General News about Frederik, Mary and Family Part 15: January 2016 - August 2016

[CrownPrincessJava]

Originally Posted by Hannelore

The photos are charming, even though I think Mario Testino is severely overrated: always the same poses, and the photoshopping is just too much. These are healthy, well cared for, well groomed people (and children after all) and now they just look like... dolls or something. Absolutely unnecessary.

I also don't get why this whole Australian Vogue thing is needed. I would completely understand it if it were for Frederik & Mary's enthronement. (I know only F. succeeds his mother but let's face it, M.'s just as important for the media and image machine). Why does this family need such an exposure in Australian magazines (formerly also Woman's Weekly, Australian Vogue and German Vogue)?

It would be so interesting to know how this works exactly: who approaches whom and what are the advices given.

Simply because Mary still feels close to the country she was raised in. You take Mary out of Australia, but you cannot take the Australian out of Mary. Frederick himself has on my occasions spoken of the admiration he has for this country and how he cannot believe how quickly we have accepted him as one of us. He loves it here and loves the warmth of the people.

If Mary had turned her back on Australia, believe me, this kind of publicity would not occur. And in most of the cases, it is Mary inviting Vogue Australia and the Australian Womens Weekly into her home.

[polyesco]

Originally Posted by Nordic

I don't think the family "need" an exposure in Australian magazines. Why would they?

Judging from the excerpt, this interview happend because of Copenhagen Fashion Summit (and WD2016 conference). Vogue and Mario Testino were at the summit, which Mary is patron of.
The interview took place just before the opening of the summit.

These interviews are not, IMO, done just for the sake of it and some nice pics. Mary does have something to say, which can't be said for all the royals who are in Vogue articles.

Exactly. Spot on.
I don't see Frederik and Mary just posing, they use these photo shoots as vehicles and platforms to get their causes across.
Vogue has a huge outreach and it looks like the interview will focus on sustainability in the fashion industry .

"Going on to discuss sustainable fashion and the rights of workers in the garment industry, which was at top of mind as HRH opened the Copenhagen Fashion Summit*just after the shoot, she said, “It will take time to create real and sustainable change. If we are talking about the textile and fashion industry, it is one of the most female-dominated industries in the world and yet many of these working women are voiceless. I do use the platform I have built up over the years as a vocal and passionate voice for the empowerment of women and girls and the protection and respect of their human rights to bring attention to this.”*

And judging from her work, the commitment and knowledge is there .

[khanhvi]

There is a new image of Mary, she is such a beautiful woman.
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[Muhler]

It's pretty obvious to me that this is about PR in Australia.
It's not something where M&F one day woke up and decided to appear in Australian Vogue. It's calculated and aimed at a certain segment of Australians and also as wide a segment as possible.

Over the years I've learned that while Women's Weekly and women's whatever would dream about an interview with M&F they are simply not serious enough to be trusted to write two serious sentences in a row.
And as for the Australian papers. While such an interview would be read, I don't think that it would hit right in the middle of the target audience in Australia. I.e. women.

So how serious is Vogue compared to other magazines in Australia?
Who are the readers?
Is Vogue considered trustworthy - again compared to other magazines?
How would the average reader react to this article in this magazine, rather than in another women's magazine?

- And here our Australian friends come in.

[CrownPrincessJava]

Originally Posted by Muhler

It's pretty obvious to me that this is about PR in Australia.
It's not something where M&F one day woke up and decided to appear in Australian Vogue. It's calculated and aimed at a certain segment of Australians and also as wide a segment as possible.

Over the years I've learned that while Women's Weekly and women's whatever would dream about an interview with M&F they are simply not serious enough to be trusted to write two serious sentences in a row.
And as for the Australian papers. While such an interview would be read, I don't think that it would hit right in the middle of the target audience in Australia. I.e. women.

So how serious is Vogue compared to other magazines in Australia?
Who are the readers?
Is Vogue considered trustworthy - again compared to other magazines?
How would the average reader react to this article in this magazine, rather than in another women's magazine?

- And here our Australian friends come in.

Mary HAS given interviews to the Australian Women's Weekly! The AWW is not the trashy magazines like New Idea and Woman's Day. Vogue Australia rates higher than AWW.

