Relationship between Mary and Alexandra
 

i wanted to post on both of them and saw that there is a thread on frederick and joachim but not on the two new additions to the royal family. i hope it is ok posting this hear. thanks in advance

and here some more pictures of the two princesses together.

well that is a thread with photos of the both of them togather in the same photo i mean Frederik and Joachim

but sure do you want a thread tralking about mary and alexandra compare them or talk about thier relkationchip we can do so but please post phtos that are relevent to this thread and please say why you post a specifik photos so we all can be a prt of it and talk about it togather i can even mergte this thread with other alexandra mary threads the one with compering their CV's

i would love to see some photos of alexandra and mary togather

the first message was posted in relation to the colourpress comparison. i admit the pictures dont show them together! but i hope the second posting clarifies this. i think it would be nice to keep the thread since i do hope that we will have many more pictures in the future of both princesses together. if it is merged with the CV threads, people might not automatically assume to find picture discussions there. i hope this makes sense! thanks for understanding

there are so many pictures of laurentien-maxima, letizia-elena/christina but not many of mary and alexandra. they seem to atend few events together.
here one more from this weeks church service

i found a few more

Mary and Alexandra
 

There are many pictures posted of CP Mary sitting next to HH Alexandra but I have not seen the two interact. You always see other princesses, i.e. CP Leticia and the Infanta's interact, but not Mary and Alexandra. Does anybody have any information of their relationship or lack of? Is Alexandra jealous of Mary and this further strained her relationship with her ex-husband?

They did interact when they were both present at a fashion show. If you look in a thread (cant remember which) there is some pics of them looking like they are discussing the dresses they are seeing.

The media has tried to create a rivalry between Alex and Mary but no we dont really see them interacting very much. Please correct me if i am wrong here. ]

PS- Welcome to the forums Lourdes!

They have interacted, especially at the fashion that they both attended. They were even photographed laughing and whispering like girlfriends.

The media is simply trying to create a rivalry between these two women, especially since Alex and Joachim's divorce.

I doubt that Alex is jealous of Mary. For what reason? Alex still has the best of both worlds. She continues to represent the RF and now has her own home and life that is separate from them as well. Sounds good to me. She has not only been allowed to keep the title Princess of Denmark, but has had a title created specifically for her which she can maintain even if she should choose to remarry. I think that says a lot about her significance and contributions to the RF of Denmark, not to mention the amount of the respect that Her Majesty clearly must have for Alexandra.

I do not see where Alex and Joachim have a strained relationship. They may no longer be husband and wife, but they still appear to be good friends who are doing a wonderful job of being civil after a divorce that could have been extremely messy. The media certainly tried to create an uproar, but when they saw that Alex and Joachim were not going to have it, they chose to start making trouble elsewhere.

it's not true that they don't interact together. they were seen many times attending shows together and alexandra from what mary said once helped her a lot during the first times in the royal house.

I wonder why Princess Alexandra never have her own new year's reception for her patronages like Princess Mary did...

Is a good question indeed..Alexandra is soo sympathic and wonderful woman and princess..she should have the same chance to make this reception..but now that the isnt a member of the RF anymore is very difficult to happens...and I suppose that the Queen gave this chance to Mary to make her feel more comfortable and closer with her patronages and charities

yes, i think Mary is an exception.
Alexandra could host her own reception when she was still married, and member of RF, but she didn't.
it would've been very interesting..

Maybe because it is not part of danish tradition. I've read that until now, just Fredrick does. In this occassion, it is probably that Mary asked for it, it is maybe part of her caracther to do things like this and didn't had problems to ask Fredrick if it was possible. I cant see Alexandra doing the same thing, as it sounds like a bit out of her boundaries.

i totally agree with you..
she's secure with herself and do her humanitarian work or patronages at a slightly different method than mary.
i personally like her works better (like when she visited south africa, india, bangladesh, and many other places)

I dont think it is fare to confront their works, as they have different roles and experience. Alexandra is already an old member of the family, Mary has just few years and she needs time to adapt and evolve, like any other person in a new position.

Yes, I think the same. Alex is not the type who is afraid of getting her hands dirty. She is happy to see what the charities actually do and how she can actually help them to help others. She does not need to dress up in a ball gown to do her job. ;)

Yes, you are right about that. I have to say I do not agree with Mary hosting her own Kur. But I better leave this for another thread otherwise will be going off topic. :)

maybe its pecause Mary are breastfeeding and have the little prince in a nearby chamber. It makes it easyer for her to nursing the child when she is home and not at the big Christiansborg castle

May be the queen came up with the idea...what difference would that make? :confused:

As far as I am concerned, Mary has been representing the charities for 2 years tops? And she/whoever at the court feels the need to host a party to celebrate this accomplishment its over the top to me.

