Summary of a number of articles in Billed Bladet #31, 2011.
Written by Anna Johannesen and Ken Richter. (*) And Annelise Weimann, writing a story based on some photos.
The photo shoot.
Sixteen family members were present at the photo shoot this year. This time the shoot took place in the back garden at the stairs leading down to the big lake behind Gråsten Palace. As expected the children stole all the attention and they handled it all in a cool manner. They didn’t voice any protest and even smiled a couple of times at the peculiar adults.
Vincent, perhaps a bit early in life, sported “hentehår = a comb over”, something otherwise seen on men who are still maintaining illusions about the rest of humanity being hard at seeing.
Mary, wearing a handmade Prada dress from the collection: made-in India carried Josephine. On her feet she wore blue ballerinas. (**)
Not for the first time the article here claims there is a particular close bond between QMII and Christian and they did indeed lead the procession down to the stairs hand in hand. However QMII also held Vincent in her arms. (***)
But then Nikolai and Felix has a visibly good relationship with our Marie, who was observed and photographed holding her arm around them, something they obviously didn’t mind at all. Bette Henrik was at some point swinging between his two older half-brothers. That was fun!
Alas, Joachim, Carina, Gustav and Benedikte were reduced to props in this year’s shoot.
Queen Anne-Marie had left early Monday morning and missed the shoot. Princess Benedikte and her daughter, Princess Nathalie stayed at Broholm Manor, not far away. Nathalie was taking part in the Danish championships in dressage in Gråsten town, which took place Sunday. She and her father, Prince Richard left for Berleburg, right after the championships ended. Princess Alexandra of Berleburg and her two children had also been at Gråsten Slot, but they could not attend the photo shoot either. Count Jefferson did not go to Gråsten, he was on holiday on Capri, and Alexandra went to Denmark from there to be with her Danish family for a few days.
A part of the shoot took place at the newly renovated stairs right down to the lake. The stair, which are flanked by crowns set on pedestals, was to be officially inaugurated Wednesday.
The shoot took place in the late forenoon, shortly before lunch, because that suited the rhythm of the twins.
That Bella and Christian are very fond of the twins is clear from the pictures. Christian sported a cool Darth Vader “tattoo” on his right arm. Isabella sported a no less cool tattoo of two sharks on her left shoulder. (****)
The ride, Thursday morning.
Presumably leaping out of bed, M&F mounted a couple of “iron horses” and drove some distance to the staples. Ziggy followed them a little behind. At some point they passed a busy main road and Ziggy did not pass the road with M&F. A big truck with a trailer behind came driving (presumably at a fairly slow speed) and blocked Ziggy from her humans. Ziggy then darted underneath the truck and got through, but it was close call and the dog was somewhat perplexed before she ran after M&F. – There is a picture in BB of Ziggy rafter after she ran underneath the truck. The truck was BIG and Ziggy was very fortunate!
Anyway, After Frederik chivalrously assisted his wife in mounting the horse, M&F went riding for nearly an hour in the woods near Gråsten Palace. (*****)
Legoland.
As is tradition members of the DRF went to Legoland, located in Billund in south central Jutland, some distance from Gråsten. This time it was M&F who took the children. The children being Christian and Bella and Count Richard and Comtesse Ingrid. The party was escorted by the manager of Legoland, Henrik Höhrmann, who observed: “The children very clearly have their own favorites”. The children now being old enough to remember how it was last year and what was fun. That included a trip to “indianerlejren = the Native American village”, where Isabella and Christian were issued feathers and Isabella also acquired a ferocious looking rubber tomahawk.
But it was also time to test their limits and that included riding down a waterfall in canoe and judging from Bella’s expression, it was a little bit dangerous, even though mother had her arm around her.
Miscellaneous.
Annelise Weimann wrote a short article based on the photos of Prince Henrik and his adjutant, Nils Nykjær, driving in a stylish Buick to a fitness center in the town of Gråsten. (******) On a day to day basis Prince Henrik has a physiotherapist to assist him, but on holidays he is on his own and in order not to have problems with his legs and back, he go to the gym from time to time.
Wearing a in every definition of the word a casual outfit, he also wore a T-shirt with a print of himself and QMII in morning robes, from her 70th birthday.
The memorial service in Copenhagen Wednesday was arranged in about 24 hours. As such QMII flew from Gråsten to Copenhagen and M&F were supposed to drive to Gråsten by car that same day.
After the service Mary hitched a ride with QMII on the helicopter back to Gråsten. Landing next to Gråsten less than an hour later, they all milled out of the helicopter. Mary and QMII had not changed and with them were, (I’m looking at a picture) four children, two nannies, two adjutants and at least one PET officer. – Yes, the EH101 are big! It’s far cry from the old Sikorsky’s. Christian was seen with a guitar strapped to his back.
Frederik drove instead. Unfortunately there was a story in Ekstra Bladet about Frederik speeding in Southern Jutland. Annoyingly I find the story very credible as the DRF has a habit of speeding. – So too has members of the SRF when they are passing through DK.
Prince Henrik did not attend the service in Copenhagen. His adjutant, Niels Nyhave, explained that it was due to meetings that had been long scheduled.
(*) Anna Johannesen appears to have covered the photo shoot and as always when she spots royal children she goes into grandmother-mode! Read: Going gaga. As such the articles are in her usual somewhat sugary style.
Ken Richter, as usual, reports what he saw, heard and learned and that’s about it. Even though he certainly is pro-DRF.
(**) The blue hue is called Summer-blue. I know a painter…
(***) Let there be no mistake, QMII is obviously delighted with her new grandchildren and she certainly has become much better at interacting with small children in recent years but the way she held Vincent was pretty awkward. She lacks routine. I have a feeling it’s mainly PH who picks up the wailing children when the grannies are prince/ss-sitting.
(****) As long as it’s henna. But I fear, if the current trend continues, we will eventually see Bella and Josephine with tattoos on their lower backsides. Ass-antlers, so called because such tattoos, just like real antlers, are destined to grow bigger and wider….
(*****) As always followed by an NCO from the Guards Hussars. M&F’s horses are familiar with him and his horse. – PET I assume followed them on bicycles.
(******) Well, he could have walked to the fitness center. At the very most it can't have been more than a couple of kilometers from Gråsten Slot. That would have been excellent exercise!
An alternative approach to fitness is not unheard among older gentleman. My own late father used to swim for some time when he was at the beach. “To get the blood flowing”. What he neglected to say was that he walked on the bottom, while making swimming movements with his arms…..