Pre-Inauguration Dinner at the Rijksmuseum: April 29, 2013

[GömdNatt]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

Cancelling two existing engagements, after she has agreed to them is worse IMO. People may understand, but that doesn't mean it's fair either way.

It depends on when she scheduled the engagement. The inauguration dates have been known since what, January? And Charlene's foundation stuff wasn't announced until recently, so she could have moved it forward a few days or back a few days.

[princess carmen]

Charlene is damned if she does and damned if she doesn't. There would have been people upset if she had dumped her event to attend this event.

[BeatrixFan]

Originally Posted by cepe

Royals dont cancel engagements when another turns up. That is bad manners.

I do doubt how genuine Charlene's excuse is to be honest. Firstly, a wedding on a Tuesday is very unusual. But back to that in a second. Secondly, it's her foundation. She can visit any time she likes and I doubt this was booked in before January of this year. Now, as close as she might be to her friend, if she has to represent Monaco with her husband in a European nation then it's her duty to be there with him, not at a wedding. Crown Princess Masako suffers with severe anxiety and even she made the effort to go (even if she didn't attend tonight, I'm sure we'll see her tomorrow). My point is, there's degrees in cancelling engagements. Can you imagine Queen Beatrix not going to Crown Princess Victoria's wedding because she had to visit a Dutch charity for an hour or two? Clearly Charlene missed a trick to get an education in how real royalty behaves.

[GömdNatt]

Originally Posted by princess carmen

Charlene is damned if she does and damned if she doesn't. There would have been people upset if she had dumped her event to attend this event.

she didn't have to dump it. she could have rescheduled.

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

if she has to represent Monaco with her husband in a European nation then it's her duty to be there with him,

Sorry but "has" to "duty"? Was this all written in her marriage vows or something? Your argument about royals not attending weddings doesn't wash when we see the British Royal Family knock every wedding they can on the head and attend ordinary engagements on the same day.

[vkrish]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

If Camilla hadn't attended because of a prior engagement or friends wedding I bet nobody would be as bothered.

No..No..On the other hand they would have started a big noise that this is another example of "British Indifference/high-handedness/superior-feeling"..or some fanatics may go on to say she is was jealous of not becoming Queen or maybe even she was "banished" from the event because of the "stuff", and the prior engagement was just an excuse..
Tell me which one point of these will not come up as a post on TRF (leave alone DM) if Camilla was absent instead of Charlene..

[LadyFinn]

Letizia, espectacular en la cena de gala Revista Semana
Máxima de Holanda, radiante en la cena de gala previa a su coronación Revista Semana

[Dman]

Prince Charles and Camilla head up royal guests at Beatrix's final state dinner:
Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall arrive at Dutch royal dinner - hellomagazine.com

On the Live coverage, they were talking about Princess Masako. Mentioning that she have a tough time adjusting to these kind of events.

[princess carmen]

What about other peoples schedules ? If people expected her why should they have to change their schedules. There will be more events for her to attend this is not the end of events.

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by vkrish

No..No..On the other hand they would have started a big noise that this is another example of "British Indifference/high-handedness/superior-feeling"..or some fanatics may go on to say she is was jealous of not becoming Queen or maybe even she was "banished" from the event because of the "stuff", and the prior engagement was just an excuse..
Tell me which one point of these will not come up as a post on TRF (leave alone DM) if Camilla was absent instead of Charlene..

British indifference yes, because that my friend actually exists. However you're other ideas make no sense and should stay in the pages of the Daily Mail.


On a more related note - are we not missing some Dutch RF members?

[cepe]

we not going to agree. But if she was attending a friends wedding then that date would have been fixed for quite a while. She wont be the first royal to put a friends wedding first (think Prince William).

As an aside, posters on this site were musing that Prince Albert wouldn't attend because he is a reigning sovereign. So maybe its Caroline that couldn't make it, and Albert stepped in a short notice.

Just a thought!

[BeatrixFan]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

So but "has" to "duty"? Was this all written in her marriage vows or something? Your argument about royals not attending weddings doesn't wash when we see the British Royal Family knock every wedding they can on the head and attend ordinary engagements on the same day.