If Mary hosts her own Kur after representing the charities for 5/10 years, then yes a party would be well deserved and appropriate.

I doubt she can even remember all the organisations that she's supposed to be supporting and their chair person's name by heart without rehersing. :D

Anyone can turn up at a function all dressed up and make small talk without putting in too much effort. But the REAL work of supporting charities and their objectives lies in doing field work and seeing the real challenges for yourself, and this is something that Alex understands and can do flawlessly. ;)

I am not sure if we are talking about the same thing here...
so how does it make any difference who's orginial idea it was for Mary to hold her own Kur? Why does it matter to you so much that this was not Mary's idea? :confused:

May be who ever it was that suggested it felt Mary 'needed' to hold one not only to recongise the charities she's supposed to be supporting but also to show the world that Mary is 'grateful' to be working for them.

Publicity for all parties involved.

The quote above is from melissajames from the previous thread. Just a couple of points I want to make. Firstly, Alexandra holds something similar - I think fans of Alexandra would be more capable than me of putting links to pictures and links to posts relating to Alex (and Joachim) meeting reps of their various charities, just to say thank you.

Also, although its called a "kur", there were no ballgowns involved at all. Indeed, its really very similar to Alexandra's "kur" (although its not called that for Alex). perhaps the only difference is the date, and no pictures of Mary' kur was released directly to the press. Posters from CPMMB have unearthed a Billed Bladet article saying this (that only a court photographer was present, that the pictures aren't released directly to the press, but instead are given to the patronages - perhaps so they can post it up on their website. Good idea - it will mean that people will visit the various websites, thereby increasing awareness of the various patronages.

I also do not agree that one has to wait 5 to 10 years to say thank you. I'm perhaps a little impatient, but even a year is too long a wait! Seriously though, I think mary understands that this is not only a chance for her to acknowledge the charities who have accepted her as patron, but is also an excellent opportunity to bring attention to the various causes (as indicated by the decision to release the photos to the charities only and not directly to the press - now that's a very smart move!).

In regards to Mary not being able to remember the names of her patronages. Well, I think that's just a baseless comment, especially as many of her charities have already said that Mary has made great contributions (even if we're not always aware of them). For example, there was no official media release but the founder of the Allanah and Madeleine Foundation here in Australia decided to speak to a women's magazine here in Australia, just to thank the CPss for the support she's given. He also indicated that the CPss was the reason why anti-bullying programs which is being introduced into Austalian schools will also be introduce in Denmark. Just things that that, we would not have known if someone hadn't spoken up about it. Now things like that are real and practical contributions - and goes way beyond appearing at functions and visiting people and places (which are also very good because it boosts morale and brings attention to the various causes).

I suppose Mary hasn't made many overseas trips for her charities - she hasn't visited India or Africa etc. Does she need to if a former member of the DRF is already doing a good job at it? I think not (just as a small aside as well - in some ways, visiting other countries is the same as attending a function - no direct practical work involved, no digging etc, but is a perfect opportunity to bring attention to the case merely by being there). Also, can one deny the fact that she can do just as good a job if she stays in Denmark - especially for the Danish based charities?

Furthermore, she has a young baby and I think its important that she stays with him (and Fred).

Danish tabloid daily BT servey that princess Alexnadra is better then crown princess Mary Copenhagen Denmark Jan.8,2006

from newscom

Well no dah shes better she does so much more work. Not saying that Mary is bad but it is pretty hard to beat Princess Alex. Alexandra has set the bar pretty high.

Also note that this is the tabloid that said Alexandra was adulterous and cheated on Joachim.

I don't think this magazine really cares for the people it features. It always contadicts itself and relies on negativity (in this instance, saying one is better than the other) to sell its magazines.

Again, another silly useless poll.

Both women are unique in their own way, and both woman contribute so much to their respective charities, the DRF, and to the people of Denmark. This ongoing pettiness of comparing the two is becoming quite old and frankly laughable. I'm sure Mary and Alexandra are having a good laugh as much as I am about who is better or more popular than the other.

:)

what were the criteria of their choice?

Question
 

Just a question, but has anyone reviewed what exactly Aledxandra did in the first few years of her marriage? It would be believable that she also took up the time to build her public schedule and initiate herseld into the various charities and organizations she heads/patronizes, would it not?

Mary can certainly not, in my opinion, equal Alexandras acheivements of many years in the 2 years that she has behind her already. It takes time. Furthermore, it would also be believable to think that Alexandras first few years were dedicated not only to the above, but to also producing a family.

