Working Visit to Copenhagen by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge: November 2, 2011


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I was referring to the interview where he interrupted Mary. Either he doesnt say a word unless she jumps in or he is all over the place, not very structured.

I know he has been worse but compared to the impression William made in front of the camera Frederik still has to learn a lot but somehow I dont see any progress whenever he is speaking in public.

I think he was being sincere and eager to make a point in the sense that this was something he genuinely wished to promote. - That's also where his speech pattern is most fluent and coherent.
Both William and Mary are orders of magnitudes better when it comes to standing in front of a camera and say something meaningful. In that respect I'd say that Mary conveyed the essentials best.
I don't know William enough to know whether him being comfortable in the public eye is a talent or whether he has worked on it. - That is something Frederik needs to work on, and probably for the rest of his life.

Frederik walking around with his hands in his pockets, doesn't impress me, however I know many here find that endearing.
Something akin, I guess, to people finding Prince Harry more appealing than William, because of Harry being....Harry.
 
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You have highlighted my point, that a couple looking good had to be present for people to realise that there are a lot of problems in the world, I am only pleased that they drew attention to these, I just think it sick that it was necessary.
 
Frederik walking around with his hands in his pockets, doesn't impress me, however I know many here find that endearing.
I don't know about endearing, but the BRF does it too...;)
Prince William was photographed with his hands in his pockets at UNICEF, and the most handsome and elegant man in the BRF, Prince Michael of Kent, during his visit in Copenhagen.
 
I think most people know there are many problems in the world. This was an opportunity to shine a light on the famine in Africa.

Someone (I can't recall who) said more or less "So many dinners are eaten in banquets for the starving in Africa".
 
FasterB I agree, maybe it just reflects the fact that British and Danish/Scandinavian women have different sartorial taste! It's difficult to pinpoint what it is; maybe it's in the style, maybe it's in the colour coordination , maybe it's in the accessorizing - I'm not sure!
Maybe Duchess Catherine is adhering to to the British Upper Class and /or Aristocratic standards, which don't count in a Danish context??

viv

AFAIK I've never seen a female member of the British Royal Family wear pants to a daytime engagement. The only exceptions that I recall are when they wear military camouflage during exercises, Anne's uniforms or when the climate/culture might require pants.

Meanwhile, I have seen CP Mary and Marie wear pants during daytime and some evening events.

I hope that the focus will be on the charity case, but I'm afraid that press would like to write more about similarity between Kate and Mary, their outfits and interaction.
ITA and it's too bad that the cause will not receive the attention that it deserves IMO.

I was referring to the interview where he interrupted Mary. Either he doesnt say a word unless she jumps in or he is all over the place, not very structured.

I know he has been worse but compared to the impression William made in front of the camera Frederik still has to learn a lot but somehow I dont see any progress whenever he is speaking in public.

I have to agree that Frederik still lacks the confidence and skill when it comes to public speaking. I didn't like that he interrupted his wife either.

Of all four protagonists, I think William & Mary did best. William oozes some royal gravitas, at least on camera. He comes across as regal, sincere and well educated.
Mary was dressed very suitable for the occasion and, from what she said in front of the cameras, seemed to be toughtful and prepared.
Frederik I am afraid is a big public fail, it has been said many times before, given that he has been preparing for a lifetime for the job its so disappointing to see him nervous and lacking any stature. Once he inherited the top job, how long will people be willing to tolerate his public unpreparedness? He is so lucky to have found a wife like Mary who can compensate to a very high degree (its like a dejavu of the Swedish Kings).
Kate, well, ok, she is a newbie and probably deserves to cut her some slack. When acting in front of a camera, her hair is freaking me out, it almost consumes her whole appearance for all the wrong reasons. During the interview, she was extremely nervous and didnt seem well prepared in terms of what to say.