I absolutely agree with you, I think it's disgraceful how my Royal Family behave when it comes to foreign events. This time, they got it right but quite often they fail to send proper representation. I thought the lack of a British representative at Princess Lilian's funeral earlier this year was appalling. But when Charlene married Albert, she knew she wasn't becoming Mrs Grimaldi didn't she? Of course it's her duty to attend this sort of event, what else is her role? I'm not saying she shouldn't visit her charitable ventures but it's a poor show when something that clearly could have been re-arranged wasn't and I suspect it was to fit in a jolly outing a wedding rather than being present in Amsterdam.

Cepe raises a good point too, what on earth is Albert doing there anyway?

[vkrish]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

Sorry but "has" to "duty"? Was this all written in her marriage vows or something? Your argument about royals not attending weddings doesn't wash when we see the British Royal Family knock every wedding they can on the head and attend ordinary engagements on the same day.

Wedding is different.
Coronation/Enthronement is different..
You can noway compare those two..There is no rule-book or duty-manual for Royals, Lumutqueen.
Being a consort of a Principality's monarch, by common sense, if not by anything else, you are expected to accompany your husband at enthronement of a friendly nation's monarch..

[principessa]

I wonder where Willem-Alexander's cousins are? It is a little bit strange for me to see them not attending!

[Charlotte_Aster]

Maybe they entered through a different door?

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

I absolutely agree with you, I think it's disgraceful how my Royal Family behave when it comes to foreign events. This time, they got it right but quite often they fail to send proper representation. I thought the lack of a British representative at Princess Lilian's funeral earlier this year was appalling. But when Charlene married Albert, she knew she wasn't becoming Mrs Grimaldi didn't she? Of course it's her duty to attend this sort of event, what else is her role? I'm not saying she shouldn't visit her charitable ventures but it's a poor show when something that clearly could have been re-arranged wasn't and I suspect it was to fit in a jolly outing a wedding rather than being present in Amsterdam.

Cepe raises a good point too, what on earth is Albert doing there anyway?

Albert is more than likely there because he is closer to the CPs than Caroline, or she just couldn't be bothered to attend and Albert stepped in last minute. Which would also explain why Charlene isn't there.

Not everything can be clearly re-arranged, not a friends wedding. Who has a wedding on a Tuesday? Who has a inauguration on a Tuesday?

[Frelinghighness]

Tears came to my eyes when I first saw the Big Three! Then they stayed there because I was blinded by Max's necklace - go girl!
Also, Camilla, Letitiza, Mathilde channeling princess Grace, Mary, Sophie of Lichtenstien, I have never seen them better.
Victoria is beautiful but the dress doesn't suit her, Poor HGD Stephanie trying too hard.

[Al_bina]

Originally Posted by Lumutqueen

Sorry but "has" to "duty"? Was this all written in her marriage vows or something? Your argument about royals not attending weddings doesn't wash when we see the British Royal Family knock every wedding they can on the head and attend ordinary engagements on the same day.

The British royals love their Persian Gulf tours though. If Princess Charlene did not wish to attend the event, there must be reasons for that.

[burnt]

Is there a picture of Princess Masako?

I did'nt like Letizia's dress, she'so shapeless and fragile looking.Nice hairdo tho.She'll be wearing Felipe Varela creations during her Dutch visit.

[NGalitzine]

Originally Posted by BeatrixFan

I do doubt how genuine Charlene's excuse is to be honest. Firstly, a wedding on a Tuesday is very unusual. But back to that in a second. Secondly, it's her foundation. She can visit any time she likes and I doubt this was booked in before January of this year. Now, as close as she might be to her friend, if she has to represent Monaco with her husband in a European nation then it's her duty to be there with him, not at a wedding. Crown Princess Masako suffers with severe anxiety and even she made the effort to go (even if she didn't attend tonight, I'm sure we'll see her tomorrow). My point is, there's degrees in cancelling engagements. Can you imagine Queen Beatrix not going to Crown Princess Victoria's wedding because she had to visit a Dutch charity for an hour or two? Clearly Charlene missed a trick to get an education in how real royalty behaves.

I would say Albert II is the one who should not be there since he is a head of state. Beatrix skipped out on the actual wedding of Felipe and Letizia because she wanted to attend the wedding of her godchild in England on the same day but no one seemed to fussed about it. Monaco is however represented, rightly or wrongly by its head os state so I doubt the Dutch are too fussed about his wife being elsewhere.