"Frederik - Crown Prince of Denmark" by Gitte Redder & Karin Palshøj (2008)


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"Frederik - Crown Prince of Denmark" by Gitte Redder & Karin Palshøj (2008)

16-05-2008 Fredensborg Crown Prince Frederik.
Pictures were made to a book in connection with his 40th Birthday on the 26th of May. (sport/hond/dier)

PPE Agency

I love the idea of showing different facets of the Crown Prince: Frederik as Crown Prince, father, sportsman.

I love the one of Isabella and Christian being impressed by the bubbles!
;)
 
The pictures are great, he looks very handsome with some gray in his hair.
 
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I really like these photos. They show the Crown Prince in his many roles. Yes they are posed but aren't all formal pictures posed to some extent? And i agree with most of the posts, the ones with the family are just lovely.:flowers:
 
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I really like these photos. They show the Crown Prince in his many roles. Yes they are posed but aren't all formal pictures posed to some extent? And i agree with most of the posts, the ones with the family are just lovely.:flowers:

My husband who is a photographer himself just said that they are well done, artistically of value but for him they are too cold, too much distance between the persons portrayed and the viewer. And I wonder what photographer Madeleine would have made of the occasions, for her pics always seem to dance with joy!
 
My husband who is a photographer himself just said that they are well done, artistically of value but for him they are too cold, too much distance between the persons portrayed and the viewer.

I agree with your husband, Jo. Steen is a good photographer, but tone of his photographs are not always the best... hence his message. To me some of these images portray a man as being "above it all" "not relatable". For me there is no harmony, if that makes any sense. I would like to see someone shoot Frederik in a more warm manner... not so posey. I would love to see the couple photographed by either Patrick Demarchelier, Sølve Sundsbø, Jürgen Teller, Craig McDean, Inez & Vinoodh, Peter Lindbergh, or dare I say Bruce Weber. There are many others, but I believe it's time to ease back on the Steen photos for a while.
 
The pics do seem impersonal. However, I like the excerpts from "How he wooed his princess".:wub:

I find it very disappointing that this book has only been released in the Danish language especially with the crown princess being of Australian origin. I'm certain that her native "countrypeople" want to know as much about Frederik as they possible can not to mention the rest of the English speaking royal followers around the world. I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping it won't take many years for an English version to released on my side of the globe.
 
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I've just finished reading the book, and I liked it. It could have been expanded some in some of the parts, but I liked it, and it has increased my view of Frederik, and filled up some of the holes that I've been having, in terms of various items regarding him. I'll probably never be his biggest fan, but, as he does in person, he comes off as quite likable and willing to answer and talk about both positive and negative things attributed to himself.

The book is easy to read, although pretty hefty in size, and a very enjoyable way to spend an afternoon.

All in all, it's a good add to my royal book collection :flowers:
 
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norwegianne,
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on the book. Even though its not available in the US, I thought I would at least try and find something that was. What a shame that the only book I can find about any Prince of Denmark is Hamlet. Murder most foul!
 
Prince Frederick

I find it very disappointing that this book has only been released in the Danish language especially with the crown princess being of Australian origin. I'm certain that her native "countrypeople" want to know as much about Frederik as they possible can not to mention the rest of the English speaking royal followers around the world. I'm keeping my fingers crossed hoping it won't take many years for an English version to released on my side of the globe.

I agree, Kerry. We'd certainly love to read it here! I did see some of the pics in the Woman's Day and thought that they were lovely.

I will probably buy Mary: Princess of Style while I'm waiting.

Best,
Lisa
bookaddiction
 
The book got a decent review at Berlingske: Fra Pingo til powerbrand - Anmeldelser
where the reviewer points out: "The two authors have gone at it from a journalistic angle, and the book is liberatingly free of anonymous sources and homemade analysis."

A review of the book in Jyllandsposten, mentioned that there were too much glossy-magazine antics at play, and that the authors hadn't been asking critical enough questions.
 
Sometimes in order to get an "authorized" book published you have to not ask the right questions. There is a difference between a journalist and an author. Ha!
 
I love that one of Frederick caressing Mary's face. It's so sweet! :wub:
 
Best places to buy Danish language books

Hiya Everyone,

Does anyone know the best place to buy the book online that ships to the US?