I'm willing to give Kate a break on this one. It's likely that she will improve over time. Frederik on the other hand...:whistling:

Yeah...I noticed that too! But since this visit was the initiative of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and they made direct contact with the Crown Princely Couple, it is apparent now that Countess Alexandra would not have been there after all. One of the pitfalls of being an ex-member of a royal family.:sad: It must be hard to see the patronage that you have represented for so many years having such a huge media event and you aren't able to be present.
But at least UNICEF received a great deal of attention and hopefully, more money for a very worthy cause...and that's what is important.:)


We may yet find out who was present at the lunch from the Danish magazines.:flowers:
I wish that the invitation had been extended to Countess Alexandra due to the years she's spent representing UNICEF.
 
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You have highlighted my point, that a couple looking good had to be present for people to realise that there are a lot of problems in the world, I am only pleased that they drew attention to these, I just think it sick that it was necessary.

In some ways, I understand where you're coming from - that people should be aware of the problems in the world and not require attractive or famous people to draw their attention to what's going on. However, this is just the way it is nowadays; many people are so consumed by what's going on in their own lives - especially during this tough economic downturn - that they can't or won't see, or aren't well-informed of the misery in the world today. Actors and celebrities have always used their fame to draw people's attention to needy causes; in the U.S. there was a telethon held by movie stars and celebrities after Hurricane Katrina several years ago to help the affected areas in the South to recover, and I'm sure the response to that wouldn't have been so great if George Clooney wasn't hosting the event or Matt Damon hadn't been one of the celebrities answering the phone (if I remember my celebrities correctly). I think even Brad Pitt was helping rebuild homes down there, again if memory serves me correctly. There's also the LiveAid concerts featuring famous recording artists, and so many other events mounted for relief efforts by the famous. Celebrities know they have the star power to bring attention and donations to the causes that they sponsor. So the means do justify the end, and whatever it takes to get attention on board for worthy causes, I see no harm in this visit to UNICEF by two royal couples using their own starpower and popularity to get relief effort going for a very critical situation.
 
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Summary of article in Billed Bladet #44, 2011.
Royale superstjerner - Royal superstars
Written by Marianne Singer.
- And kindly requested by American Dane :wave:

The article basically compare K&W and M&F, using fact sheets in order to see how much they resemble each other.

Mary is about 172 cm high = 5'8'', Kate is about 178 cm = 5'10''.

Physical activity:
Mary is an accomplished rider, she runs, play tennis, swim and she has played golf for many years.
Kate plays tennis, swim and sail. She played hockey in school and she was a high jumper. (You know, trying to leap over a horizontal bar placed at an unreasonble height, discouraging those who are gravity challenged).
William used to play rugby and hockey. He has been skiing since early childhood, he plays water polo in addition to playing polo and soccer.
Frederik has run several marathons, rides horses, ride mountain bikes, ski and he is an accomplished sailor.

Military background:
William is currently a SAR = search and rescue pilot, flying a helicopter.
Frederik served in the navy special forces.
(In addition to that Mary is a lieutenant in the Home Guard).

Education:
Both Frederik and William went to university.
Frederik studied political science.
William studied geography.
Mary too went to university,where she got a bachelor in commerce and law and she has studied marketing.
Kate studied art history at St. Andrews.

Jobs:
Mary worked in the advertizing company DDB Needham and also in Young and Rubicam. In the pre-engagement period in DK, she worked as project consultant for Microsoft Business Solutions.
Kate worked in her parent's company Party Pieces and she was a purchaser for Jigsaw Junior.

Children:
Both Mary and Kate are known to be good with children.
Mary in connection with her work in the Mary Foundation focus a lot of her work there on children. Including introducing the Australian Free From Bullying concept to Denmark.
Kate displayed her fondness for children recently at a cancer ward for children in Canada.
(I will add that Frederik has a fantastic rapport with children, easily surpassing both Kate and Mary IMO. He just walks up to them and they like him instantly. A rare and precious gift. - Eating live spiders to impress children also helps....).

The work UNICEF is doing at the Horn of Africa/East Africa:
Kate and William have friends who live in the area.
William has visited projects several times in that area.
Mary recently went to a refugee camp on the border to Somalia.
Frederik recently stayed for a few days in a remote village in Mozambique.

