Crown Princess Mary, Current Events Part 15: September 2021 - January 2024


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iceflower

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Welcome to Part 15 of the thread for Crown Princess Mary's current events!

You can find the old thread here:

** Crown Princess Mary, Current Events Part 14: May 2018 - September 2021 **

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Photos and posts from today's event at VIA
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUNb_erMSuR/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUNcokHsWhh/
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUNaOF3D_4m/?utm_medium=copy_link

Article from BB re today's event
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongelige/danmark/stor-dag-i-horsens-mary-klippede-snoren-i-elegant-stil

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Post from the Facebook page of the Danish Embassy in Lithuania about Mary's visit.

I'm looking forward to following her visit there. Two busy days of engagements that should hopefully generate media coverage.

Article from BB re visit to Lithuania
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongeli...et-saa-festligt-bliver-marys-besoeg-i-litauen
 
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Lovely photos. And Mary's been non-stop lately!
 
Hope this is okay to post since it is already 9/30 in Denmark -

CP Mary begins her visit to Lithuania beginning today (9/30) and has a packed first day of engagements which are listed at the link here: https://www.kongehuset.dk/nyheder/program-for-besoeg-i-litauen
Her visit continues on Friday, 10/1.

Very much looking forward to seeing her on this visit!

Here is some information about the exhibition opening at Vilnius Mary will be attending
https://litauen.um.dk/en/news-list-page/danish-golden-age-painting-exhibition-opens-in-vilnius

Tweet from Danish Ambassador to Lithuania anticipating Mary's arrival. She will be received by the President and First Lady.

Photos of Mary arriving at the airport and being met by the Foreign Vice Minister

Mary arriving at Presidential Palace
https://www.billedbladet.dk/video/7HIWI8Mj/bn4yf8qp
 
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Great programme, and an important trip for Mary. I am sure she will do very well.
 
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I think the BB headline to the video, Iceflower posted, is fitting: Mary received like a queen (consort).

Because she was.
If we are to follow the international protocol - strictly - It was notch below receiving a head of state, which would usually take place at the airport (but not always).
Being taken straight to the President's residence, rather than being welcomed by the PM first, is a very warm welcome, diplomatically speaking.

Mary would at some point, no matter what, have visited the President. As an official representative of the Danish head of state and on an official visit, that is simply a must. But the closeness of the relationship between countries can sometimes be read in when that visit takes place.

I find it to be a very big show of confidence in Mary, that she is leading an official visit on the exact same level as her husband. And being received at the exact same level as it would be expected Frederik would, had he visited Lithuania solo.
 
Agreed Muhler. I also saw that she witnessed an F16 fly over at the Presidential Palace. She then went on to meet the Parliament speaker and PM as well. She was also met at the airport by the Foreign Vice Minister. I posted a link to photos above. She is being treated completely like the Queen (consort) so far. And so far there is a ton of coverage of this visit and it has barely started.

Edited to add reports re engagements today:

Mary being greeted by the Parliament Speaker

Mary at the wreath laying ceremony
https://app.tt.se/bild/kw=visit cemetery ceremony

Mary with the Prime Minister (there are photos at the bottom of the article at the first link)
https://ministraspirmininkas.lrv.lt...ti-partneryste-bei-bendradarbiavima-su-danija
https://lrv.lt/en/news/prime-minist...ther-partnership-and-cooperation-with-denmark

Watching F16 flyover from Presidential Palace

With President and First Lady
https://www.zmones.lt/photo/0886b47...nto-geluno-nuotr-615588b596ab71-71612403.jpeg
https://www.zmones.lt/photo/0892b4d...nto-geluno-nuotr-615588b596b0e5-07906609.jpeg

With Parliament Speaker
https://www.flickr.com/photos/97441645@N08/51534111102/in/photostream/lightbox/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/97441645@N08/51535830010/in/photostream/lightbox/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/97441645@N08/51535523524/in/photostream/lightbox/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/97441645@N08/51535150248/in/photostream/lightbox/

With the Prime Minister
https://lrv.lt/uploads/main/gallery/images/2244523_cebae731791856d0aab58d5d305d7e14.jpg
https://lrv.lt/uploads/main/gallery/images/2244522_bb74a8fc8e9d203df03d30b0228435e9.jpg
Video below of Mary being greeted by Prime Minister

Greeting at the airport
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAiMfLkWUAUtzTy?format=jpg

Wreath Laying
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAijO5oVUAMrFEY?format=jpg
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAijOD0VkAQC_XH?format=jpg&name=4096x4096

Gallery of Day 1 so far
https://www.kongehuset.dk/foto-video/hkh-kronprinsessens-besoeg-i-litauen-dag-1
https://www.kongehuset.dk/video-modtagelse-paa-praesidentpaladset-i-litauen
 
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Thank you Izzie for the updates. Mary looks so well, no doubt a heavy hitter in the DRF. Agree Muhler, this is such a show of support in Mary's ability and confidence. She is a pro.
 