I think you need to realise that the average Australian woman, including myself, have a lot more in common with Mary than Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. Why? Because she's Australian. That is why AWW have interviewed her many times over the past 12 years. Mary is 9 years older than me and Catherine is 3 months younger than me. Yet I can relate to Mary a lot more. Mary and my background are more aligned than mine and Catherine's.

In this case, Frederik and Mary are targetting Vogue Australia because of their platform - fashion sustainability. This has been a MAJOR issue in Australia due to our geographical location - we are a lot closer to South-East Asia and the Subcontinent than the US or Europe, where issues with big fashion houses using these countries because of the low wages, etc.

I hope this explanation helps

[Muhler]

Thanks, CrownPrincessJava.

Most helpful.
I must confess that I don't know enough about Australian magazines to distinguish between them, so I didn't know Women's Weekly is more serious than the others.

I should very much like to read a summary. Hint, hint, Aussies.

[CrownPrincessJava]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Thanks, CrownPrincessJava.

Most helpful.
I must confess that I don't know enough about Australian magazines to distinguish between them, so I didn't know Women's Weekly is more serious than the others.

I should very much like to read a summary. Hint, hint, Aussies.

My pleasure Muhler

[Muhler]

Scanning the news, the story about M&F appearing in Vogue is spreading.

Here is a better version of the photo, Khanhvi dug up for us: Princess Mary’s stunning Vogue Australia shoot

And a fashion-site. Those debating appear to know to what they are talking about: Vogue Australia August 2016 : The Crown Prince & Princess of Denmark by Mario Testino - Page 2 - the Fashion Spot

[Rudolph]

What is the Danish equivalent of Vogue, and does Mary do this sort of thing in Denmark or just Australia?

The photos are nice but typical of Testino in that he uses heavy photoshop and image manipulation.

[Muhler]

As in high-class fashion magazines?
Or the more serious women's mags?

As for the last question, the answer is yes. Not only Mary but our Marie as well.
And also the more serious men's mags, where Frederik has been featured.
Euroman and Eurowoman being examples of such magazines.

As for fashion. I could ask Mrs. Muhler, but she's on her way to London, so other Danish members must take over here.

[carol18]

First look: Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Denmark cover Vogue Australia’s August 2016 issue.

HRH Crown Princess Mary of Denmark covers Vogue Australia August 2016

[JessRulz]

A few more excerpts from the interview, which goes on sale in Australia on July 11:

Mary -
"I see my role as not just being a voice of the voiceless, but also being able to be a catalyst for bringing people and relevant actors together. I believe that in order to find solutions to some of the most pressing global challenges of today we need to take a holistic approach that requires us to consider the social, environmental and economic aspects and work together in new and innovative partnerships, maybe with people and organisations we wouldn’t have thought about working with before.”

Mary -
"I would say I’m not very good at accepting praise and recognition. I have a strong perfectionist streak, which means that, for example, if I look back over a speech I tend to focus on the bit that was not quite right, instead of everything else that was good.”

Princess Mary’s stunning Vogue Australia shoot

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by JessRulz

A few more excerpts from the interview, which goes on sale in Australia on July 11:

Mary -
"I would say I’m not very good at accepting praise and recognition. I have a strong perfectionist streak, which means that, for example, if I look back over a speech I tend to focus on the bit that was not quite right, instead of everything else that was good.”

Thanks, JessRulz

That's pretty much the impression I have of Mary.

[carlota]

it is interesting - as much as i would think of other royals, for example letizia, as perfectionists, i would not have thought of mary as a perfectionist, she seems quite easy going.

Originally Posted by Hannelore

The photos are charming, even though I think Mario Testino is severely overrated: always the same poses, and the photoshopping is just too much. These are healthy, well cared for, well groomed people (and children after all) and now they just look like... dolls or something. Absolutely unnecessary.

I also don't get why this whole Australian Vogue thing is needed. I would completely understand it if it were for Frederik & Mary's enthronement. (I know only F. succeeds his mother but let's face it, M.'s just as important for the media and image machine). Why does this family need such an exposure in Australian magazines (formerly also Woman's Weekly, Australian Vogue and German Vogue)?

It would be so interesting to know how this works exactly: who approaches whom and what are the advices given.

i agree with you on both points. i don't think royals need to pose for vogue and the like in the first place - they aren't celebrities. i also agree with you on the pictures: mario testino is overrated, i wish they would have chosen something else. he lives in the shadows of what he did in the past, his current work just doesn't reflect any special photographing skills in my opinion, and this shoot is just an example of that.