Perhaps we should keep in mind that Alexandra has produced her family, while Mary is still working on this, and that Alexandra has many years that she has used to build her relationships with various organizations. It would be unfair and totally unrealistic to think that anyone could match those accomplishments in such a short time. Perhaps giving Mary the time to do so, and in her own manner would be the fairer thing to do?

The official line is that Alex had waited to have children because she wanted to make sure that she was well settled in first, which makes a lot of sense to me as I would not personally have a child if I have to move to a country where I am unfamiliar with the language, culture and politics.

I think your comments are very fair. Alex is my favourite but I have to say she did enjoy some advantages over Mary.

Her royal wedding was the first in Denmark for many years, naturally people are very excited by it. She came from a far east country and a mixed and cosmoplitan background which some may find fascilating.

I would also argue that there are now more channels in which we can discuss royalty than say in 1995 when Alex got married, hence there were less opportunities for people to voice their dislike/disapproval of her. The core press would of course say nice things about her therefore most of the news that people might have heard 10 years ago about Alex was probably mostly positive.

MJ :)

neither can I and I really want to see them.

were these taken before or after the separation was anounced?

Alexandra actually faced some racisim because of her heritage and background. Even though weddings are always exciting, Alexandra was not so completely and warmly welcomed by the Danish people because she would be marrying into the royal family.

Even though Alexandra is greatly appreciated and loved by the Danes now, when her engagement to Joachim was first announced, the fact that she would be the first woman of Asian blood to marry into the Danish royal family was a very big deal.

She had it easier than Mary in some respects that she was marrying the second brother and would not have to be queen one day, but facing racist comments and comments about how you're not "good enough" because you are of a mixed/Asian background can't compensate for marrying "only" the second in line to the throne.

That is quite interesting. I read an old article in Royalty Magazine that called her "a British born Asian lady". I was rather offened by that.

I can totally see your point that her 1/4 Chinese blood is a rather theatening issue for some white Europeans. I dare to question whether they would have called her "a British born Austrian lady" if she was only 1/4 Austrian. No - I doubt it. And this just shows how deep discrimination and racism is.

Alex is my favourite and I give her the full credit for taking it all under her stride and proving that she deserves respect and that she should not be judged solely of her mixed background.

BTW, do you think Princess Angela has to face a lot problems too?

well, Claire Coombs is usually referred to as a "british born belgian."

Really. I did not see or hear anything about that. I remember that there was only positive comments about her in the media.. Do you have any links that shows the problems you are referring to. I remember people, including myself was very fascinated by her and very impressed by the fact that she learned danish so fast. She was the darling in the media, as I remember it:) I cant imagine that I would have missed it, if it was as you say, "a very big deal" that she was marrying into the royal family. Even the hardcore editor-in-chief of se and hør has called her one of the best in the royal family and an exemplary/ideal princess..

As she only spends one day a year in Liechtenstein, I think that she has less problems with it, although I do not know what the attitude of people in NYC is...

Just as Mary is referred to as the Danish-born crown princess or Maxima as Argentinian-born.

The issue for me is the added reference that Alexandra is Asian. To identify in which country she was born is no big deal -- it is a fact that is undisputable.

The implication that Alexandra is "a British-born Asian" implies (to me) that:
1) Asians are not commonly born in Britain and that to some extent Asians are an anamoly in Britain, making the fact that Alexandra, someone of Asian descent, a rareity.
2) It's required to identify Alexandra as being of Asian descent from all the other British-born individuals who are not Asian. How often do you hear someone say that someone is British-born but of Canadian/Indian/French/Mexican descent? Nobody says that Claire is a British-born Belgian princess of Scottish descent. (I don't know if that is the case; I am just making it up as an example.)

It can be deemed (and to me is) a subliminal racial comment.

I don´t know a lot of the facts about Alexandra so apologies if I´m wrong on some things. To my knowledge, one of her parents is Asian, or part-Asian? And so I think the statement that she is Asian is just stating the obvious (no racial intent)...eg. if a European married into the Japanese RF I´m sure there would be references to their origins, just like there is for Rania...As for the "British-born" part, IMO the British media are always happy to find a way to link Britain to those people who have achieved more than your average joe. For me the comment is not racial...it is an expression of pride...one hears often of the problems of integration of some Asians into a different society..isn´t it nice to hear something positive for a change...someone who has made a huge success of her life? If the British or other press want to make her into a positive role model by emphasising her background, what´s wrong with that?

I agree. those brits are so self obssesed. they're always looking to claim some succesful person for themselves

Thank you! That is my point exactly!

