The Crown Prince Couple's Choice of Patronages.

[GlitteringTiaras]

Originally Posted by Jo of Palatine

I'll guess we have to wait and see what will happen: maybe she loosens up a bit (which would be good, IMHO) or she gets more and more inner stress over the years as really: nobody can be perfect all the time.

A quote from the documentary about princess Marie comes to mind: Marie' s former headmaster at her boardingschool told how Marie was always in trouble because she was found at the wrong time at the wrong place in school: he laughed about it and said that whenever Marie was found, she had perfectly good reasons to be there at that particular times and was able to convince all that she was right in being there then. I do hope that Marie will bring the same aplomb and joie de vivre to her new life and that Mary will see that it's possible to be a loved member of that family even when one is not perfect.

I hope not; otherwise she will be a complete and utter embarrassment to the DRF ala Sarah, the Duchess of York when she was married to Andrew. Such a shame... a very cringeworthy time.

Best that Marie learn the in's and out's of what it means to be a royal. She has no room to make embarrassing mistakes and thus proceeding to squirm her way out of it with childish excuses.

Now, back on topic: I'm looking forward to her first three official events with Prince Joachim in the upcoming weeks, and I'm sure she'll do well.

[Amelia]

Originally Posted by Jo of Palatine

......... maybe she loosens up a bit (which would be good, IMHO) or she gets more and more inner stress over the years as really: nobody can be perfect all the time.........

I don't know, I think that when the situation calls for it she can be more relaxed, less professional e.g. last Sunday at the Anti-bullying race with the children and very professional when she needs to be e.g. when at the women's shelter on Thursday or in Slovenia when she was profession when meeting officials and attending the conference, yet relaxed when playing with the children before they received their vaccinations.

Personally I have always gotten the impression that Mary saw being Crown Princess as her job, she is being paid by the Danish people and feels that she should do her very best for them by being professional, by being well prepared and by giving the very best that she can give to them. Of course I may be reading her wrongly but this has always been the impression that she has given me and one of the things I have always liked about her.

[dee4855]

Originally Posted by Santacruz

Very good point Jo of Palatine. Mary very much tries to fit in and be perfect.Like trying to be a grown up version of Cinderella.
Maybe it would be better for her to put not that much pressure on herself and try to be a little bit more authentic. It's the small mistakes and tiny imperfect things that make people like you. Perfection is boring.

Then if she messed up people would be all over her for not doing her job properly. I can just hear it now. Does she not know protocol! She is a perfectionist that is her lot in life. If she prefers to be that way so be it.

She has turned into a very valuable assett to the DRF and the country of Denmark. Denmark was not on my top ten to see before I die, now it is.

[ricarda]

Originally Posted by Santacruz

Very good point Jo of Palatine. Mary very much tries to fit in and be perfect.Like trying to be a grown up version of Cinderella.
Maybe it would be better for her to put not that much pressure on herself and try to be a little bit more authentic. It's the small mistakes and tiny imperfect things that make people like you. Perfection is boring.

How did you get from "not convincing" and "nothing important to say" to "perfection is boring"? Someone who is not convincing isn't perfect, is he/she?

Jo of Palatine
A quote from the documentary about princess Marie comes to mind: Marie' s former headmaster at her boardingschool told how Marie was always in trouble because she was found at the wrong time at the wrong place in school: he laughed about it and said that whenever Marie was found, she had perfectly good reasons to be there at that particular times and was able to convince all that she was right in being there then. I do hope that Marie will bring the same aplomb and joie de vivre to her new life and that Mary will see that it's possible to be a loved member of that family even when one is not perfect.

I have to agree with Glittering Tiara here.
The things the headmaster said about Marie are actually those parts in the documentary who made me a bit sceptical. I only hope that Marie has grown up in the meantime.
Anyhow, if Mary had shown as many imperfections as Marie has done already, I am sure she would not be crownprincess and a loved member of that family by now. IMO all those imperfections of Marie were only acceptable because she is not going to be queen.
Mary had/has about 50 times more pressure on her than Marie I would say. Perhaps she would be more relaxed if she would be the 2nd wife of a 2nd son. And perhaps Marie would look less relaxed if she had married the crownprince.

[UserDane]

Originally Posted by Lena

I
What Mary seems to forget is, that esp. women (of course not some here) are quite happy about other women having some "flaws".
This might be Mette Marit´s anti ballet dancer posture, Madeleine wearing an European size 40 or 42 instead of being stick thin, Maxima laughing so unlady like, Mathilde wearing clothes, that show very well, that she had given birth several times...this makes them pleasantly harmless and like human beings seeming. A princess, who has a boisterous side (like Christina, Maxima or Victoria) or one, who seems quite motherly like Mathilde will it always have easy...and therefore there are no anti boards on them out there...if that is now fair or unfair is an other question...

So if Mary does not fit into the 'attractive flaws' mould, can her more reticent nature - which is by some seen as a flaw and as an attempt to always appear 'perfect' - not be raised to become an acceptable flaw then - or what should we do about her? Start a popular demand for her to slouch at selected public events, stuff her head with Danish pastry to achieve the requested increase, or practice the wide-tooth grin in front of the mirror before she leaves her house....

[Binz]

Originally Posted by ricarda

Or can you show me where I said that Mary is relaxed?
I said she has a lot of pressure on her (more than Marie) and that she might be more relaxed if she had less pressure.

(ricarda the following isn't a "critic" to your message)
Maybe if Mary wouldn't have been compared with the most "outstanding, perfect, marvelous, beautiful, incredible hard working princess that Denmark ever has had" the untouchable princess Alexandra, Mary could be much more relaxed then she appears? After all a lot people predicted that Mary just couldn't hold a candle to Alexandra. After the announcement of the divorce quite a few things have changed. It must be hard to cope with that.

Nonetheless what have the last messages to do with the work schedule? I admit I'm quilty for some sidetracking too.

[Odette]

I remember when the engagement of Mary & Frederick was announced, Prince Henrik gave an interview and said that Mary could learn a lot from Princess Alexandra. I am sure that went over rather well, considering the developments a couple of months later.