General News about Joachim, Marie and Family Part 4: July 2014 - August 2019

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by gerry

Of course you should learn the language(s) of the country; bravo to both Marie and Mary for learning Danish! As a visitor to Denmark this summer, I can speak to the difficulties of pronunciation alluded to by Princess Marie; the written language is NOTHING like what you say or hear! However, I understand that newcomers to the country can access free language lessons; certainly had I stayed longer than two weeks I would also have tried to learn this most interesting of languages

Not too big a cultural shock I hope.

When you don't understand the natives here in DK, you just repeat what you say over and over again - and louder - eventually we'll get it.
You can also resort to illustrating what you mean. Say a roast duck: Just begin by flapping you arms and say "Quack" (DK ducks say "rap" though.) We natives really appreciate such attempts of communication from foreigners.

And yes, foreigners who get residence or work permit, or asylum are given free classes in Danish, that naturally also deal with various aspects of the culture and practical information.
There are various courses from basic Danish for illiterates who have literally never been to school before and up in in varying degrees of advanced levels up to IIRC 9th grade school examination.

That was not the case for our Marie though. She got her own language teachers just like Mary.

[Muhler]

A Royalista article about the party at Valdemars Slot, Caroline's 40th B-day:
Mary's friend invited the royals for huge fairy tale bash | Royalista

And here are the pictures of Joachim and our Marie, for those who wish to use them in fashion threads.
https://app.box.com/s/9s8c399aowu51qndhw78tnq0mnisx6k9
https://app.box.com/s/tsjrv497h2yudbvegd5gd9svrdww7isw
And in party outfit, complete with balck wings:
https://app.box.com/s/impckcxg6wrlk275oy5m9t75szo2j70v

[JR76]

He has a very personal way of dressing that prince of yours. He's very much his mothers son when it comes to clothes


Sent from my iPhone using The Royals Community mobile app

[Tilia C.]

It's not just from his mother, his father has a colourful way of dressing as well. But this was a fancy dress party, so I don't mind the comouflage jacket.

[Duke of Marmalade]

It seems that Mary was there too.
https://instagram.com/p/8AcdcjPGA5/

[Muhler]

The DRF is more than well covered this week in BB!

Summary of article in Billed Bladet #39, 2015.
Written by Hanne Rask..
As you know Joachim and our Marie attended Caroline Fleming's 40th birthday party at her home, Valdemars Slot. The theme was fairy tales.
Among the 180 guests was also Mary, but she remained inside and was not photographed. (Well, seems like she was. See post above by Duke of Marmalade).
Mary, Joachim and Marie arrived early Saturday evening for the second day of partying.
The day before 120 guests had been present for the first party, the theme being Swedish midsummer.
In fact the birthday girl only got a couple of hours sleep from the dancing the night before, then she was on her feet getting ready to the party Saturday.
Even though the theme was fairy tales, far from all the gentlemen has dressed up as gallant knights.

The last guest arrived at 21.00 just in time for the dinner and then it was partytime until dawn! The guests stayed for a brunch before going home.

The guest list includes a number of names that may now be familiar to you:
Christian and Mette Ahlefeldt-Laurvig.
Bendt Wedell with his wife, Pernille and his twin sister, Christiane.
Niels and Molise Iuel-Brockdorff.
Julie Brandt with her Thomas Dam.
Louise Fleming with her Nikolaj Albinus.
Michael and Caroline Ahlefeldt Laurvig.
Nina Wedell-Wedellsborg and her Peter Aandahl.
The former US ambassador to DK, James P. Cain.
- And a number of people from the Copenhagener jetset.

Pictures will follow later, including a picture of Marie's back complete with wings.

Caroline Fleming's dress was by Mark Tan, complete with dragonflies and butterflies on the dress.

[Tilia C.]

That looks like a great party! The decorations are beautiful. Is that Fred as well?

[ricarda]

No, Frederik was in Asia.

