Personality

[highpriestess]

First, when some previous posters commented that they disliked Mary, some Mary fans asked to hear the "reason" why. I stated some of the most cited reasons why people seem to have a negative impression of Mary, now some posters asked why we had to point out the specific reasons why.

For people who asked why I mentioned her makeup, fashion etc., please see my original post. I never said she's the only princess who wears makeup or improves her wardrobe etc. I said it's the dramatic change gave people the impression of her being fake. Again, I said that she's not the only princess who attends fashion shows or wears designers' wear. It's her being associated so much with fashion and hyped so much for her fashion that gave an impression of being shallow. It's frustrating that some posters keep taking part of my comments out of context and challeging on the specific incidents instead of the points I made.

Articulation is important because that is how people judge your intelligence.{Removed inappropriate comment -Empress} But I specifically said that I didn't know whether Mary is intelligent or not. I could only see that she was not very articulate and hasn't shown any other signs that lead me to think she's intellectual. Does a royal need to be an intellectual? No. Some of us just admire intellectual people more. That's all.

We all based our impression and opinions on photos, news articles and videos posted online. Same with the people who like Mary. None of us "knows" her personally. There's no way for us to know her real personality. Same for the original poster who started this thread or others who gushed about her "personality". Why are only people who have a negative impression of Mary asked: "Do you believe in everything you read?" Shouldn't the same question be posted to the people who have a possitive impression of her? Give all of us some credit for thinking on our own, would you?

Image and public perception are usually more important to a public figure supported by tax payers' money than real personality.

 

[Stefanie]

What I will never understand is why Frederik after those girls like Maria Montell or that model (both very blonde..) decided to marry Mary. Or better: Why she decided to marry him. In her shadow he comes over even more boyish and shy (with this looks in his eyes as if he expects to get a trashing in a few seconds...).
She appears very ladylike and mature. Sometimes I believe she´s Frederik´s sister instead of his wife.

 

[Chimene]

We gush because we like what we see. For what we don't know, we are willing to give her the benefit of a doubt. It's quite obvious some of you don't and can't do the same. For the record, no one is expecting you to. It's your supreme right to express your point of view. I don’t know how many times that has been stated. We don't agree, and that's a value that is basic to intellectual thinking. When we are at an impasse, we should agree to disagree. I think this thread is beginning to be a bit redundant - really.

 

[lisamaria]

I find it sort of funny and very interesting that so many people have such a need to pour all sorts of stuff over Mary - there is no thread like this about Maxima or Mette-Marit or - heaven forbid - Mathilde. Why is that? There must be lots of people out there who don't like any one of them. Maybe we just are too polite to whack them publicly - or, as in my case, too darn lazy

I have personally always liked Mary; she is the only CP I follow, and the only one I actually think I might like to know. I like her restraint and calmness, but then again, it has always been a characteristic I esteem in people more than the kind of on-your-face enthusiasm our culture now seems to admire (just watch any American reality show - the giggly screaming makes my head to burst). Is it a sign of shallowness? Snobbery? Shyness? Probably not; some of us just are put together that way.

That aside, no matter how silly it is to judge people on their appearance, we all do it constantly - most girls here probably look very much like their friends do, and would never want to be seen with people who looked the polar opposite. Sometimes looks do tell the whole story, sometimes they don't. With that said, claiming that she must a shallow person because she is so well put together does sound just a little self-righteous, not to mention oxymoronic

 

[dazzling]

In Milan for the fashion shows with her stylist Anja. Nothing to do with promoting Danish fashion as they were at Italian designers' parades.

So, many royals go to fashion shows. what does this have to do with her personality? i dont see the connection at all... & where there any pitures?articles?

 

[crisscross1]

I find it sort of funny and very interesting that so many people have such a need to pour all sorts of stuff over Mary - there is no thread like this about Maxima or Mette-Marit or - heaven forbid - Mathilde. Why is that? There must be lots of people out there who don't like any one of them. Maybe we just are too polite to whack them publicly - or, as in my case, too darn lazy

I would certainly like to see the comments made about the above mentioned Crown Princesses, Letizia too, I am sure the support from their admirers would be just the same as it is here. It's human nature to defend someone you think is being unfairly treated.