Other NATO countries take turn in having units stationed in the Baltic countries. Especially smaller countries.
They are really human shields to prevent a certain country from doing another Crimea in the Baltic.
Hence why Danish fighters are stationed in Lithuania.

Danish military units are almost constantly present in one or more of the Baltic countries, and have quietly been so for many years now.
 
Other NATO countries take turn in having units stationed in the Baltic countries. Especially smaller countries.
They are really human shields to prevent a certain country from doing another Crimea in the Baltic.
Hence why Danish fighters are stationed in Lithuania.

Danish military units are almost constantly present in one or more of the Baltic countries, and have quietly been so for many years now.

Mary will be meeting with Danish troops stationed in Lithuania tomorrow. I believe that is her last engagement of the trip per the schedule.

So far there has been coverage of the more "political" (for lack of a better word) portion of this trip with the meetings with the President, Parliament speaker and PM. She's also done the customary laying of a wreath. She also had events today at a museum exhibition, concert and dinner at the Danish embassy. Hoping that there is some coverage of that as well.

Here is an IG story of Mary at the museum. Also, the IG stories that follow are also of her visit to the museum and speech.
https://instagram.com/stories/detda...ce=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=share_sheet

Mary looking stunning as she arrives for the Gala Concert. Here is a BB article with video:
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongeli...n-mary-til-festkoncert-i-betagende-blaa-kjole
 
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Absolutely.

For Lithuania this is very much a political visit and they are rolling out the red carpet for a close ally in the living embodiment of Mary.

As you may know Lithuania is facing a huge refugee (or migrants if you prefer) influx across their border to Belarus. And due to Western, including EU, sanctions against Belarus, the dictator there, Lukashenko, is using refugees as retaliation to annoy the West and in particular EU as much as possible.
- With the help of whom, do you ask? Well, refugees can't just walk up to Belarus they have to be flown in, or pass through Russia or Ukraine. And since Belarus is an ally of Russia and Ukraine and Russia are currently fighting a proxy war, the border between Belarus and Ukraine is well guarded. So someone is transporting refugees to Belarus. And the authorities in Belarus drive them close to the border and point the way... That's a fact. The refugees are saying so themselves.
Thousands of refugees are putting a strain on the Baltic countries.

As such the border is being cordoned off by Lithuania, with the more or less full approval of EU.
DK is a hawk within EU in regards to immigration and DK has voiced an open and vocal support for Lithuania in this respect, including donating 15 kilometers of barbed wire fencing to Lithuania.
And Mary being received with full honors, perhaps more than is strictly speaking correct protocol, Lithuania is showing their appreciation.
The flight pass by the Danish F16's is not just because Mary has pretty brown eyes, that's a political statement of support as well.

This visit is very much a political visit! - While at the same time being plausible deniable as being that.

- Nooo, nothing political to be seen here. It's merely our Crown Princess visiting a neighboring country. That she has a heavy entourage of Danish ministers with her is merely an emphasis of friendly relations and goodwill. That she is received by the Lithuanians almost as if she was the head of state, is merely because the Lithuanians are nice people. :D

To sum up, very cynically, this is so much a political visit.
For once trade and export take second place.
 
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Thank you for that explanation Muhler! Wow....now all this pomp and circumstance makes sense!! Like you said....full red carpet treatment, including being met at the airport! I am not sure which ministers she has with her on this trip, but I had read it was at least 2 or 3? Just not sure which ones.

Yes, I was surprised at the F16 fly over. I could have seen that if it was Frederik maybe.

So has protocol in a sense gone out the window with this visit?

Now she's moved onto a more cultural portion of the day with a visit to the museum, opening an exhibit with a speech, given a tour and then in the evening a concert and then a dinner at the Danish Embassy. I will say it has been quite a first day for Mary on this visit.

Muhler - Do you think the reason you gave above is why Mary was asked to make this visit as opposed to Frederik? With Mary the obvious is, well, less obvious...or there is more an attempt to make it less obvious with the Crown Princess instead of the heir to the Danish throne?

There is quite a bit of interesting and delicate maneuvering and balancing if that makes sense.