Why is it necessary to called her 'Asian'? She is not Asian!

What's wrong with just 'British born princess' or 'hong kong born princess'? No one has ever called Mary 'an Australian born Scott' which is what she is actually. So why add racial implications???

And I am so sick of all these little comments about her race.

Going back to what I said already, if hypothetically speaking she was 1/4 Austrian instead of 1/4 Chinese, no one would ever call her an 'Austrian lady'.

But in reality she is only 1/4 Chinese, people feel they have the need to emphasis in their ignorant little minds that this incredible woman is "Asian", therefore hinting that she is lower down then the rest of Europe who are 100% white.

What a load of rubbish!!! I would have thought that Europeans would learn to be more tolerant after enduring 2 world wars. :rolleyes:

hehe! :D That is true.

They (Hello Mag) claims that Alex is "British born" because she was born when HK was a British colony.

Ironically, these 'British born' HK citizens have no right to live in the UK! :confused:

Totally utterly ridiculous!!! :mad:

indeed! though i've heard english is her first language...

Yes it is. ;)

It is more common for children of multi-national backgrounds to attend international schools then local Chinese schools in HK.

English is also the 2nd language there, most educated people with good careers can speak English quite well so it made a lot of sense for her parents to choose this as her mother tongue.

Alexandria, I found this post written by H.M. Margrethe regarding the racism faced by Alexandra and her family during the early years in Denmark.

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...2-post108.html

I think Alex has been extremely lucky that the Queen and the immediate family seemed to have been so supportive of her.

Fred seems to be quite close to Alex, esp before he got married and had a baby

The Queen seems to be proud of Alex and have been generous to her in the divorce and not assigning any blame during the divorce (at least not in public)

absolutely, even if there were some fringe groups against her because of her race she has always had the royal family behind her 100% and she has proven herself completely worthy of their trust.

That's great her family is so supportive. And I think Alexandra will always be part of the Royal Family, even in spite of the divorce. I alwayes admired greatly the way she handled her divorce. Just a quiet separation and she will be princess of Danes even if she will marry someone else (maybe not by title but in hearts).

I think people mention Princess Alexandra's 1/4 Asian ancestry not so much because they believe she is less than a person that appears to be 100% Caucasian, but because she has an Eurasian beauty that makes her seem exotic in the context of a European royal family. People like that she is unusual in that respect (as well as in others) so it comes up a lot. No one is going to bring up a person's 1/4 Austrian ancestry, because in Europe, that is ordinary and who would care?

And, of course, Mary's Austrailian/Scots background does come up a lot, too. Let's face it, when you marry into a royal family, people are very very interested in where you came from, in the immediate sense and in the dynastic sense.

i'm with you, that's just stupid!!!
PA is so classy and above labels- i'm sure she's proud of her heritage and loves all aspects of her parents and family (as she should). Its the small minded who have to put individuals in their assigned "boxes", so i'm not surprised the DRF love and respect PA and supported her from the beginning.

i think the correct lable should be "gracious hong-kong born princess"

Technically, anyone born in the colonies at the time of British rule is British because they were born on British soil. However, when the Empire was breaking up, it was clear that people who no longer wanted to be British subjects were still claiming that they had a right to live in the UK. Margaret Thatcher put a stop to it in the 80s. She said that if the colonies wanted to be independant then they could truly go it alone and wouldn't be entitled to residency here in Britain. It applies to Princess Alexandra in that she was born in British Hong Kong and so is by birth British, but because of HK's independance she doesn't have a right to live here. Strangely, this also applies to Australians and Canadians.

''Hong Kong born princess'' will do nicely.

gracious is a word with a value.

it's not neutral, and not everyone will agree.

Seeing prictures of Princess Alexandra makes me say that her divorce is such a pity. Fortunately, the DRF do always consider her as a part of their family.

just so my intent is clear this is the definition in my english dictionary

gra'cious(adj) kindly; courteous, charming, attractive

but hong kong born princess will do nicely i agree.

Agreed. I hate to compare them, but Joaquin's new girlfriend Marie just doesn't seem right after Alexandra.

Alexandra is a tough act to follow. There were some discussion of whether future sister-in-law Mary could be as good as or surpass Alexandra, before she married Frederik. How much more doubt and speculation would there be for a second wife?

That's an interesting statement. I'm just wondering, have you formed an opinion as to what type of woman you think will be right for Joachim after Alexandra?

I agree with that what was said somewhere - the prince's new girlfriend looks more like Mary than Alexandra. Does she or she doesn't seem right for Joachim after Alexandra - I don't know. But Marie is a woman which Joachim choose for his girl friend.