 

[highpriestess]

With that said, claiming that she must a shallow person because she is so well put together does sound just a little self-righteous, not to mention oxymoronic

Where did I say she's shallow because she's "well put together"? Read my points again:

"I never said she's the only princess who wears makeup or improves her wardrobe etc. I said it's the dramatic change gave people the impression of her being fake. Again, I said that she's not the only princess who attends fashion shows or wears designers' wear. It's her being associated so much with fashion and hyped so much for her fashion that gave an impression of being shallow."

Yes, this thread has become repeatitive because people can't read.

 

[ysbel]

I said it's the dramatic change gave people the impression of her being fake. Again, I said that she's not the only princess who attends fashion shows or wears designers' wear. It's her being associated so much with fashion and hyped so much for her fashion that gave an impression of being shallow."

A dramatic change would not have given me the impression that Mary was fake. Princess Diana went through a dramatic change in her looks from her engagement to her first year as Princess of Wales and changed again towards the end of her marriage but I would never call her a fake.

Even so, I don't see the dramatic change in Mary's look you see and yes I have seen the chunky picture from the starsite and I saw the skin color change and the loss of weight (and more recently her weight gain) and the difference in makeup and quite frankly to me all these changes don't look that significant. I think what has changed the most is her posture over the first pictures of her and if that's the most dramatic change then that is a good thing because her posture in the first candid shots of her in Australia looked bad and uncomfortable. She looks more polished, less sporty but she still has a classic European look and she did even when she was in Australia.

Again, I said that she's not the only princess who attends fashion shows or wears designers' wear. It's her being associated so much with fashion and hyped so much for her fashion that gave an impression of being shallow."

I don't hear about her association with fashion outside of boards like this where members like you use her association with fashion to label her fake and shallow. Outside of these boards and away from people who can't seem to get over those initial Vogue shoots, Mary's association with fashion is maybe mentioned 3-4 times a year when she attends a CIFF event and then maybe once or twice more. For most people, that's not an overly saturated association with fashion.

Now I think fashion is pretty shallow but I'm not about to label a woman as shallow even if she follows fashion a lot more seriously than I do. Two of my favorite actresses were denizens of the fashion scene and they were lovely and deep and caring people: Catherine Deneuve and Audrey Hepburn.

So yes I agree with you that fashion is pretty shallow but I disagree with you that Mary's association with fashion makes her shallow.

 

[Charlotte1]

So, many royals go to fashion shows. what does this have to do with her personality? i dont see the connection at all... & where there any pitures?articles?

Sigh, yes an ability to read accurately would be nice. My post about Mary attending a Milan fashion show was in response to another poster's question about whether or not Mary had attended fashion shows other than those dealing with her patronages. Yes there were pictures and an article that's how I know that she went to Milan with her stylist.

She was there in a private capacity with her stylist. IIRC there were no photos, just a small blurb from newspaper.

There were photos of her attendence as that's what I've seen the photos of Mary and Anja sitting in a front row at a fashion parade. I haven't read a newspaper blurb about the trip. The photos are probably still around one of the photo sites if anyone's got the patience to find them.

The negative connotation that sticks with Mary over her attendence at fashion events is because she started with those events. Norway's Mette-Marit also is a patron of Norwgian fashion and attends fashion events dealing with Norwegian fashion both in Norway and last year in London. ( Her sister-in-law Martha-Louise too attends parades) But Mette-Marit didn't start with fashion she developed her more serious patronages first, Mental Health ( she even was in a documentary) AIDS, Norway first then UNAIDS. Then she moved onto fashion. ( Martha-Louise started with health and disability issues)
Mary started with fashion and then moved onto the Danish refugee council, World Health but the perception stayed in regards to her being a light weight because of the fashion angle. ( Regardless of whether or not it's a major industry, fishing is too but she didn't promote that)

Other princesses who attend fashion parades in a private or official capacity tend to be the 'non-ruling' ones. Marie-Chantal is a regular at Valentino, Caroline of Hannover ( and daughter, sons) Valentino, Karl Largerfeld, Princess Mabel of Netherlands ( not in the official Royal House) Viktor and Rolf who she supported before she was married. Alexia of Greece, charity fashion parades to support the Downs Syndrome association of Barcelona where she worked as a therapist.