Family:
Kate has two siblings, both her parents live. Her family has been praised for their pleasant and unpretentious behaviour.
Mary comes from a close knit family, she has three siblings, all living in Australia.
Mary's mother died in 1997 when Mary was 25.
William lost his mother at a very young age that same year.

Clothes:
Both Mary and Kate have been hailed as style-icons.
Both are known to dress in femine, elegant and smashing dresses, which look good on their tall, slim frames.
Kate has been critizised for her heavy make-up and unoriginal style.
Kate has dressed in clothes from Whistles and Reiss, Alexander McQueen, Jenny Packham and Diane von Fürstenberg.
Mary prefer Prada, Hugo Boss, Matthew Williamson, By Malene Birger and Heartmade. And she has been seen wearing clothes from H&M.

Know each other:
This was the first time the two couples met in Denmark.
Frederik and William were both godparents for Prince Konstantin Alexios.
They've also met at Prince Charles's 60th birthday.

- Kate is of course in the disadvantage here. She is about to establish her role and interests and put her mark on things.
Mary has seven years of experience under her belt.
 
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I wish that the invitation had been extended
to Countess Alexandra due to the years she's spent representing
UNICEF.

There are pros and cons on this one, TLLK! While Alexandra is doing
a good job for UNICEF - we're still dealing with royal institutions
being suckers for protocol in many situations! This was a high profile
and very public event with international press coverage.
Protocolwise Alexandra's attendance would have been a mess;
the last thing UNICEF needs is a patron diverting the press attention
for the wrong reasons because she's a former princess and sister-in-law
of the Danish crown prince!
IMO UNICEF Denmark has a problem on their hands in case other
royals want to promote a good cause!
The republican tabloid Extra Bladet - a paradox in print when it
comes to our royal family :D- caught Alexandra on her way to
the gym and later in the day, picking up her boys from school.

viv
 
I don't know about endearing, but the BRF does it too...;)
Prince William was photographed with his hands in his pockets at UNICEF, and the most handsome and elegant man in the BRF, Prince Michael of Kent, during his visit in Copenhagen.
Well spotted Nordic! I don't know what it is but it seems to me that Prince Frederik can't seem to catch a break. Nothing less than perfection will do, or so it seems. For him, hands in pockets are seen as sloppy. But to be honest, turning up up impeccably turned out, saying exactly the right thing at the right moment seems a little calculating and shallow.

We seem to have unrealistic expectations of "our" royals sometimes. Prince William has always led a charmed life, forgiven anything because he is his mother's son. Hands in pockets denote he is relaxed and provoke no comment. He also seems to have inherited his mother's ability to speak publicly and to connect. It comes naturally, he doesn't have to work at it, much like Prince Joachim.

Now for Frederik, it is different. He does not seem to have the "gift of the gab", yet I find his spontaneity and his enthusiasm open, honest and downright charming. (His wedding speech comes to mind.) I think he may actually be quite shy and it doesn't matter who you are, if you are shy you have to work at it. It is hard and it is painful.

Frederik and William are totally different types of people but both seem to have the "smarts" to marry a woman that brings out the best in them.

Best thing of all? They, and their respective wives, seem to have a real and personal interest in UNICEF and were willing to put themselves out there to openly trade on their royal status to raise money for it. There are definitely worse things they could be doing!
 
Learned behaviour for William. The Prince of Wales is well known for having a hand (or the better part of) resting in either his fob watch pocket or in the pocket of his suit jacket.
 
I think they are going to continue to try and cast Catherine as some creepy incarnation of Diana for a good few years yet. I think the only thing that will end it is if Catherine finds her own voice and a presence that is unique to her, and having nothing whatsoever in common with Diana. Until then they can and will continue on their creepy way.

According to news sources, UNICEF has already reaped financial benefits from the Copenhagen double-hit with the Danish Crown Princely couple and the Cambridge's visit to the UNICEF depot.

I don't think that money is enough. Until you fix the government/weather/social issues etc. then famines will still occur. The problem with charity however is that if you don't create alternative i.e. self-sufficient programs then the cycle of charity continues. So the people will always be dependent on UNICEF or other organizations for food and other supplies.
 