Oh well, since Joachim just broke up with Marie, we'll all have to put our heads together and figure out who the next girlfriend looks like!:D

Just a reminder that this thread is about Mary and Alexandra... it's not about Joachim nor about Joachim's girlfriends. Please let's stay on topic.

Thanks for your co-operation.

Mandy
Danish Moderator

Anyone know about M&A relationships now?

The way I see the comparison between Mary an Alex is as following:
When HRH Prince Joachim met Alex she was beautiful, sofisticated, well off, highly intelligent and educated and even though she wasnt a royal, she came from the upper class, her father being a diplomat etc. She was swept of her heels, in love and fitted totally into the image we all want our princesses to be, noone doubted that!
When HRH CPrince Fredrick met Mary, she was a nice, warm average next door girl, from a good family. If what she said is true, they developed a friendship before falling in love, their long courtship, and Mary's aloofness when they were engaged caused the Danish public to be divided in their opinion, She does fabulous work, but yes, it is hard to be compared to Alexandra, who has that background and experience, boy she would have made a great Queen!

Mary and Alexandra are two very different individuals. Each is beautiful in her own way and brings her own unique individuality to the role of Princess.

Wow, except for a few minor points, I think you hit the nail on the head. You described Alexandra and her entry into the royal family perfectly and I agree, she would have made a great queen.

Your description of Mary is also accurate, although I might quibble with the word "warm" and in fact you yourself also used the word "aloof".

What a great analysis.

Alexandra doesn't need Mary's support. Alexandra is by far the most elegant, intelligent and capable of the two. She probably has QM ear if she needs someone in the royal family to connect with.

Thanks for your compliment, When I meant warm, I meant to Fredrick, and aloof to the public:rolleyes:

Relationship between Crown Princess Mary and Princess Alexandra
 

I was just wondering what kind of relationship Crown Princess Mary and Princess Alexandra have. Princess Alexandra seemed to be on her way out of the family just as Crown Princess Mary was entering it. If I were Mary I would have looked to Alexandra for advice and friendship in the strange new relationship.

The Crown Princess's relationship with the Countess is one that has remained rather untouched, or shall we say...non-circulated for tabloid matter.

My guess - and it is only a guess - is that Mary and Alexandra get along fine but dont see each other all that much.

Mary would have been well aware of Joachim and Alexandra's intentions to seperate. I mean, they officially seperated after Frederik and Mary's wedding so there's no question she would have known for quite some time.

Just a little clarification...

HH Princess Alexandra, countess of Frederiksborg is still a member of the Danish Royal House.

http://kongehuset.dk/publish.php?dogtag=k_en_fam

that's fine if it's the only reason why you would do it. but if CPM actually did it to make better contact and communication with her patronages, then the question still stands, why didn't Alexandra?

Good point Napoleon.

Besides, Mary is a CP with the obligations this entails and she is not under any obligation to follow only in the footsteps of her ex-sister in law IMO. Alexandra is not a sort of semi-goodness who must be copied!

I think Princess Alexandra is a member of the Royal House, not a member of the royal family, if I am not mistaken; those are two separate things.

Just like what some posters said that Mary and Alexandra are different person, Alexandra has her own way in making a better contact and communication with her patronages and if she doesn't do what Mary do I think it is just fine.

I agree with you about it and it is also applied for Alexandra (she doesn't need to follow the footsteps of Mary).

HH Princess Alexandra has her ownway to do her duty:neutral: .

I think in officially the princess is not a member of Royal family, but non officialy she is still considered as a member of the family because of she is mother of the queen two grandsons.

Btw, where can I find the source which explain the differences beetwen royal family and royal house (they are two separate things) in detil does anybody can help???

Not the best source but that's first what I thought:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_house
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_family

It is really interesting what kind of questions concerning human relationships come up on this forum. :flowers:

I really enjoy thinking possibilities through as an approach to "human behaviour" and psychology.

As for Mary and Alex: I'm sure the women met before the wedding as Mary spend some weekends in Denmark with Frederik prior to their engagement. But, when I consider the situation both women were in - Alexandra on the verge of divorce, Mary knowing that her marriage - if one happened - had to be a success - I personally don't think there was much ground for inner companionship. I mean, friendships grow. There are friendships that simply work spontaneously. But there are others as well. Quieter ones. Or more complicated ones which happen even though or especially if the person has had the same background but is not your emotional "best friend"-type.

I have no idea if Alexandra and Mary "connected" at all. I cannot recall pictures of them together. It could be that they talk to each other on a daily basis on the phone or that they never have any contact at all.