Valentino at the moment has a large retrospective exhibition in Rome, royals attended, Marie-Chantal, Rosario of Bulgaria. Clothide of Savoy, Duchess of Calabria, Caroline of Hannover. Maxima's wedding dress ( made by Valentino) is exhibited but Maxima did not attend.

 

[ysbel]

The negative connotation that sticks with Mary over her attendence at fashion events is because she started with those events.

However, there's not much Mary can do about that now. If people want to continue to judge her as flighty or shallow after she's picked up on more serious causes, that's their privilege but in my opinion, Mary shouldn't waste too much time trying to change their minds because if you're going to still judge her on something she started two-three years ago, its a losing battle.

No public figure is going to be liked by everyone. There is the group that cannot stand a public figure, the group for whom the public figure can do no wrong, and the one's in the middle. The first group is hopeless and the public figure should forget them, the last group is dedicated and will like the public figure no matter what, so the public figure can forget them too but its the middle group whose perceptions can be changed is the group the public figure should be paying attention to. They may either like or dislike the public figure based on what they see now and not some opinion they made two and three years ago.

 

[UserDane]

Sigh, yes an ability to read accurately would be nice. My post about Mary attending a Milan fashion show was in response to another poster's question about whether or not Mary had attended fashion shows other than those dealing with her patronages. Yes there were pictures and an article that's how I know that she went to Milan with her stylist..

Yes I asked you about that. Another poster also remembered that she took this private trip a year or two ago.

The negative connotation that sticks with Mary over her attendence at fashion events is because she started with those events. ....
Mary started with fashion and then moved onto the Danish refugee council, World Health but the perception stayed in regards to her being a light weight because of the fashion angle. .

When exactly was it announced that she would be patron of CIFF e.g.? I have contacted the press manager's office to ask this but the office is closed in July for the holidays - so if you know the date (month and year will do) that would be very helpful.

Date examples of some of her other patronages - as announced on the websites of the various organizations:

January 2005: Patron for the Danish Heart Association
January 2005: Patron for Julemærkefonden - The Danish Christmas Seal which helps disadvantaged children in Denmark
March 2005: Patron for Forskningens Døgn (Festival of Research)
4th May 2005: Patronage for Sjældne diagnoser (Rare Diseases - an umbrella organisation of 34 associations for families with rare diseases and disabilities) is announced on their website
May 2005: Mentioned as partron of the Danish Youth Association of Science
May 2005: Patron of Nyreforeningen - The Danish Kidney Association
14th May 2005: Patron of Dansk Flygtningehjælp - The Danish Refugee Council

So what you are saying is that Mary took on the patronage of her fashion-related activities as soon as 2004? The same year she was married? Or did it happen at the same time with the examples I have mentioned above, e.g. in January 2005?

( Regardless of whether or not it's a major industry, fishing is too but she didn't promote that)

Sadly no; the Danish fishing industry now compared to pre-EU entry is neglible. Doing a fishing patronage from a financial point of view would therefore be a lost cause.

 

[Jo of Palatine]

Sadly no; the Danish fishing industry now compared to pre-EU entry is neglible. Doing a fishing patronage from a financial point of view would therefore be a lost cause.

Sailing is an important tourist attraction of Denmark - lots of German rent boats there or sail the "Danish Southern Seas" area starting from German harbours - my family included. So Fred and Mary sailing is in support of the tourism industry as there is a competition with the Mediterranean ports.

 

[UserDane]

Sailing is an important tourist attraction of Denmark - lots of German rent boats there or sail the "Danish Southern Seas" area starting from German harbours - my family included. So Fred and Mary sailing is in support of the tourism industry as there is a competition with the Mediterranean ports.