Also, when shall the price be lower than 299DK?

Any information would be greatly appreciated.


Cheers,
Emeralds and Opals
 
I heard about this book and it sounds really good. I've seen some of the photography in this and I have to applaud them.

Is there any chance this will be translated to English? Probably not because its more aimed at a Danish audience.
 
I've heard that it's going to be available in Australia soon? Does anyone know?
 
I was flipping through the portrait book when I came across this passage, which I think is pretty illuminating.

Pages 34-35.
This is by Hans Herluf Pedersen, who is 2008 was head of the security detail of PET.

- The Crown Prince is a very independant person and he doesn't come running to me if there is something that doesn't quite work as it should. Then He'll talk with the teamleader or the bodyguard. He handles it himself. In a decent way. The Crown Prince is very disciplined and wouldn't dream of being nasty. When you see what people do in order to get close to him I would sometimes run amok, if I was in his place. But in that respect he's a very fine person. When you know the Crown Prince you can of course tell from his body language that he's boiling inside. But he never takes it out on his associates and bodyguards.

As an ordinary bodyguard, Hans Herluf Pedersen began his career in the Police Intelligence Service (PET) by looking out for a very young Crown Prince and during the almost twenty years, where Hans Herluf Pderesen has been responsible for Frederik's safety, an unusually trustworthy relationship between the bodyguard and the Crown Prince has developed. A friendship. Hans Herluf Pedersen laughs while he tells about the year the Crown Prince studied in Århus in the mid 1980's, where Frederik, quite naturally, tried to manifest a bit of independence in relation to the bodyguards by among other things giving them the slip. One day Frederik went for a ride on his own. At least the bodyguards didn't quite keep up with the Crown Prince when turning a corner and he drove away from them.
He probably figured that my colleague and I would race after him, but I thought, we can't be bothered and drove home to the guardroom at Marselisborg. It didn't take long before Frederik phoned: "Where are you (informal you)"? I replied: "Oh, we drove home and are sitting in the guardroom having a cosy time. You just come home whenever you feel like it".
Frederik wasn't quite used to that.
 
That's a funny story about Frederik and his bodyguards. I think all princes go through the same thing at a young age until they finally accept the "shadows" following them day and night. ;)
It must be difficult to realize you'll never have true privacy or independance.
 
Very insightful of Joachim........but then he is very articulate. It is a shame that they are still very cool to each other, where in the past they were almost joined at the hip when Alex was the Princess

I sometimes forget that Joachim was with Fred that night at the Slipp Inn so he also got to meet Mary at the same time. And he was also with Fred when they visited Australia at a latter time
 
Very insightful of Joachim........but then he is very articulate. It is a shame that they are still very cool to each other, where in the past they were almost joined at the hip when Alex was the Princess

I sometimes forget that Joachim was with Fred that night at the Slipp Inn so he also got to meet Mary at the same time. And he was also with Fred when they visited Australia at a latter time

No, fortunately they seem to have reconciled. Part of that appears to be that Joachim took the blame for the strain between him and Frederik. Something I think highly of Joachim for doing, as Joachim certainly had enough on his mind during the period.

Only shows that even royals are only humans and sometimes act like humans.
 
I've always thought that Joachim was the oldest brother because of how he spoke. There's such a huge amount of sophistication and poshness with him.

He and Frederik seem very close when they were young and hopefully whatever has happened has been resolved and they're back to being close again. I think Joachim understands Frederik very well, much more than Mary. They're siblings and grew up in a unique situation.
 
Wasn't Joachim still married with Alex at tht time? is the book in english too, I mean beside danish?
 
Wasn't Joachim still married with Alex at tht time? is the book in english too, I mean beside danish?

The book was written in 2008, for Frederik's 40th birthday, Joachim and Alex had been divorced for 3 years.
 
I've always thought that Joachim was the oldest brother because of how he spoke. There's such a huge amount of sophistication and poshness with him.

He and Frederik seem very close when they were young and hopefully whatever has happened has been resolved and they're back to being close again. I think Joachim understands Frederik very well, much more than Mary. They're siblings and grew up in a unique situation.

Indeed, there is an aristocratic air about him.

I don't think Joachim understand Frederik better than Mary, not now. They have after all been together for, what is it? Ten years? But I'd say those two are the ones who know and understand Frederik the best. Better than his parents.

