Audiences with Margrethe, and the Political Role of the Danish Monarch
 

Is it true that any member of the danish public can request a meeting or audience with Queen Margrethe? I read this in a book. Is it true?

Yes it is tru that we are abel to do that.

i think thats great, they are not hidden from the people like other royal families, do any other royal families allow that?

How easy is it to book an appointment with Margrethe? Can you do it with other members of the royal family or only Margrethe? Do you have to tell someone in advance what you want to talk with Margrethe about?

I don't really know, but I I'm quite sure that you have to tell someone from her staff why you want to see her...

The Danish queen grants an audience with any ordinary people but you have to see first the persons who are working in the Royal Court (e.g. staff or whoever are assigned) so that one can book for an appointment.

But I think you can't just have an appointment with the queen if you have no valid reasons of doing so.

We think you'll need a reason as well......

But many people are invited - when you've been married for a certant amount of years(60 or so), you're invited to meet her and so!

Roughly every fortnight, Her Majesty invites her subjects to meet her during her socalled 'public audiences' at Christiansborg Palace. It is an open event, and any Dane can show up and request to a member of the royal court that he be granted a meeting with The Queen. This is granted if the seeking has a valid reason. Valid reasons could be to give Her Majesty one's thanks for a medal or an order, for a visit paid by The Queen, for a letter of congratulation etc. Another valid reason is to thank The Queen for an appointment (Her Majesty appoints judges, prosecutors, bishops and many other) or to say farewell after having been in The Queen's service. Thus, one cannot be granted an audience with The Queen without valid reason. If this were the case, hundreds would want to meet Her Majesty every time!

A relative of mine, who died before I was born, went to thank The Queen for a medal she had received for 40 years of service. According to my still living relatives, she described The Queen as pleasant to talk with!

/Lasse Pedersen

Thanks for the information Lasse, I think it's a good idea to have such an opportunity in place. Does any other royal houses do this as well?

Thats why i like the Danish royal family. Very modern; has a sense of humour (if anyone has read something about mary you would know what I'm talking about when a group of dancers performed infront of Queen Margarthe II and apprantly farted, instead of making a scene QMII just laughed it off); looking at tender photos with their kids [Fred + Christian; (before divorce) Alex. Joachim + the kids]...i can't describe it but i will say this it is very easy to fall in love/like this family (i hope that didn't sound to cheesy :D :) ). You could say that my fascination into the Danish family would have to be because (a) My fave. subject at school is history (b) the connection Australia has with Mary, every now and then they'll (the press) will publish something about CP Mary or Christian and i read a lot of bks, newspapers and of course when i have nothing to do i read my mums magazines. :D

I guess we can put this here.

One of the duties of the Monarch in particular are the public audiences, held every alternate Monday, where in principle anyone can walk in from the street and meet with the Majesty.

In Billed Bladet #30, 2011 historian Jon Bloch Skipper explains to us how you can have an audience with QMII. - Or rather hope for an audience.

You arrive at Christiansborg (the Parliament) and tell an adjutant what your purpose is. Your name and purpose is noted on a list.
As there usually are many more applying for an audience than the Queen has time for, QMII will prioritize the applicants on the list.
The applicants are recieved, usually in order of rank or the purpose,

Often the highest priority go to those who wish to thank the Majesty for an order or appointment or for the Queen attending some event. - That is considered common curtesy and the proper thing to do, but you are not obliged to thank the Majesty.

The Cabinet Secretary lead those who seek an audience to the audience chamber, where you will have a personal conversation with QMII.
Neat clothing and white gloves are mandatory if you seek an audience.

The above is a public audience. A private audience is also a personal meeting with the Monarch, but here you are invited.

The general election this Thursday is over. 99.5 % of the votes have been counted and we are going to have a new government and incidentally the first female Prime Minister.
- It sure is a complicated Parliament! The negotiations and compromises in the future are going to be... interesting.
I predict we will have a new general election in two, two and a half year max.

Anyway, the current Prime Minister will seek an audience with QMII tomorrow friday at 11.00, where he will inform Her Majesty of the results of the election and that the government as such will resign. At the same time he will call for a "Queen-round".
That means that all the party leaders will take turn in having an audience with the Queen and they will tell her, who they point to as the new prime minister. As there is a majority for the leader of the Social Democrats, Helle Thorning, the Queen will then ask her to form a new government.
When the ministers have been selected, they will go to the Queen again for approval. That will of course be granted and the new gvernment will be appointed and effective once the proper documents have been signed.
The new ministers will then take over from the old ministers and the new government can start to govern.

and how are you feeling about having Denmark's first female prime minister? :biggrin:

I have no problems with female PM's.
It's the politics I'm worried about.
Helle Thorning is facing a major challenge when it comes to implementing the polictics she stands for.
Had I voted for her I would be seriously worried about her even being able to keep her most crucial promises to the voters, simply because she's dependent on a party that does support her, but does not want to support her economic and employment benefit politics. How she's going to solve that problem I honestly don't know. That's what is going to be interesting.
As it is I believe she will be forced to continue more or less the same economic politics, in direct contrast to what the opposition parties, let alone their voters want.
I don't envy her at all!

Have I got this right: The former Prime Minister Rasmussen's party got most votes, but are out of the government. The Social democrats got less votes, and had the worst result in more than a hundred years, are now winners and has the next Prime Minister of DK?

And a communist party got three times more people in than before... ?

You've got that right.
The former government lost because one of the two coalition partners, the Conservatives had a disastrous election.
The Social Democrats just held their ground, but it was still the worst result since 1906. Their coaltion partner went back. But the opposition won, because their support parties, the extreme left, Unity List and the Radicals, which is a centre-liberal party, had a great election. - There is just one little problem; the Radicals and the Unity List represent very different agendas indeed, and reaching any political compromise involving those two parties is going to be a major challenge for the new PM!
It was a very cose election! The opposition won with three mandates from a total of 179.

Thanks Muhler.

Where I am, we have a new coalition government formed by the National Coalition Party (blue/right wing), the Social Democratic Party, the Left Alliance (left of SDP), the Swedish People's Party in Finland, the Greens and the Christian Democratic Party. OT, sorry.

Frederik also attended the audience today.

Interesting. His practical education continues.

The various parties have now been through the socalled "Queen round", where they point to, who they prefer as the new PM.
Based on that the leader of the opposition, Helle Thorning, has been appointed "Royal Investigator" by QMII - on recommendation by the former PM, who still advise the Queen, and she is also advised by her Cabinet Secretary, who is QMII's legal and political advisor.
The job of the Royal Investigator, is to explore the various alternatives for forming a new government, based on votes. The constellation of Social Democrats and the Socialist Peoples Party is a given thing, but they may now include a third party, the Radicals, in the new government. The far left Unity List is not considered a serious contender for a place in a government.
That means that Helle Thorning has to conduct some political negotiations and explore the options for compromise and adjust the political basis for the new government, based on the compromises that are reached.
That may take several day, perhaps even a week.

Had there been a clear majority, (90+ mandates) consisting of the Social Democrats, the Socialist Peoples Party and the Unity List, QMII would no doubt have encouraged Helle Thorning to become Prime Minister and form a new government right away.

After ten years we are actually back to normal in Danish politics, I.e. broad compromises in all sorts of party political constellations.
(Something akin to Finnish politics, Nordic :smile:).

FYI, there are eight parties in the Danish Parliament right now.

When was that ever the norm?

In the 80's for sure!
Also the 70's. Remember the Anker Jørgensen governments?

We are back to normal. I.e. the Radicals are in charge....