Den royale fremtid for Europa - TV 2 Vip
TV2's morning show has invited someone from a gossip magazine, Her & Nu, in the studio to talk about her assessment of the current young royal couples.

The show is pretty shallow in my opinion and remember, I'm only translating. :p:hiding:

Anne Bennike from Her & Nu described Kate and William as the very traditional and oldfashioned couple who is not out there among the people in the same way as for example the Norwegian CP couple.

She adds: "They (W&K) have very few engagements - less than one a month and you are not allowed to talk to them or listen to their conversations, and there are many demands, which the people has to obey. They were very surprised that you were allowed to talk to the Danish CP couple and that they reply".

She also remarks that it's another matter when it's about the Danish CP couple. Frederik and Mary is the modern nuclear family with the little heir to throne (Christian) attending a relatively common public school (state run school) and that they have many more engagements out among the people than the British couple. (*)

Bennike adds: "Mary is very skilled on the job and she has a fantastic connection/rapport with children. She takes her time with them, so that they feel appreciated".

Her favorite couple appears to be the Norwegian CP couple.
They are according to her a very common couple, who have Facebook profiles, where they openly tell about their everyday and they have for example put out their daughter's drawings on the profile along with other private pictures.

She adds: "In connection with their tenth anniversary, Mette-Marit openly and honestly told that she had been walking around sobbing in the streets of Oslo, when they had a pause in their relationship".

She describes the Swedish CP couple, Daniel and Victoria, as the warm and funny couple, and everybody loes Crown Princess Victoria. She's both loud-laughing and very gifted/bright, and Sweden loves when she sometimes leaps out of the Crown Princess role.

She adds: "They (the Swedes) have in time learned to love Daniel, as they can see how much they love each other".

The Dutch CP couple also get a few words.
Bennike describes them like this:
The Dutch couple Willem-Alexander and Máxia Zorreguieta is also a well-liked couple, where in particular the Argentinian Máxima has shaken the Crown Prince up a bit and they are very relaxed and laughing. She's a bit like the neighbors sweet daughter. (**)

(*) Remember that W&K are in many ways percieved as the british "CPcouple" here in DK, and perhaps the rest of the Continent as well).

(**) Hmm, that's not how most men would describe her. A word consiting of four letters would be more accurate. - And if you are a lady and know what I'm talking about, you shouldn't! - Don't worry, it's a compliment...
 
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Thanks for the translation. W & K do carry out fewer engagements compared to everyone else so I get that point. Not quite sure I understood the MM comment about sobbing in the streets...was she sad about her and Haakon?

I also felt that she thought W & K were not as open to be scrutinized because they are more sheltered? Is that correct?
As for the Facebook pages (MM & H) they are not as famous and they come from a more relaxed family ( pardon the phrasing couldn't think of anything else) so they could probably get away with the pages but Britain is still quite conservative so I don't think it will work quite yet. Although I have heard some members of the BRF have private pages.
 
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Well spotted Nordic! I don't know what it is but it seems to me that Prince Frederik can't seem to catch a break. Nothing less than perfection will do, or so it seems.

We seem to have unrealistic expectations of "our" royals sometimes.

Now for Frederik, it is different. He does not seem to have the "gift of the gab", yet I find his spontaneity and his enthusiasm open, honest and downright charming. (His wedding speech comes to mind.) I think he may actually be quite shy and it doesn't matter who you are, if you are shy you have to work at it. It is hard and it is painful.
Yes, it seems to be very hard for Frederik to catch a break.

Unrealistic expectations, yes....There are posters who about two weeks ago wrote, that Frederik needs to improve his public speaking skills, and when he hasn't two weeks later....
 
Thanks for the translation. W & K do carry out fewer engagements compared to everyone else so I get that point. Not quite sure I understood the MM comment about sobbing in the streets...was she sad about her and Haakon?

I also felt that she thought W & K were not as open to be scrutinized because they are more sheltered? Is that correct?
As for the Facebook pages (MM & H) they are not as famous and they come from a more relaxed family ( pardon the phrasing couldn't think of anything else) so they could probably get away with the pages but Britain is still quite conservative so I don't think it will work quite yet. Although I have heard some members of the BRF have private pages.