It's interesting, I think, to see how the brothers have evolved after they became adults. Different friends, different experiences, different interests and even to some degree different careers.
Frederik appear to have a very wide circle of friends from a wide range of political and social backgrounds. Some of course being very close.
Joachim, in my opinion appear to have fewer, but very close friends. Mainly from the same social and dare I'd say, conservative, background.
He certainly frequents a number of the descreet but very wealthy and influential business families in DK.

The book is unfortunately not in English. The book is portraying Frederik in a positive light but if you read it with a filter on, it provides a very informative source for details and how he and those around him view and reflect on Frederik. Especially as most of the book consists of quotes from (named) persons around Frederik. - Also how he reacts to and deals with those he feels betray his trust.
The book is very recommendable and I have advised other English speakers to contact the publisher and request an edition in English.

Perhaps that will happen when Mary turns 40? I'm in no doubt that a portrait book or two will be written by then.
 
Actually I think children change when they grow up. Different friends, interests, hopes and goals. We should never expect people to just remain the same, something happens in your life, you cope with it (or not) and that changes everything around you.
 
That is such a beautiful extract of the book.
 
Thank you, Lumutqueen :)

This translation is not from the book, but from an interview of Mary and Frederik in 2007.
As such it belongs in this thread as a kind of supplement to the book.

Part one:

Chapter two. – We want to be a regent couple in our own personal way.
Written by Karen Margrethe Schelin.
Published in Berlinske Tidende 23rd of December 2007.

The CP couple try to find their own personal way to be a regent couple. In this chapter they tell about the demands of them as a future regent couple. About observing and sucking in from/really absorbing from the Queen and the Prince Consort, about having an aim regarding social issues and about frustration about the Crown Princess at some point being practically made synonymous with fashion.
The CP couple has had a bit of a rough night. Princess Isabella has kept her parents awake several times. But like all seasoned parents of small children they quickly shake off the fatigue and not a hint of complaining is heard about it.
Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik even look in surprisingly good form when we sit in front of each other in their private chambers in Kancellihuset.
The interview takes place the day after Crown Princess Mary visited the Heart Association, where she took part in a handing out of funds for the benefit of research in relation to children suffering from heart afflictions. After the official schedule the Crown Princess went for a trip to Tivoli with the “heart-children”.
She also went with a roller coaster with the children.
- “What we do may seem like a small thing. But we get a response that is so much greater and in that way it feels like a present that we can do it (with them). And it must be understood the right way. Not like we are walking around and perform magic or being something special. We get a tremendous lot back, like when for instance learn that you have made a big difference for a small child who met you and sat in the merry go round with you: That she is riding/living high on that (1) and for a short moment has forgotten all about her problems”, says Crown Princess Mary.

The Cp couple is increasingly getting involved in social affairs.
The Crown Princess is among other things patron for a number of associations and organisations with a social aim and lately she has founded the Mary Foundation. The Crown Prince is among other things patron for Save the Children and attached Red Cross, as he recently had been a “forefront” face in a TV-campaign.

Q: Is a new social profile for the DRF emerging?
The Crown Prince:
- “It may be perceived that way. But if you look at my grandmother (mormor), Queen Ingrid, she was very engaged in social issues. She has not least in Southern Jutland (2) left an indelible trace of joy and approval – and not least; love. Actually I think she was very engaged in social issues for her time. She got involved in issues that were relevant back then – for example polio, which was a big issue right after Second World War. I also believe she was involved in Mødrehjælpen. (3) The DRF has always had a tradition for getting involved in social issues, but perhaps it is experienced as something new because male members of the DRF are getting involved too. That includes my father too”.
The Crown Princess:
- “It may also reflect a development in the society that we all have become a little more conscious in regards to contributing to the society and helping. Personally I very strongly feel that all people have a right of belonging and to know that someone cares about them. Through my engagement and work as patron I have often got that impression that social isolation is a particular factor. That social isolation can be both the result and the cause of a problem. You can say that social isolation and illness is a vicious circle that is hard to break. That’s the basis for the foundation of the Mary Foundation, which at the same times give me opportunity to keep all the threads together I already have in my social work. It is yet one more platform to hopefully to be able to help some people to get a better life. That is something I’m really passionate about and as Crown Princess it gives me a unique opportunity to help make a difference”.