Are there clues as to how it really is? At the moment I don't see grounds for speculations here but am interested in learning if there are sources about this relationship.

I think there might only be 3 official occasions we know of. The first one was between wedding and separation. The (paparazzi) picture was taken at one of the castles, Mary and maybe someone else going in the front, Alex and others trailing behind. The second one was (ca.) 1,5 years ago at some fashion show and the third (official) occasion we know of was a paparazzi picture showing Alex (and the boys?) at F+M's home shortly after Christian's birth.

But there might be the meetings of the family where they discuss who attends what event and where Alex might be present. Well, I would assume she's present.


Other then that we don't know much about their relationship or lack thereof. :neutral:

There were more than 3 official occasions:
Opening of Parliament 2004, Christmas 2004, New Opera House, HCA event (3 days), Opening of Danfoss, New Years Court,
just a few examples that immediately came to my mind, I'm sure one could find more occasions.

But of course that doesn't say much about their relationship.
We can only guess about that.
My guess is they are not too close.
Besides the family situation (divorce) there is a considerable age difference of 8 years.

Couldn't agree more, I get the same impression. When Mary was new on the scene, she and Alexandra were on entirely different planets. As far as the divorce, Mary probably took the high road on that, not wanting to get into things and not wanting to take sides betw. Joachim and his wife. This situation cannot have helped a new friendship blossom, especially not since one wife was about to divorce the brother of the new fiancee of the other!

Also, those pictures that we <do> have of these women together don't ooze warmth between them for some reason.

Whatever the situation is there could be some unspoken rivalry, resentment. We will never know. But looking at the facts

! Alexandra was a princess for nine years before mary came along. She was the glamourous princess from another country. Most of the attention was one her.

One Mary arrived the focused shift. Mary was about to celebrate her wedding and her new life. A similar life that once held so much promise and was coming to an end for Alexandra.

While Mary was feted and celebrated, Alexandra was downgraded to HH. She had to move out of the home she had known for nine years, he beloved dog Oscar had to be put down and she was venturing into unknown territory. No longer a member of the Royal family but not entirely out of it either.

Let's face it, whatever the cause of the split, the royals would have to remain loyal to Joachim. It must have been a very difficult time for Alexandra and it would have been almost impossible to form a real bond with Mary at that time, when the family knew what was going on before the rest of us and lines were drawn as to where their loyalties lay.

Very well said! you desdcribed the situatiuon exactly as it is!

Recently I looked at some clips ot Fred and Mary's wedding, and I couldn't help noticing the difference in the way Mary behaved in comparison to Alex 9 years before, no offense to Mary,and I am not talking about her marriage, but it seemed that she was trying so hard to play the part of a royal, she looked like she was acting, even the famous Waltz, and going down the aisle, which is usually so emotional, she seemed so arrogant and hoity toity, Alex on the other hand was SOO in love, it is so apparant from the wedding pics and video, ah yes, sometimes good things come to an end. Maybe this ambition of perfectionism that Mary seems to have is what will help her marriage last over the years...

I don't think Mary was arrogant. I think that although she was and is head over heels in love with Frederik, she realized that the wedding was more than a personal ceremony of love, but also a very important symbol for her newly adopted country that she would one day be the queen of, and thus acted professionally. This is not to say that Alexandra is unprofessional - she has always been a professional princess - but I don't think that Mary should be compared negatively just because the two princesses behaved differently on their wedding days. Besides, I think Mary looked radiantly happy, but she was probably nervous, trying to do everything properly (this was, of course, her first "event" as a royal) and was trying to be composed.

Your view and that is perfectly fine but I disagree wholeheartedly with your observations (respectively) :flowers:

If being somewhat overcome by emotion and nervousness (as is clear on the Crown Princely Wedding DVD) is to be 'hoity toity' (not sure exactly what that means but I find it very amusing ;)) then what is the excuse for many a bride around the world?

Really? I was certain I could make out Mary becoming quite glassy eyed as she walked up the aisle. She didn't weep (whilst making her way to the alter) but nonetheless she seemed very much effected by the ceremony and the magnitude of it all.

Personally,I even don't think to compare alexandra and Mary,I think everybody is what he is,and it's not by comparisons that we can proove or not that one is better than the other,people are different and they have different histories and lives,so why to compare them,it's like comparing apples and oranges.

I agree with you Madame Royale. Mary did actually cry sometimes during the ceremony, i'm sure i saw footage of her dabbing her eyes with a tissue. Mary walked up the aisle the way she wanted to, the way she dreamed of walking up the aisle and if that is how she evisoned herself walking down the aisle, the good on her. It was her wedding afterall and that is how she wanted to walk up the aisle.