[Muhler]

Pics from the party and better views of our Marie's dress:
https://app.box.com/s/u93r1m7ea1d3nxptknrv2rct46gtfq8g
https://app.box.com/s/qii20ocwd4e9nrgm0p1ylhdunmwzupxt
https://app.box.com/s/so2uwucsq2oh6knoiaan1cwp8pfe2yt1
https://app.box.com/s/e2tzoe8zkbp3un6y6ts2jje1kzad3893
(No that picture if from a previous occasion).
https://app.box.com/s/a6g3y585dnpe3g9x2j5i6ua7q0mvzx4k
https://app.box.com/s/gws5o1yl5tu3zozpgrnsqfp1ey7mpqzm
https://app.box.com/s/ircc7bnjq7vhnz2744de5zkedztn3yf2
The small pic bottom right is from Friday.

[Muhler]

Now for something novel: Kongehuset i krig med ugeblad: Marie har IKKE fået lavet nye bryster i Litauen - Danmark | www.bt.dk

The DRF has denied a story brought recently by the gossip magazine Her & Nu.
A couple of weeks ago the magazine brought a story about Marie having had a breast-enlarging operation in Lithuania.

Among the things to be read were: "There is more of Marie. The 39 year old Princess has been under the the plastic surgeon's knife in order to get larger breasts".

And very unusual the court has gone out a publicly denied that story and also directed the magazine Her & Nu to print a correction in the magazine. That correction is brought in the magazine that hits the streets tomorrow.

At the same time the court has send this press release to the various magazines and papers in DK. That is also very unusual:
Her & Nu brought in issue #40 dated 30. Septemver 2015 a frontpage and an article inside the magazine on pages 4 and 5 with the headline: "Marie under the knife in Lithuania: New breasts". The informations in the headline were untrue.

This correction is to be read on page 3 in this weeks Her & Nu.

- Her & Nu is owned by Aller, who also owns Se & Hør. And the trial regarding the illegal methods used by that magazine should start later this year.

ADDED.

Ekstra Bladet has more details including what appears to be Her & Nu's correction: http://ekstrabladet.dk/flash/kongeli...ryster/5778843

Her & Nu originally wrote: There is more of Marie. The 39 year old Princess has been under the plastic surgeon's knife in order to have bigger breasts. The upgrade took place on a Saturday in June last year, where Princess Marie checked in at the clinic Luxury Surgery in the Lithianian city of Kaunas.
- The purpose was also to replace two old 400 ml implants made some years ago in France.

Now Her & Nu writes:
In the article we wrote that Princess Marie on a Saturday in June last year, visited a clinic in the city of Kaunas in Lithuania where the Princess was "under the plastic surgeon's knife in order to get bigger breasts". That information was untrue.
We also wrote in the article that the purpose of the implants was to replace old implants with new ones, that it was two implants and that the Princess left the clinic the same day as the procedure was made. That information is also untrue.

The court has told Her & Nu that Marie has never visited the clinic in question and that she has never been to Lithuania.

[polyesco]

thanks. It such an unusual step to have the court deny it isnt it?
I mean of all the untrue stories, it usually not the DRF tune to demand corrections?

I remember a few years ago the story of her being in France for this procedure with a picture of her supposedly leaving a clinic
but no correction was issued back then was there?

[Muhler]

It's very unusual!

So I guess Joachim and/or our Marie was pretty mad!

It's early off to bed tonight, so I'll wrap up with the comments from the DRF expert Lars Hovbakke Sørensen, who has been asked to comment on this issue by BT: Royal ekspert efter falsk bryst-historie: Helt uden fortilfælde - Royale | www.bt.dk

And very short:
Lars Hovbakke Sørensen cannot recall the court having done this before. I.e. directing a magazine to print a correction.

They usually don't do that, partly to avoid having to deny everything and partly to avoid engaging in such public debates about personal issues.

There was a case a few years ago when Se & Hør, wrote that Marie had been at a French clinic to undergo a cosmetic procedure. The court did not comment back then.

Now, Lars Hovbakke Sørensen believe the DRF has decided to take a stand, to draw a line in the sand, because this is getting too close and too intimate and to avoid the press attempting to get even closer.
So it's basically a "that's it"!