Q: How does it affect you to personally meet vulnerable and sick people?
- “It can be hard. But even though I’m often deeply moved I think that they get a better experience if I show a smiling face a little encouraging sympathy. (4) Something that may give them a little hope or perhaps just a good experience they can take with them. It can some times be difficult, be we too get so much in return, when we meet vulnerable and sick people”.
The Crown Prince:
- “Yes, and even though there is a lot of commotion going on when one arrive; many people and spotlights right in the head, we always try to create a space, so we can get genuine contact face to face during the brief minutes that are available. For some people it can be hard to understand that a monarchy like ours have significance in the times we live in. That it can generate an economic surplus. In theory it basically can’t, but we time and time again experience to our great joy that we do make a big difference for people and that is among the most important things for us. That even though it may only last a few minutes, the recipient understands that we mean it from our hearts”.
The Crown Princess:
- “Yes, it is very important for us that it is perceived as something more profound than just us being present. By engaging ourselves in these issues we also hope to create a debate about a problem and to encourage that the conditions for the lives of these people are improved in some way. To help do that. Because we cannot do it just by creating attention”.

Q: As “new instated” Crown Princess you were in the press criticized for being too interested in fashion? Is this an area from which you have retreated a bit?
- “Fashion is an exciting industry and I believe it is almost the third largest export industry of the country. (5) I chose to get involved with fashion because it was a place to start and where I could be present and get some experience. It’s a big and important industry, but because it was about fashion and money and about dressing up it was regarded as shallow. Had it been windmills it may have been a different matter.
It may also have been a convenient/easy way to place me/fit me in. Perhaps it should have been balanced a bit more, but I think it went off balance because fashion attract a lot of attention. It was never so that I was only involved with fashion. But it almost seemed like I wasn’t doing anything else and I experienced that as a bit frustration in the beginning”.
The Crown Prince:
- “Women like to look good and the rest of us like to keep an eye on what is going on in regards to fashion. And here I might think that instead of criticizing the Crown Princess for attending fashion shows, you could say: - Here we have a young woman, who has just arrived to a new country and who has the opportunity to put her mark on a big industry. - That is look a bit deeper instead of focusing on what she is wearing today and whether it is a particular brand of clothing.
The Crown Princess may well dazzle with her dress and presence, but what is behind is hugely important. As far as I know one out of every eight persons in Denmark is one way or another occupied with the fashion industry, and young Danish designers are fighting a hard battle in shark infested waters”.
The Crown Princess:
- “I think it went off balance because there was so much focus on that in the medias. But I also chose to get involved in the field because I really like Danish fashion. It is very international and many times among the very best. The fashion industry has been very appreciative of my effort and I entered at a moment when Danish fashion really started to bloom. But I had also then many social issues besides that and since then I have quietly evolved me more in that direction. It is something I have been giving a lot of thought and spend a lot of time working on figuring out how I best approach it. And like I said before, I believe that every person hopefully will contribute to society and help where you can. And in my capacity as Crown Princess, I have like I said a unique opportunity for creating attention to a number of areas which at the same time interest me”.
 
Part two:

Q: How do you view your future role as regent couple? The demands expected of you are different than those, when your mother became regent?
The Crown Prince:
Yes, absolutely. The demands to the regent couple will constantly change. Every era has its own demands. My mother was only 32 and she was a woman, so back then there were also very big demands made of her, when she woke up one morning and was Queen. You may say that we benefit from the tradition and that we have been able to observe the impressive way my parents – and your parents-in-law, Mary – fill out their role. We observe and absorb as much as we are able to.
Q: But the CP couple belongs to a new generation and you live different from your parents. What will be your passion/particular interest as a regent couple?
The Crown Princess:
- “As Frederik is saying, we are right now trying to figure out where our paths shall go and then we absorb as much as we can. But we cannot prepare ourselves 100 %. We cannot move/teleport ourselves into the future and see how it will be. We will, just as the Queen and the Prince Consort, do it in our own personal way. As Regent Couple they reflect the time they live in and we will to, when we get there. We don’t now yet how things will look at that time. We ready ourselves, so that we are prepared to embark on our journey in the best possible way”.
The Crown Prince:
- “To dare be ourselves has turned out to be a plus for both of us. It may be that some people see it differently. I think I have come farther than I believed possible by being myself. Some may have thought that I was a bit too different, but here I have said to myself: - What you see is what you get.
The Crown Princess:
- “Otherwise it will be an unhappy life”.
The Crown Prince:
- “Yes, you can only smile of yourself. And fortunately it turned out that people in general like to see that you show a human face. Many even praise that you shed a tear”.