I do respect your opinions on this auntie, its great to see many different perspectives.

Well put TamaraKhan :flowers: - couldn't agree more.

I have totally different impressions.

Though I agree that Mary sometimes was trying too hard to appear "royal"
I did not see any arrogance and thought she looked quite nervous and emotional
when she arrived at the church and went down the aisle but tried to supress it.
(Therefore she did not appear as emotional as Frederik.)
Afterwards she relaxed a bit, cried during her mother's favourite song
and was very emotional during her husband's speech.

Alex on the other hand appeared like a woman with absolute selfconfidence and a load of charme
but I personally could not see that she was SOO in love with Joachim.
(And I still can't if I look at their wedding pictures.)
He seemed very much in love with her, she seemed very pleased with the whole situation.
Alexandra generally shows a warm smile/perfect fassade but not much emotion IMO.
That was so at her wedding and it was so after her divorce annoucement.
(Joachim on the other side looked like he just came out of hell.):lol:

And I think (and hope) the true love Mary seems to have for Frederik and he for her (which was so apparent at their wedding)
will help them to make their marriage last over the years.

Mary did wipe tears away from her eyes at one stage of the ceremony (that we know of), with what I believe to have been a silk handkerchief.

During Prince Henrik's, her father's and the Queen's speeches, Mary showed signs of emotion. And certainly during her husbands speech :flowers:

BTW: I also thought Mary (although radiant) looked a little tired on her wedding day. I think she had had a very big week beforehand.

The thing that a lot of people don't seem to understand is no two people act the same in situations. Our emotions show in different ways that is not wrong that is just how it is. There is not text book way of handling our emotions basically we are all different. I have an extreme example I know people who don't cry at funerals no matter who the deceased is , in some peoples eyes they are unfeeling. In actuality they simply keep their emotions to themselves.

I must agree with you. No two people are the same and because of this we all react differently to situations. :flowers:

Funnily, I have always seen Princess Alexandra as an exceptionally good and fresh representative for the danish monarchy and royal house. I still do. But after Crown Princess Mary came into the picture, Princess Alexandras past contributions has paled a bit, to me at least. All Princess Alexandras work suddenly seems to only have been proffesional. Princess Alexandra is proffesional, bot somehow nothing more:question: I think Princess Alexandra was lucky comming into the royal house when every thing at a time was a little quiete. She had a blank canvas, she could fill out just with a smile and the press at the time was much more nice than today. But looking back now, it all just seems professional. Professional is the word, but nothing more, to me.

How boring the world would be if everyone was the same. I think the differences in these women should be embraced. They are both very fine women:smile:

Couldn't agree more. I mean, it's not a requirement, now is it, to cry at one's own nuptials? :lol:
Not to mention the fact that crying at one's wedding doesn't necessarily equate being a whorthy person, who on the planet came up with that definition?!:wacko: On the contrary, crying on your wedding can also be translated as you being at least, a self-involved naval gazer! To be so overcome by the fact that you, (as in, "one") of all people, are being wed, oh my gosh that must just be <the> most moving moment in the history of the whole wide world! Ugh. I'm glad not every bride cries at her ceremony.:flowers:

Couldn't agree more. Joachim seemed very much in love in teh beginning, and judging by the fact that Alexandra pretty much <always> manages to produce a smile to the cameras no matter the turmoil in her own personal life, I agree it's hard if not impossible to deduce from pictures right around her wedding whether she was in love or merely acting professionally. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt as I'm trying to do with all these commoner-born princesses: it's impossible to really know the truth.:neutral:

Alexandra is still a member of the Danish Royal House as you state and I still wonder what drove Joachim and Alexandra to divorce. It had to be something aweful to trade a life of pampering for a life of HH (i.e. when you marry you lose the HH, having to use the same clothes over and over, etc.). The DRF although supportive of Alexandra, made darn sure that they would not have a costly divorce again with the revision of CP Mary's pre-nuptual agreement. I am sure the DRF is anxious to have Alexandra off of their payroll. My two cents!

Either way you look at it between Alexandra and Mary, Mary will be queen and Alexandra will not. Should Alexandra remain in Denmark, which I think she will, Alexandra will be her subject.

Is she on their payroll? I mean, does she cost Her Majesty or prince Joachim even one cent from their apanages apart from getting child support? I wasn't aware of that.

I think it's too soon to change the pre-nuptial agreement! I think if you make past the 10-15 year mark, you've got a better shot of it lasting and then you can make revisions. What would happen if Mary hadn't agreed to the revisions?

Would Alexandra and Mary's relationship with each other be influenced by Frederick & Joachim's relationship with each other?