She was crying because the relationship between her and Haakon was strained. Don't know more details.

As for W&K I believe she meant that the BRF protocol, also in regards to W&K, is more formal or rigid, so that spontaneous interaction between them and the press is very limited in comparison to M&F and the press. - I'm not sure how correct she is. The Danish press are usually able to chat briefly with members of the DRF at some point during an event. With the exception perhaps of QMII. - But you can't yell questions at them, as if they were celebrities or politicians.
However, chasing away the press, because they are not allowed to see them getting their hair in order after wearing a safety helmet/hard hat is not something you will see in DK. That would be considered a natural thing to do, hardly worth photographing. And the Danish press would go collectively ballistic if they were treated like that.

M&F at least, has or had discreet facebook profiles, because someone told the tabloids last year, IIRC.
 
Yes, it seems to be very hard for Frederik to catch a break.

Unrealistic expectations, yes....There are posters who about two weeks ago wrote, that Frederik needs to improve his public speaking skills, and when he hasn't two weeks later....
I cannot speak for anyone but myself, but IMO concerns Frederik's public speaking skills have been poor for years now. Personally I wish the Danish royals had addressed this issue years ago.

His counterparts in Belgium and the Netherlands are not particularly charismatic or engaging personalities IMO, but they are capable of addressing the public in a coherent manner.;)

Den royale fremtid for Europa - TV 2 Vip
TV2's morning show has invited someone from a gossip magazine, Her & Nu, in the studio to talk about her assessment of the current young royal couples..

Thank you for the summary and translation Muhler. It does appear that too often people consider W&K to be the CP couple and expect them to carry out the same number of engagements as the others. He is still just the heir-to-the-heir which really puts him at the same status as Christian, Amalia, etc... (HMMMM would W&K be required to sit at the "kids' table" if the CP couples had a dinner with all of their heirs?;)

There are pros and cons on this one, TLLK! While Alexandra is doing
a good job for UNICEF - we're still dealing with royal institutions
being suckers for protocol in many situations! This was a high profile
and very public event with international press coverage.
Protocolwise Alexandra's attendance would have been a mess;
the last thing UNICEF needs is a patron diverting the press attention
for the wrong reasons because she's a former princess and sister-in-law
of the Danish crown prince!
IMO UNICEF Denmark has a problem on their hands in case other
royals want to promote a good cause!
The republican tabloid Extra Bladet - a paradox in print when it
comes to our royal family :D- caught Alexandra on her way to
the gym and later in the day, picking up her boys from school.

viv

Sigh...a girl can dream.:p
 
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She was crying because the relationship between her and Haakon was strained. Don't know more details.

As for W&K I believe she meant that the BRF protocol, also in regards to W&K, is more formal or rigid, so that spontaneous interaction between them and the press is very limited in comparison to M&F and the press. - I'm not sure how correct she is. The Danish press are usually able to chat briefly with members of the DRF at some point during an event. With the exception perhaps of QMII. - But you can't yell questions at them, as if they were celebrities or politicians.
However, chasing away the press, because they are not allowed to see them getting their hair in order after wearing a safety helmet/hard hat is not something you will see in DK. That would be considered a natural thing to do, hardly worth photographing. And the Danish press would go collectively ballistic if they were treated like that.

M&F at least, has or had discreet facebook profiles, because someone told the tabloids last year, IIRC.

Thanks for answering all my questions. :flowers: I also agree to some degree about the relationship between the British royals vs. the media in comparison to other families. If you could answer one more question for me...did they really send the media away while adjusting their hard hats?
 