Q: That must be a healthy acknowledgment to reach with all the expectations that has always been on your shoulders as Crown Prince?
- “Yes, and I no longer see it as something embarrassing to show my feelings. I may have had ten fifteen tears ago and I do not demand that others must express themselves in the same manner. But that’s how we do it, because we to a large extent are ourselves”.

Q: How do you handle the balance between being royals and style-icons like other celebrities?
The Crown Princess:
- “We don’t consider ourselves style-icons. But we are of conscious of the fact that we must dress neatly and correctly for the events in which we part. I don’t think people would be thrilled if we showed up improperly dressed. We are very conscious about that we represent Denmark and that we do it in the correct manner. And it can really be frustrating if you are out to an event and there is more focus on your clothes than on what happened.
The dress is part of our uniform, but we are not to outshine the event itself – or look like a Christmas tree. So we of course have many considerations in regards to what we engage ourselves in. We think carefully. Other times it’s just: - I want to do that. – Every event we attend has a very strict schedule almost from minute to minute, but there must of course also be room for spontaneity”.

Q: Isn’t it a bit odd to go and wait for a job/position you have no idea about when to begin?
The Crown Prince:
- “No matter what new job you are facing there will always be some uncertainty. If you could see it all in at advance (6) you would be over-qualified. The challenge lies in the margin of unpredictability there will always be. Otherwise the job wouldn’t be experienced as an advancement. That’s the way I try to handle it and it has actually been something of a revelation for me when I began to view it in that way. You cannot prepare yourself for everything”.
The Crown Princess:
- “No, it’s just like having a baby. You can read and talk and absorb from all directions, but you cannot know how it will be in reality”.
The Crown Prince:
- “That’s how I felt when I left for Greenland in 2000. (7) Yes, you were physically capable. You trusted your psyche and were well prepared. We trained as much as we could and build most of our things ourselves and so on. However we could never enter a rostrum and say: - We will surely get through at such and such time. – In the case of Greenland it’s the moods of nature that decides whether you will get through at all. Physically you can be unfortunate and get injured then you have to quit before time. It’s the same thing in sports.
The more you train – that applies to our future too – and gain experience of life through practical experiences, the more you diminish the unforeseen things the job as monarch involves. To be well prepared is the most important thing and here experience of life comes in. That is what we will pass on to our little boy, so that he hopefully will be allowed to keep his curiosity and interest for the surroundings. That he himself will travel and live abroad, so that he will have an opportunity to get to know himself. The most important thing is to be able to rest within himself, to obtain a centre of gravity. And you get that through experience of life – And only through time”.
The Crown Princess:
- “We believe it is a very essential part of our work to carry on the traditions and history, which make the monarchy something unique and a rallying point for Denmark. Continuity is very important but there must also be room for development, so we will fill out the role in our personal way. That’s the way every regent couple has done it”.

Q: What thoughts are the CP couple doing in regards to the future of Prince Christian?
The Crown Prince:
- “I thought about that a lot, especially prior to his birth. - Jeez, do stay inside in your mother’s belly. You shouldn’t get out in the big, raging world”!
The Crown Princess:
- “Nooo… (8) We must ensure that he will be so well prepared that he can face all the challenges that will come. That he will become a happy boy and will get the chance to live a life like everybody else, but still with this difference… And that he can carry it with pride. He must be proud of who he is. There will naturally be times in his life where he may not want to be bothered with having the pressure of expectation on his shoulders. Here it will be our job to support him”.
The Crown Prince:
- “He surely must question things along the way. Why the reactions are as they are in regards to him. He will surely do that, and here we will be 100 % present. If you must put it briefly, it’s our hope that he shall live as an ordinary person in an extraordinary world. But there will surely be times where he will find it difficult to be different”.
The Crown Princess:
- “That’s how all children feel it. You would rather be like everybody else. You’d rather not stand out in any way. You want to belong to the community”.