I think that the changed pre-nuptial came about because of what happened to Alexandra and Joachim. You say revisions would be more natural after 10-15 years of marriage, but as with Alexandra and Joachim they didn't reach their 10 year anniversary. I think they were thinking better safe than sorry. Fact is, around 50 % of all marriages end in divorce in the western world, royal or common.

But most marriages end before they reach the 10 or 15 year mark, so if you're going to makes changes where the woman doesn't get as much, better for her to wait until after they pass that mark. As you said A & J's marriage didn't last 10 years and so she got what was coming to her per her prenup. But Mary's was changed two years into her marriage so she wouldn't get as much as Alexandra didn't. Why would Mary agree to that? I can understand being in love and thinking your marriage is going to last for your lifetime, but she still signed the prenup! Why change it then so it favors you less?

I have to say that I too find the way the Danish court changed this pre-nup a bit suspicious. But at the same time I get the court's perspective too. I don't get it either that Mary - who to me seem like a realistic, smart, I-know-what-I want kind of girl - would accept that deal. Perhaps she has a plan to save a lot of her "income", just in case? Or they have some private arrangement? Or have a nestegg in a secret Swiss bank account? We can only speculate about what Mary and Frederik's toughts were on these changes.

For me the most plausible explanation is that (as was translated here from the Danish language) some clauses in the pre-nup were legally not correct in their wording and had to be dealt with. It could well be that Princess Mary as mother of the future king is not longer the responsibility of her husband alone, but became through the birth of the acknowledged heir prince Christian a public personage in Denmark with a right to her own apanage payed by the state. Thus there was no need to mend these clauses but they were simply removed.

Here in Germany we have a legal principle which is called the "Salvatorische Klausel" - which translates to the "solving or mending clause". It says that in case one clause of the legal document is invalid, the whole document should be legally binding as if the invalid clause is no part of the document. Thus a contract is binding even though some passages may be invalid.

I don't know about Danish law but there are law systems without this mending clause - there the whole document is invalid in case one clause is invalid. If Denmark has such an understanding of the law, there could well be need to do something about the pre-nup, to save at least the rest of it. It was said here that lawyers were amused about this pre-nup, so I guess it was invalid as it was before - which is very amusing to lawyers....;)

For Mary it would mean she has now a perfectly legal pre-nup agreement and is taken well care off in case of a diorce, because the Danish state will see to it that she gets a suitable apanage for the mother of a future king.
Saying all this, I do sincerely hope that Mary dies one day (in the very far future) as beloved queen of Denmark, respected and loved by her family and her subjects. :flowers:

Hello everybody, I am Heike.

I became a fan of Princess Alexandra of Denmark in late 2004, just short after the announcement that she and Prince Joachim will seperate and finally divorce.

This week I found a very mean article against Princess Alexandra published in a German magazine. It was the cover story about why Alexandra and Mary don´t get along with each other. (My first question, do they really don´t get along with each other?)

According to this article, the reason is that Alex is very jealous of Mary. The author even wrote that Alex went to talk to the Queen asking for more charity jobs after seeing Mary so well-loved because of her work. But the Queen refused her request and made it clear for Alex that now Mary is the middle point. She didn´t allow Alex to walk on the red carpet in the New Year´s gala. Alex must use the side door as a "normal" guest. She is no more a member of the RF, no more a "Her Royal Highness" and she must step aside.

The popularity of Mary in Denmark goes higher and higher. Alex is very upset and unpleasant about this fact.

Are there any Danes in this forum? Is it true that Alex is not so beloved like before?

I am sometimes confused why many German media call Princess Alexandra Hong-Kong Chinese when referring to her original nationality. It seems that these media haven´t checked carefully enough about her background. She was born in Hong Kong when it still belonged to the Great Britain. She was a British citizen. As for her heritage, she is half Austrian, one-fourth British and one-fourth Chinese. In this magazine she was called a Hong-Kong Chinese again. What is the logic to call her so?

Maybe there are more fans of Mary in Germany so the author produced something against Alex in order to sell more copies.

One more question, does anyone know if Mary read stories for children before Christmas? This article claimed so but I remember it was Alex who did this? Or both of them read stories for children before Christmas?

I find this interesting too that she is identified by the ethnicity that makes up her DNA the least. :ermm: But to MOST people, she looks Asian, so that's how people are going to see her.

Hi, I don't usually get into these discussions about Alexandra, but I have for some time thought that the reason Joachim and Alex broke up, was because Alex had been having an affair with Martin.
Please, I may be totally wrong, and if I am I apologise, but isn't this what happened?