Thanks to Muhler, Viv and the others who have given those of us who aren't too familiar with the Danish Royal Family (as well as the other Scandinavian royal couples) a nice perspective and insight into them. Great coverage on this thread! :flowers:
 
And the prize for the most idiotic story so far goes to (fanfare) BT's Susanne Johansson. :jester:
Kates store brøler: Underdrev katastrofen - Royale - BT.dk

You see, Kate said yesterday that hundreds of children, yes, hundreds of children were suffering in East Africa.
That is on big major goof, says Susanne Johansson in her article! Shame om you Kate! :argh:

Our perceptive reporter then goes on to claim that UNICEF says that millions of children are suffering. - Bad Kate...

Now, Kate may have been guilty of being nervous and saying something incorrect. - I don't know, didn't notice it.
But Susanne Johannsson is guilty of not doing her homework. The official numbers from UNICEF says that 13 million people are suffering in East Africa, among them 350.000 children.
Sigh, big sigh!

There is one thing we Danes can bragg about in regards to the British: Our reporters are sillier than the British.

----------------------------

Jemagre: "Thanks for answering all my questions. :flowers: I also agree to some degree about the relationship between the British royals vs. the media in comparison to other families. If you could answer one more question for me...did they really send the media away while adjusting their hard hats"?

Of course. :)
Answering questions from you is endlessly more meaningful than reading articles from certain reporters!

Yes, it was on the live coverage. The press was litterally herded away by someone from the BRF press department.
 
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did they really send the media away while adjusting their hard hats"?

Of course. :)
Answering questions from you is endlessly more meaningful than reading articles from certain reporters!

Yes, it was on the live coverage. The press was litterally herded away by someone from the BRF press department. __________________

:lol::lol::lol: of course Kate's famous hairstyle needed to be rearranged :lol::lol::lol:
 
There is one thing we Danes can bragg about in regards to the British: Our reporters are sillier than the British.

Some of the stuff on the TV2-morning show is toe- crumbling :bang::censored:

viv
 
How did Kate not look willing to work just cause she didn't wear pants? Idg some people. Mary and Kate did the same amount of work ugh. Also their visit has helped. The media here is actually talking about the cause not comparisons between Mary and Catherine and I know for a fact UNICEF has been saying the boom in interest they've seen in just the past 2 days alone. So IMO this visit has helped. Sure it won't solve the problem completely but it's a start and so to that I say good on them!
 
I agree; but in the short-term, people have to be fed. So much time is taken up by people in these countries just to plan grow food and gather water, and that's when there's no war and the weather is good. Until there's no war in Africa and no gangs stealing food when it arrives, we're going to see this happen over and over again. Also, at least one well needs to be dug in every village, to save people time in gathering water and also to prevent water-borne disease.

I don't think that money is enough. Until you fix the government/weather/social issues etc. then famines will still occur. The problem with charity however is that if you don't create alternative i.e. self-sufficient programs then the cycle of charity continues.
 
It's pretty well known that William in particular is fairly scathing of the press and does not trust them even slightly. I think given the BRF's difficulties with the press over the last say 30 years, including the role that the press played in Diana's death and its aftermath, they're completely right to maintain a certain distance from the press.
 
Although I still identify Mary's spoken English as evidently Australian (be it with a Nordic lilt), I do notice that when she speaks, she structures her sentences in a way that makes her seems a little (and I do mean a little) unsure about the structure.

Mary is of course fluent in her mother tongue, and should she be exposed to english speaking society on a day to day basis I think we'd see her sentence structure return to what it otherwise would be had have she never moved to Denmark. However speaking Danish every day, and thinking in Danish, means that Mary has to give considerable thought when she speaks both languages and this is reflected when she articulates either language.

This is so fascinating! To see that change in her language skills. I watched the video of her and you would never know that she was a native English speaker...she must've really thrown herself into learning the Danish language! She has an accent when she speaks English and it's certainly not Australian. I never thought that could happen to anyone unless they were a child. So interesting...
 
I watched the video of her and you would never know that she was a native English speaker...she must've really thrown herself into learning the Danish language! She has an accent when she speaks English and it's certainly not Australian. I never thought that could happen to anyone unless they were a child. So interesting...

Thank you Zembla! I watched CP Mary speaking on TV yesterday and I could have sworn that I heard a slight Danish accent! I just didn't have the guts to post about it till you guys got started! :D

viv
 
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