Q: If the Crown Prince were to write a letter to himself as a young man, how would it read?
- “I would write that I was fortunate to be given a lot of freedom. Internally as well as externally. I really was allowed to develop myself and get my own experiences and that has been worth gold. I could not have bought that. It was cool that I got that freedom and those experiences. And I was allowed to keep my curiosity and challenge myself physically as well as mentally.
I the Frogman Corps for example, there were many times when you thought: - It wasn’t you who did that! – You would never have believed it, but you managed it in some mysterious way. By working with the issues and listening to your own thoughts you pulled through. When you faced some measurable demand that had to be honoured, otherwise it was just goodbye and thank you with a good conscious but downcast, right?
That gave a lot of insightfulness in yourself and courage. I became aware that you could actually set some extreme goals for yourself. And honour them. Physical well being gives a good mental balance, so yes, it has also been a help in regards to my future job as regent. It applies to all people that you get cheered up by physical exertion.
In my letter I would write that it’s important to get the freedom to experience. Without wanting to be aloof I will refer to a single sentence by Piet Hein: - Remember to love, while you dare. Remember to live, while you do. – You could say that to yourself, seen in the rear view mirror, because as a teenager you cannot overview your life, but you live much more intense and have a lot of emotions. So yes, you must not forget to love”.

Q: Does the Crown Princess to have an advise to yourself as teenager?
- I think that it is important that you learn a lot from the experiences you gain along the way. I believe you should live in the present and look ahead, even though I don’t always remember it. But I believe in it. I’m certain that I could give myself a lot of advise today with retrospective effect, but I don’t think I would have been able to receive it when I was a teenager or younger, because at that time I didn’t have the experience, I have today. I think I would say to myself: - Good luck on the journey”.

(1) Meaning that it was a really great experience! To be substituted.

(2) A part of the country to which she was very attached.

(3) An organisation dedicated to help mothers who have problems. http://moedrehjaelpen.dk/

(4) I’m 90% sure she actually meant “velvilje” = sympathy and not “vilje” = here meaning willpower.

(5) Actually more than 20 billion DKK a year and growing.

(6) As in overview.

(7) The Sirius 2000 expedition.

(8) Thoughtful.
 
This interview which took place in 2008 in connection with Frederik turning 40 is also meant as a supplement to the portrait book.

Billed Bladet #26, 2008-06-28.

Mary og børnene er mit livs mirakel – Mary and the children are the miracle of my life.

- This is an excerpt of the interview that lasted more than 30 minutes. Billed Bladet has edited out Frederik’s eeh, bah and qua’s and in some cases made his sentences more clear. I will do the same in a couple of cases.

Crown Prince Frederik has today a very happy life indeed, surrounded by the people he loves and whom he calls the miracle of his life. Mary and the children have turned Frederik into a grown man who rests within himself. To get married and become a father has created a Crown Prince who is fond of the life, he lives and the life that awaits him and his small family.
The Crown Prince Frederik showed clearly when he last Tuesday was interviewed by Jes Dorph-Pedersen on TV2. Crown Prince Frederik was more relaxed than (seen) for a long time and told straightforward and honestly about turning 40 (*), about his greying hair and about how he stays in shape. But first and foremost he talked about his two lovely children and about Mary.
Q: How has the children changed your life? Was Frederik asked and there was no hesitation in his voice when he replied:
- “They have changed it in every possible way. Before Christian arrived we had all sorts of considerations, we almost studied parenthood. But once he was born it was like a miracle. I think I have one and half meter (shelve-space) of child literature. You can read on a lot of it, but once you are in it you take up the challenge”.

Q: How will you describe yourself as a father?
- “Before I became a father I was a bit arrogant, I think and said: That’s how it’s going to be. But now when one stands with two lovely children in the arms, some modifications have happened. But there is one thing to which I have stayed true: To have time for the children”.

Both Prince Christian and Princess Isabella went with the CP couple on the summer cruise last week and even though the schedule was hard Frederik and Mary did find time to be with them. Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary do indeed make an effort of being with their children.
- “We have put a lot of emphasis in having them at night with their baby alarms, so that we can hear if they are sad or not. We also have them in the morning and we eat breakfast together”, told Frederik to TV2, who also wanted to know what the CP couple do in order to give the children a normal life.
- “It’s obvious that I can’t help thinking about the little man who will become something great one day after me. For now he is fortunately a child, totally in the play-age and in that he naturally must be supported 100 percent. But the Crown Princess and I are very attentive about being with the children and support them. We can feel already now that we get a lot in return from them too”.