Added Content: BB is all over this visit. Here is a video of Mary stopping to speak to two cute little girls. You can here their conversation in the video as cameras snap away
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongeli...avlt-program-mary-hilste-paa-smaa-royale-fans

Photo and video from the engagement at the museum from the DRF IG
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUdTceiA6JP/?utm_medium=copy_link
 
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That was a sweet little conversation.

The girls are daughters of a Dane working for a few months in Vilnius. Mary asked them how they were doing and whether they went to school here (they were home schooled) and when they were returning home.
She thanked them for being so kind and welcome her.

That's very good PR-work. Mary is well-trained, but she has always stopped to chat with onlookers. In fact I'd say she introduced it to the DRF.

Yes, I find it very plausible that Mary was selected to go solo on this trip, because of the delicate political balance this visit entails.
There are many ways of showing the flag...

Mary visiting the Danish troops will no doubt be well covered by the Lithuanian press. Had this been a trade delegation Mary had headed, such a visit would be a minor stop on the agenda and not of that big importance to the local media.
Mary can do that, not least because she in contrast to her husband isn't a general with a military career behind her. And in contrast to QMII isn't the commander-in-chief.
I simply cannot recall another visit by the DRF in recent decades where Danish fighters did a fly by. Over Mary and the local President, at the President's residence. - Not even to Estonia, which DK historically (and now also militarily) has close ties with, and where there is also a more or less continuous Danish military presence. In fact we have set up a brigade around a reinstated light combat regiment, that is supposed to be deployed to Estonia in case of an emergency. And not even there have we seen Danish fighters above.
Mary has visited Estonia alone and while she was well received it was at a lesser level than this one.
 
That's very sweet with the little girls.

I agree about Mary introducing the more tactile walk-about. I think she also taught Frederik to interact more during a walk-about. He was awkward in the beginning while she was chatting and shaking hands. I will say this and some might disagree with me, but IMO Mary is the biggest and best asset the DRF have! IMO she's the star of the DRF and when you get her and Frederik together...well....takes it to next level.

Yes, the flyover I must say was quite impressive with the ground standing on the balcony of the presidential palace.

Muhler - has this been getting good coverage in Denmark that you've noticed?
 
That's very sweet with the little girls.

I agree about Mary introducing the more tactile walk-about. I think she also taught Frederik to interact more during a walk-about. He was awkward in the beginning while she was chatting and shaking hands. I will say this and some might disagree with me, but IMO Mary is the biggest and best asset the DRF have! IMO she's the star of the DRF and when you get her and Frederik together...well....takes it to next level.

Yes, the flyover I must say was quite impressive with the ground standing on the balcony of the presidential palace.

Muhler - has this been getting good coverage in Denmark that you've noticed?

I agree with you. She has helped renewing the DRF and making it more modern and approachable and to a large extent also relatable.
There are some who say that they are perhaps taking it a little too far. I.e. becoming too ordinary and I believe they should only go as far as they are now and no further.
Don't become too informal or the magic goes away.

But we should not discount Frederik, who has learned form his wife and mixed that with his own very more folksy approach - which is natural to him. And he has allowed his wife to shine and give her room. And obviously without a hint of jealousy, on the contrary in fact.

Nor should we discount QMII, who as the wise woman she is, clearly has seen the potential in her daughter-in-law and allowed her to use that potential and develop into such an asset as Mary is today.
QMII too has learned from Mary and now as a matter of course approach onlookers. Something she didn't do before. Much of that I think also had something to do with her being shy and very focused.
Because PH had no problems chatting to the general public when he had the opportunity to do so. But before Mary he rarely had the opportunity to interact with onlookers, because he had to keep up with QMII.

So, as you point out, Mary is a part of well-working team. And one of the keys to it working so well, is that they complement each other and allow each other room to work in the way that suit them best.
 
I think at the moment, they are striking the perfect balance between being approachable and down to earth, but still maintaining the status of being members of the royal family.

Oh and of course I'd never discount Frederik at all. Mary has just enhanced his already immense talent at relating to people, etc. I have never once gotten an inkling of Frederik being jealous of Mary. He looks at with immense pride at all she has accomplished and relishes that...enjoys seeing her being so good at her job/duties. Mary has said how they are both very different in how they approach their work and that he allows her space to do things in her own way. It is beyond obvious that his pride for her overflows! And vice versa!

And yes, I agree that QM has also seemed to come out more and talk to people instead of just walking down the middle of the street waving to each side like I've seen in old videos. Plus, IMO she has allowed M&F to do things their way and develop their own style as they have taken over more and more. You can see the shift. She has not been one to say this is how you should handle this or that...but has given them room to find their own way in their roles together and separately. I believe she's very proud of both of them and has immense confidence in them.