[Muhler]

The story about the breasts continue: Ugeblad: Vores kilder fastholder, at Marie fik lavet bryster i Litauen - Royale | www.bt.dk

The editor-in-chief of Her & Nu, Erling Tind, explains that the magazine was contacted the day after the story was brought in the magazine.
"We have talked with some sources who are employed at the clinic and who we have verified are actually employed and who in details have told us what went on at the clinic. So we have had no reasons to suspect faul play.
When we are contacted by the DRF we again make contact with our sources and they maintain the story. And we will at any time protect our sources, so we can't without revealing who they are, prove that our story is true. That's why it's a matter of principle that we'd rather retract the story than reveal our sources. People must know that when the tell us something, we won't pass on who they are".

- Yeah, yeah, you were swindled and you won't admit it, even though you are standing with your pants down the ankles.

[Princess Robijn]

On one side, of course the sources should be protected, on the other side, it's a very easy way out.

It could be that the DRF drew the line because it didn't involve plastic surgery on a nose or something similar. I can't blame them, what would be next.

[Archduchess Zelia]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Yeah, yeah, you were swindled and you won't admit it, even though you are standing with your pants down the ankles.

Not necessarily. It's Her & Nu's sources' words against the DRF's. The DRF gain nothing but the wrong kind of media attention by confirming a such story, so of course they would deny it. And I can understand why they wouldn't just let it pass, a story like this, whether true or false, is a serious intrusion of Marie's privacy and shouldn't be accepted.

At the same time, Her & Nu can very well have actual sources in Lithuania who claim that the story is true when it isn't, but that doesn't mean that by protecting their sources, they won't admit that they were wrong – protection of sources, whether their stories are true or untrue, is one of the most basic conditions for press freedom.

On a side note, I personally don't believe that the story is true. It's ridiculous tabloid gossip. Marie doesn't need an operation like that. I'm just saying, pulling the story while retaining the source protection isn't necessarily damage control because they know it's a false story. It's journalism 101.

[Rudolph]

'Unprecedented' reaction to royal boob job story - The Local

[Muhler]

Sorry?

Anyway, Lene Balleby the PR chief speaks out: Kongehusets pressechef: Brysthistorie er pure opspind - Jubii

She says: "It no news that we make contact ti media and editors-in-chief when the media breach the penal codes rules about privacy or when the media breach the rules about good press ethics.
We consider each case individually and in by far the most cases any misunderstandings are resolved by a chat
But in this case Her & Nu has gone way too far. The store is pure fabrication and all limits have been overstepped. If that story is allowed to stand an untrue story can very easily become a truth and this be repeated again and again".

But how has the story come by then?

Lene Balleby: "That's a good question. But I have an idea. But when you live a life in the public eye, sometimes untrue stories arise. It's the plight of the DRF to live with rumors, but in severe cases then it's our duty to step in".

Q: Are more such corrections to be expected from the DRF in the future?

Lene Balleby: "We will continue to react againt the media, who bring untrue (stories) or violate the privacy. The royal family live the public spotlight, that's part of their function, but they should also be allowed to have a private life.
To guard that is what I see as one of my tasks".

Follow up: Kongehuset truede Her og Nu med retssag over Maries bryster – Ekstra Bladet

Ekstra Bladet has asked the editor-in-chief at Her & Nu a couple of questions.

The editor Erling Tind Larsen (ETL) admits: "It was under the threat of a law-suit/trial that the mess started".

He continues: "We are now in a mysterious situation because someone is lying. Could one imagine that Princess Marie is lying? That's difficult for us to imagine. Why should she?
Can one imagine our sources are lying. We find it hard to imagine that as well".

According to the editor, Her & Nu verified the authenticity of the sources and the magazine has not paid for the information.

Q: If you trust your sources in the first place why don't you stick to the story and take it to the courts?

ETL: "Because we would lose that case. We would only be able to stand up in court and say we wouldn't reveal our sources and then we lose the case. With that in mind we retracted the story".