Q: You were ten years old when your mother told you that you one day would become king. Have you considered when and how Christian will be told that he is to become monarch and regent?
- “A little. I think that the more we bring him with us to official engagements the better it is. It will make it so natural for him as possible. When the day comes, when he asks why he has no last name and why people say like that, then we will confront him with it, in the best way”.

Jes Dorph-Pedersen’s next question was:
Q: What’s the funniest thing about having children?
- “Their perception. They take some powerful leaps in regards to learning and developing in the age they are in now. Especially Christian, who is talking away, is pretty impressive. He is very talkative. He has a fantastic memory and can recognise people. It’s delightful to see an innocent enthusiasm from an unspoiled boy”.

Q: Can you already now see what personalities your children have? Are they similar or different?
- “We are so fortunate that we have a boy and a girl and the Crown Princess and I can already see the differences between the genders, which is fantastically funny. We can be happy that they will benefit a lot from each other, they will become the support of each other”.

The differences in age between Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim are almost similar to the difference in age between Prince Christian and Princess Isabella. That’s why TV2 asked whether Frederik could recognise it in having two children who are basically of similar age.
- “I can recognise it on paper (in theory), but she is starting to irritate him and he can’t completely understand that she must have some time too. Seen in light of my own experiences with my brother, the Crown Princess and I will do everything in order for them to follow suit and become each other’s best supports and friends. That’s pretty important”.

No Danes are in doubt that a colossal change took place with Crown Prince Frederik when he met Mary and Frederik was during the interview asked what significance Mary has had in his life.
- “There can be said many good things about it and I’m daily reminded of it. The whole beginning, the coincidence that we during the Olympics. The whole of Sydney was buzzing with joy and enthusiasm. Then suddenly one stands there in the crowd and finds your chosen one. That it develops to where we are today, that is a lovely miracle”.

Q: What have you learned about Mary Donaldson after she came up here and became Crown Princess?
- “I have learned all sorts of things. What it means to be sweethearts, to be man and wife and to work together. It’s lovely to see a person who starts out so hard when she sets a goal for herself. She gets me dragged along to in those moments. She has had some ideas when she came to Denmark for our engagement, about what she could imagine herself, which areas she would be interested in as Crown Princess. She has carefully followed them (those visions) and it’s fantastic to see her engagement in the areas of the society, she is involved with”.

Q: How do you think the Danes have received her?
- “The Danes have received her fantastically well. With joy, curious and warmth. I also think that she has shown trust in the Danes by being interested and curious about the new land she has been given. I think she is doing it absolutely fantastic”.

Q: How is Crown Princess Mary as a mother?
- “She is a huge person with an enormous heart. She comes from a large family with many siblings and a strong (family) bond, that she has brought with her here to our family”.

Q: What picture should people have of you and the Crown Princess?
- “I see it like we are in constant development towards that we must do one day. For me it builds on the life-experience I gained in my younger years. That joy and experience enables that we can go among all in the society. It enables us to relax no matter whether we are on the street, to a rock concert, onboard Dannebrog, in Vollsmose or wherever we are”.

Q: You have said that you will not only want to be figures in a chariot. What do you mean by that?
- “We would like to sit in a chariot, but we can much more than that and we are already doing much more. The Crown Princess has in less than three years created her own foundation and she is very attentive about socially exposed and isolated groups in our society. I myself am a candidate for IOC that I believe is an opportunity for a modern crown prince. I also see the importance of keeping an eye on how our climate changes. That’s something that afflicts the whole society, our entire planet”.

And in a caption: “Mary has a different back ground and different past which is good for me in many ways”, told Crown Prince Frederik.

Edited by Annelise Weimann.

(*) As in getting semi-fossilised! Said by one who has turned forty myself.

It actually makes a lot of sense what Frederik said in the interview. The problem was that his speech pattern was so bad and distracting that the meaning was in many ways garbled.

The interviewer was Jes Dorph Pedersen, who in DK is almost synonymous with Mr. News. He is pro-DRF.
 
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