That's true Jo of Palatine; sailing has become big in later years; if you see the former fishing ports, they now hold a lot of sailing and leisure boats. I was at the harbour of Gilleleje in North Zealand recently, and it is now almost entirely boats for rent and privately owned boats. There are very few full-time occupied fishing boats left; and Gilleleje used to be such a busy fishing port - a bit sad to see.

 

[Harmony]

Crown Princess Mary's patronages
Source:

TRH The Crown Prince Couple - Patronages of HRH The Crown Princess

 

[UserDane]

Thanks a lot Harmony
So a lot of her patronages were announced concurrently in January 2005 - and her patronage for CIFF and Designers Nest did not come first - as some seem to think.

 

[Charlotte1]

Thanks a lot Harmony
So a lot of her patronages were announced concurrently in January 2005 - and her patronage for CIFF and Designers Nest did not come first - as some seem to think.

It's not the announcement of the patronages that came first but rather her attendence at the Danish fashion shows. Mary's first 2 solo engagements were to do with horses ( presentation of prizes, exhibition of horse pictures) that was a way to ease her gently into royal engagements as it was an area of interest. She attended Danish fashion parades in Aug 2004 ( is that when CIFF parades are on?) again as a way I suppose of easing her into royal engagements in an area that held some interest. She was attending parades before her official patronage was announced.

 

[UserDane]

It's not the announcement of the patronages that came first but rather her attendence at the Danish fashion shows. Mary's first 2 solo engagements were to do with horses ( presentation of prizes, exhibition of horse pictures) that was a way to ease her gently into royal engagements as it was an area of interest. She attended Danish fashion parades in Aug 2004 ( is that when CIFF parades are on?) again as a way I suppose of easing her into royal engagements in an area that held some interest. She was attending parades before her official patronage was announced.

Yes, I remember that she started doing events on her own very quickly - and you are right it was horse shows (perhaps a stand-in for Benedikte who usually does horse shows here)
It is very probable that it was a CIFF show she watched if it was in August (they are held August and February).

 

[Charlotte1]

Back from a quick bit of research. ( thought that would be more accurate than relying on my memory!) Mary attended CIFF 5th August 2004.

 

[Empress]

Just a friendly reminder. We are all here to state our opinons, and whether we agree with other posters or not, we should not take anything they say personally.

By the same token, if you wish to address a specific poster individually, please do so via PM. This is obviously a thread that garners some serious divides in opinion, so if you want to post here, be prepared to take the heat that comes with people agreeing or more likely disagreeing with what you are saying.

 

[ysbel]

It's not the announcement of the patronages that came first but rather her attendence at the Danish fashion shows.

Again, why does it matter so much that the fashion shows came first?

 

[Empress]

Oh for crying out loud. Perhaps CIFF was the only organization that already had an event in place that she could attend without too much extra fuss in the immediate time after the announcement of her patronage.

People, Imelda Marcos she is not!

 

[ysbel]

Sorry, Empress but that is not what I'm asking. I'm just asking why the fact that she was associated with fashion events first starting several years ago still induces people to call Mary flighty and shallow after all these years when a lot has changed about her life and her patronages.

 

[Empress]

No no Ysbel. That comment was not aimed at you, but at the general discussion of fashion. I meant for my comment to act in tandem with yours! I completely agree with you. I have no idea why after 18 pages of discussion we are still stuck on the fashion and her being called flighty because of it!

 

[Duke of Marmalade]

Sorry, Empress but that is not what I'm asking. I'm just asking why the fact that she was associated with fashion events first starting several years ago still induces people to call Mary flighty and shallow after all these years when a lot has changed about her life and her patronages.

This is what I wonder too. Look at her patronages and the topics the is involved in. Why not going to fashion shows and wearing designer if the rest is ok such as workload and giving birth to babies and making the heir to the throne happy?

If you look at other CPs it's already more you could ask for.