What is the Danish equivalent of Vogue, and does Mary do this sort of thing in Denmark or just Australia?

that's a good point. i don't recall mary posing for many danish magazines. why is it that photoshoots are always done for australian / non danish magazines and not in denmark?

[Nordic]

Originally Posted by carlota

that's a good point. i don't recall mary posing for many danish magazines. why is it that photoshoots are always done for australian / non danish magazines and not in denmark?

A few months ago there were 2 interviews in Danish magazines, with photos, about Mary's work leading up to WD2016. IIRC, back then you seemed to have an almost opposite opinion

[MidwestMom]

Sorry, but I'm not crazy about either one of the photos. The cover one is just too ''blotchy.'' The one with the whole family is marginally better, but Frederik's head looks like it's been photoshopped in. The pose with Christian and Isabella is awkward, to say the least. Mary and the twins look good, but the top of Vincent's head is cut off.

[Hannelore]

But why does the Danish royal family need PR in Australia? (BTW Muhler, Vogue is bought for the fashion, the glamour, the new advertisements of Prada & Dior etc. not for interviews. If you want fashion & content you'd rather buy Vanity Fair.)

Why does the crown princess who has worked so hard for women's rights all over the world need to appear with a photo like this one, so badly photoshopped the woman on this pic looks like a distant cousin of Mary's?

http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/2...d4e1a0c008be83

I'm not criticizing Mary as a princess. She's wonderful, I just don't understand this communications move. It feels very 1995 to me, rather than 2016.

[Muhler]

Thanks, Hannelore for the fashion-mag info.

They need PR in Australia because they are a brand. A positive brand to help promoting Denmark in general (we won't mind some Australian tourists either ) and Danish products as well.
I would be very much surprised if a Danish commerce offensive to Australia spearheaded by M&F is not being planned.
Fashion is a major export, so M&F appearing in a magazine like Vogue is perhaps not surprising. And sustainability and environmentally sound solutions are a major and growing export as well.
Australia is a nice affluent market and we Danes are damned good traders.

This is IMO simply an opportunity to reach out to Australia at no costs and no controversy. So why not?

[polyesco]

I agree Muhler. The fashion industry and sustainability are big in Denmark. Frederik and Mary a fee months ago held a dinner before the fashion week with a focus on sustainability . I believe an Australian delegation took part in the dinner. Add to this women rights and how, as Mary pointed out, women make up the majority in this industry.

Originally Posted by khanhvi

There is a new image of Mary, she is such a beautiful woman.
No Cookies | Daily Telegraph

thank you for the link . I found this quote very spot on regarding the last interview she gave to vogue Australia over 12 year ago
“When you read the first interview we did with her, she said she hoped she would prove worthy and that she had to believe that she could do it, and now she does know she can do it, so there is a difference in her level of confidence and that allows her to broaden her influence and her ability to work on things that she really believes in,” Vogue Australia editor-in-chief Edwina McCann said.

Originally Posted by CrownPrincessJava

In this case, Frederik and Mary are targetting Vogue Australia because of their platform - fashion sustainability. This has been a MAJOR issue in Australia due to our geographical location - we are a lot closer to South-East Asia and the Subcontinent than the US or Europe, where issues with big fashion houses using these countries because of the low wages, etc.

a very good point!

Originally Posted by Nordic

A few months ago there were 2 interviews in Danish magazines, with photos, about Mary's work leading up to WD2016. IIRC, back then you seemed to have an almost opposite opinion

Another interview that was fantastic. Thanks to our Danish members for the summaries. Mary did it for the Women Deliver conference that took place in Copenhagen and that she had a major part in. She basically attended for the 4 days straight

On another note I believe this is the room the family photo was taken
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2015/...2544861792.jpg

love the family photo , it looks like Isabella was trying to put bunny ears on Frederik lol. A lot of their personalities coming through in this photo imo.
http://67.media.tumblr.com/5f3302ae1...sn0vo1_500.jpg

[PetticoatLane]

This is the sort of thing we would see here in the UK with reality TV stars posing in Hello! This is not in the least bit 'royal' to me. Just leaves a weird taste in the mouth.

I fully expect to be trashed for this opinion, I know Mary in particular is almost untouchable on this board.