Q: You say you have verified your sources, but what have you done to present the information to Princess Marie, before you went public with the story?

ETL: "It isn't so much about her breasts as to where they are made. It's evident that she has had her breasts done...".

Q: In what way?

ETL: "Firstly you can tell by seeing it and secondly it has been written about in Se & Hør, who as far as I recall had pictures of her from the clinic down in France, where she had them made".

Q: But that's not the same as her having had a breast enlargement in Lithuania?

ETL: "No, no, but what we are talking about is whether she has had her breasts done or not. And then you can say, that we know she has. Has she then had them remade in Lithuania? That's the detail we are talking about here".
Q: That's the detail that is the core in your front-page story?
ETL: "That's right and that's why we are in this situation that some sources say she has, and she herself says she hasn't. And then of course we have to retract the story".

Q: You never quite answered what you did to present these information for Princess Marie, before going public with the story?

ETL: "Unfortunately there isn't much to do, because unfortunately you can't call the Princess and speak with her. And we have chosen not to go through the DRF PR-office, because we didn't think there was anything to present. It wasn't an accusation she had to defend or explian. It was just an ordinary factual information".

Q: But it turns out it wasn't just a factual information, since you opt to retract the story?

ETL: "At the time it was a factual information".

Q: But despite this being a pretty private information about the Princess' body which ends up on the front page without her being given the opportunity to comment on the story?

ETL: "We would very much have liked to pick up the phone and call Princess Marue, but it is fact that you can't just do that".
Q: Could you have gone through the head of the DRF's PR-office, Lene Balleby?

ETL: "Yes, that's true. But at the time it wasn't something we believed needed to be verified. We didn't consider this as a big deal".

The DRF has not yet confirmed whether they did threaten with a lawsuit.

[Muhler]

The serious papers are following up on the story, that includes Jyllands Posten: Seks skarpe til Her & Nu's chefredaktør efter berigtigelse - Indland

It's more or less the same questions and answers as with the interview with Ekstra Bladet above. - And again, the editor-in-chief more than hints that Marie should be lying. He's dancing on thin ice IMO!

There are two additional details:

The correction was written by the DRF lawyer.

The relationship between Her & Nu and the DRF's PR-office is pretty icy.

[polyesco]

wow thank you for all this Muhler

It is interesting that the DRF decided to take a stand on this and that the magazine is sticking to their story.
Joachim and/or Marie must have been pretty mad.

I hope it doesnt offer a breakdown between the press and the DRF.

[Muhler]

I dunno.

I don't think our Marie has been to Lithuania. It would be very stupid to deny it if she has.

So Her & Nu have either made up the whole story or been the victim of a hoax. Either way, I think it's very unwise of the editor to more or less say Marie is lying!

I also have a feeling that the DRF was waiting for Her & Nu to make a mistake like that and then they struck instantly the story hit the streets.
It could point towards Her & Nu have been given a warning by Lene Balleby at some point.

It could also be a general warning to Aller, who owns both Her & Nu and Se & Hør, that they have not been forgiven, on the contrary, and that they may still face a lawsuit once the Se & Hør case has been tried at court later this year.

And Marie's breasts is a fairly safe issue. Either she has been in Lithuania or she hasn't.
Considering how many gets a boob-job, it's not something that will make people jump up in the chairs and I imagine most women would consider their breasts a private issue.

It's no secret that Aller has allocated more resources to Her & Nu, perhaps as a result of the bad reputation Se & Hør still has - and negative stories sell...

I think it's safe to say that the DRF is pretty mad and I suspect they have decided to go all out on this one. If for no other reasons than to set an example.

-------------

Added: Breastgate has hit Royalista: http://royalista.com/118684/maries-b...s-royal-court/

Daily Mail has the story as well: Denmark's Princess Marie denies boob job after Her & Nu magazine claimed she had one | Daily Mail Online
Hardly surprising, anything remotely synonymous with the word: breasts is bound to end up in the British tabloids.

And for those who can see the late TV2 news at 22.00 tonight, they have Lene Balleby explaining why the court reacted.