This visit to Lithuania for Mary is just one example of the immense trust and confidence shown to her.

Edited to Add photo and video of Mary at wreath laying ceremony
https://instagram.com/stories/detda...ce=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=share_sheet
https://instagram.com/stories/detda...ce=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=share_sheet
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUeRh4XjJ5S/?utm_medium=copy_link
 
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CP Mary's Visit to Lithuania - Day 2 - 10/1

The second day of Mary's trip has begun and BB has posted an article with a couple of photos. Mary looking great in red
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongelige/danmark/lyser-op-i-roedt-stilfuld-mary-klar-til-dag-i-litauen

Mary will be opening a seminar on the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Denmark and Lithuania.
https://litauen.um.dk/en/news-list-...matic-relations-between-lithuania-and-denmark

Photo from IG account of someone at the seminar listening to Mary's speech
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUelLrpI3lY/?utm_medium=copy_link

Mary at the Danish-Lithuanian conference via DRF IG story
https://instagram.com/stories/detda...ce=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=share_sheet
https://instagram.com/stories/detda...ce=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=share_sheet
https://instagram.com/stories/detda...ce=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=share_sheet

Mary with the first lady visiting a school
https://instagram.com/stories/detda...ce=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=share_sheet
https://www.billedbladet.dk/tags/kronprinsesse-mary
Mary is just lovely with the kids and the kids are very sweet and giving her lots of hugs.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAnArPlXIAcyV5U?format=jpg&name=medium

The IG acct for the DRF is posting quite a bit to their stories of the events happening today.

BB interview with Mary (video)
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongeli...lled-bladet-har-haft-gode-snakke-med-min-mand

Visiting the Lithuanian Olympic Committee
https://www.lrp.lt/data/public/thumbnails/2021/10/resize_1920x1200_5.jpg
https://www.lrp.lt/data/public/thumbnails/2021/10/resize_1920x1200_6.jpg
https://www.ltok.lt/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/BN5U9599-1900x1266.jpg
https://www.lrp.lt/data/public/thumbnails/2021/10/resize_1920x1200_4.jpg

Some additional content from Day 2 of Mary's visit to Lithuania

Mary visiting Danish soldiers stationed in Lithuania
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAnrykDWEAYgevg?format=jpg&name=medium
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FAnrpwRXoAMt4G6?format=jpg&name=medium

Post from DRF IG of Day 2 of Mary's visit. This is from opening of the seminar this morning
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUfr5ILgVTY/?utm_medium=copy_link

Mary in front of the Lithuanian IOC
https://instagram.com/stories/detda...ce=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=share_sheet

Mary opening the Senators passage
https://instagram.com/stories/detda...ce=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=share_sheet
https://instagram.com/stories/detda...ce=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=share_sheet

Mary meeting with Danish soldiers stationed in Lithuania
https://instagram.com/stories/detda...ce=ig_story_item_share&utm_medium=share_sheet

More photos from Day 2 shared by the DRF Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUf0kDbA2SN/?utm_medium=copy_link

Tweet from the ambassador in Lithuania re Mary's visit
 
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She really didn't say that much of substance - she isn't really supposed to... - She talked about listening to Frederik telling about the Baltic countries.
As you may recall Frederik specialized in the Baltic countries at the Defense Academy (for staff officers) he gave lectures about the Baltic countries later on.

She also talked about how it was to physically feel the warm relations between DK and Lithuania.

- Not that sure how strong they really are though. Because Lithuania has historically been leaning much more towards Poland and Slovakia, than the Nordic countries. Language and culture is also more central-eastern European than Nordic.
DK has historical and cultural close ties with Estonia in particular, and to a lesser degree with Latvia, that perhaps has closer ties with Finland and Sweden. Historically Latvia also has ties with Germany, or perhaps more correctly Prussia.
For centuries Lithuania competed with Poland, Russia and Ukraine about control over what is now eastern Poland and north-western Ukraine, as well as Belarus. And sometimes you can still feel some tension between these nations, that are founded in these feuds over the centuries. But there are also ties. Culturally, language and also because sometimes they were enemies, at other times they were allies and the borders were until only a 100 years ago very fluent. So intermarriage has also taken place on a large scale.

I noticed, as so often before, that Mary's spoken Danish regress a bit when she has been speaking English and presumably been thinking in English as well - as she must have been for a large part of this visit.
When that happens you can tell right away from her pronunciation and grammar.
It happens to me as well. Then I speak (or write) Danglish. Mary spoke Engnish in this video, if you get my meaning.
 
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