 

[ysbel]

No no Ysbel. That comment was not aimed at you, but at the general discussion of fashion. I meant for my comment to act in tandem with yours! I completely agree with you. I have no idea why after 18 pages of discussion we are still stuck on the fashion and her being called flighty because of it!

Ah now I see Empress! I was a little slow on the uptake this morning! I blame it on posting before I had my coffee!

There are two things I wonder at:

Why the mere association with fashion (ie. the CIFF) means that Mary is flighty. I'm a pretty serious person. I like royalty. Some would think that royalty is a flighty hobby but I doubt if anyone would call me flighty (although some of my friends question my sanity sometimes)

Why these fashion shows that Mary went to at the beginning (and the photo shoots, etc.) made such an impression on a segment of the population - and they made much more of an impression than what they see Mary doing today.

I don't think this is confined to Mary. Joachim's girlfriend Marie was especially candid in a couple of interviews when she first dated Joachim and hasn't done interviews since. But still you'll find people who will call her a blabbermouth and say she can't be trusted whereas other people like me will say at first, she sounds a little flaky, I don't know about her, but then we change our minds and say, well she hasn't done that for awhile and they are still dating so there must be more to her and the relationship than we guessed.

Its an interesting phenomenon with these ladies that the Danish princes choose that make people hang onto an impression they first get and then for some reason, that impression doesn't change even though the situation changes. I haven't seen it with any other Crown Princess.

 

[wiwaxia]

http://www.seoghoer.dk/Qvortrup%20Mener/leder%2028.aspx

Is it a refelction on CP Mary's personality when Danish journalists write articles like this?

MARY AND THE LANGUAGE (by Henrik Qvortrup)

Many have wondered why the CPCouple willingly give interviews to foreign magazines, but steer clear of the danish ones. Lately, Jes Dorph-Petersen has criticised the pair for neglecting the danes that in reality are the basis for their existence.

 

[KelliB]

Give her a break. That she is still (in the perception of some) lacking confidence in her spoken Danish is completely understandable. Learning a foreign language as an adult is exceptionally difficult and requires the brain to "rewire" itself - it's much more difficult than learning a second language as a child. That Mary is reluctant to speak more than a few sentences in Danish should not been seen as a personality fault but rather the completely understandable reluctance of someone who knows their every move is being watched to place themselves at the mercy of an unforgiving public.

I am an Australian woman, of Mary's age (or thereabouts) and I have nothing but respect for what she has done. I truly believe that her internal strength and her faithfulness to herself and to her upbringing are the reasons she is who and where she is.

More power to her.

 

[Madame Royale]

The only time anyone could fairly criticize Mary's Danish, is if shes wasn't attempting at all!

 

[wiwaxia]

The only time anyone could fairly criticize Mary's Danish, is if shes wasn't attempting at all!

Isn't that what the journalist's observation is about? - not much attempt.

 

[Harmony]

She attended Danish fashion parades in Aug 2004 ( is that when CIFF parades are on?) again as a way I suppose of easing her into royal engagements in an area that held some interest. She was attending parades before her official patronage was announced.

HRH CPss Mary also attended the solo events below before her patronages were announced

Attended and presented the prizes at the Danish championship in pony show jumping in Silkeborg -13.june 2004. She was one of the judges too.

Opening a "health week" in Fredensborg - Thursday 9.september 2004

Opening of photoexhibition- 28. september 2004

The inauguration of the last part of the highway E39, Aalborg - Hirtshals -Saturday 9.october 2004

Attended a Pink Tribute lunch in the American ambassador's residence, Copenhagen - Friday 1.october 2004

Attended the opening of a stamps fair in Copenhagen - Friday 5.november 2004

Opening of the international week for the educations in Cirius Danmark, Copenhagen - 15.november 2004

Inauguration of the new nursing center, Teglgårdsparken in Kolding-
25.november 2004

Visited an institution for the blind in Fredensborg - 6.december 2004 at 10 am

Presented the Philips Nordic Prize 2004 in Copenhagen - 6.december 2004 at 2pm

Inauguration Bov muncipality's new nursing and senior center "Rønshave" - 11.december 2004