General News about Joachim, Marie and Family Part 5: September 2019 - December 2020

[iceflower]

* *

Welcome to Part 5 of the thread for General News about Joachim, Marie and Family!

You can find the old thread here:

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

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[iceflower]

Danish Billed-Bladet reports that Prince Joachim has had his first day at the École Militaire (military school) in Paris this Monday, September 2.

French Chief of Staff of the Armies François Lecointre shared a photo of Joachim and the other 29 officers on their first day.


** BB: Joachim fik fin skolestart i Paris ** translation **

[eya]

Joachim and Marie spotted at a exhibition in Paris yesterday

https://twitter.com/HeavenQRF/status...814273/photo/1


Princess Marie on her family’s new life in Paris : “It’s very exciting!”


http://princessmariescloset.com/2019/10/08/pri

[Archduchess Zelia]

As one would expect, the Danish press is monitoring Joachim and Marie's engagement count closely since the court insisted that their patronages won't be affected by the move to France:

Ekstra Bladet: Jokkes parisiske paradis: Så lidt laver han

Prince Joachim has practically abandoned his Danish commitments after having moved to Paris to receive training at the French military academy École Militaire, Ekstra Bladet's count of the 50-year-old Prince's official engagements in the royal calendar shows.

Since Joachim, Marie and their two children, Henrik and Athena, 10 and 7 respectively, moved to the French capital in August, he has undertaken two official engagements.

Two working days is considerably less than earlier years where he in the years spanning from 2014 to 2018 had an average of nine official engagements in August, more than seven in September and nine in October.

In comparison, [Queen Margrethe II] had four, 17 and 11 official engagements in August, September and October of this year respectively.

The court could've spared themselves this if they'd just been open about how the move was gonna take a toll on their lives as working royals. People would've been able to understand that they can't just run back and forth between the two countries and it would've spared them a year of having their calendars scrutinised by the press bimonthly. Yet another amateurish way of dealing with pushback by the communications department.

[Isabelle de France]

I am shocked by the hatefull comments towards Joachim and his family in this newspaper... if this is representative of all the Danish people, I feel bad for them...

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by Isabelle de France

I am shocked by the hatefull comments towards Joachim and his family in this newspaper... if this is representative of all the Danish people, I feel bad for them...

It isn't. Those who comment on Ekstra Bladet are worse than those who comment on Daily Mail!
As such few, if any, normal people ever comment on Ekstra Bladet,

[Isabelle de France]

Originally Posted by Muhler

It isn't. Those who comment on Ekstra Bladet are worse than those who comment on Daily Mail!
As such few, if any, normal people ever comment on Ekstra Bladet,

Thank you Muhler, I don't know your country and I don't know any Danish newspaper... but as I wanted to know what Danish people really think about the royal family this is the only newspaper I found with a lot of comments... it's absolutely horrible...

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by Isabelle de France

Thank you Muhler, I don't know your country and I don't know any Danish newspaper... but as I wanted to know what Danish people really think about the royal family this is the only newspaper I found with a lot of comments... it's absolutely horrible...

Practically all other DK papers have disabled comments.
But if it's any consolation, those who comment on Ekstra Bladet give everybody and everything a hard time. If someone invented a cure against all forms of cancer they would complain about that!
They ought to be locked up IMO. But it's fine actually, because then those who are crazy have an outlet too and can blow off steam that way. The rest of us can simply ignore them and everybody are happy.

Right before J&M together with M&F went to the dinner in France last night, Joachim was asked about his apanage, now that he is residing in France - at school.
You can see his reaction in the video, so you be the judge.
https://www.bt.dk/royale/joachim-ove...an-lige-kommer

He was first asked how it was to attend the staff-school and he replied it was hard.

Then he was asked as to whether his apanage should remain as is. And to that he replied:
"You (formal you) know what/come on. I'm on a mission for Denmark here in France and this is not something you cycle/dance your way into. I have plenty to see to here.
And then I also feel obligated to say that I have ben strongly encouraged to this - also by the Queen."

A royal expert, Søren Jacobsen, who was asked to comment by the tabloid BT has this to add:
"I think, he is a bit arrogant about this. Because the matter is that Prince Joachim's mother ought to have taken up the matter with his apanage for the Prime Minister, and she didn't."

Søren Jacobsen believe that Joachim is not addressing the core of the question:
"I can well understand he dodges the question, but it's not so neat of him. It show Joachim a little from his arrogant side. It's not particular neat."

Søren Jacobsen does not believe it was mainly QMII's idea for Joachim to go to France:
"It's possibly a little spin, because it's after all his own idea that he will develop his life a career in this way. She is of course okaying it, but I don't believe it has been urged by her."

He adds that he of course doesn't know what the Queen has said to her son, but he finds it unlikely that QMII has spurred her son to a particular extent.
"The move to Copenhagen was after all a failure and when you are close to 50, then surely it is time to finish your education."

Søren Jacobsen also find the phrase "on a mission for Denmark" odd:
"He is after all not on a mission for Denmark - he is on a mission for himself. Joachim has no place in the royal agenda and that day-to-day life that is coming up. It's not Prince Joachim, who is carrying the royal torch on, that's the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess."

(Okay, that was a tricky thing to translate! And I had to rephrase here and there for it to make sense in English.)

- Right, We have discussed this topic at length here and I still stand by my opinion: It is petty to talk openly about stripping Joachim of his apanage, just because he is gone for a year. - Beyond a year and if he is becoming an inactive member of the DRF, that's another matter. But so far I don't believe Joachim deserves this petty treatment.
I see little reason to continue that debate, it will only end up in a trench warfare. Especially as I believe I have little more to add.

Now to Søren Jacobsen. Okay, he has his opinion on this matter and it's in contrast to mine, fair enough.
However, when it comes to military matters, Søren Jacobsen, has no idea what he is talking about!
You don't go to university and graduate as a general. A military career is a continuously ongoing process with practical experience, field experience as well as courses. To suggest it's time Joachim should finish his education, is utter nonsense! There is no such thing as finishing your education in the military.

I do agree with Archduchess Zelia in her post above. It is obvious that Joachim has no time to look after his royal duties while attending this school. He hardly has time to see his own family for that matter!
That could have been made clear by the DRF. - His course could have been presented as Joachim taking a years furlough to study, just as many normal people who have a private career take time off to study, before returning, often to the same company they came from.

It is obvious to me that Joachim in the clip is irritated and indignant and perhaps stressed too.

[polyesco]

Originally Posted by Muhler

I do agree with Archduchess Zelia in her post above. It is obvious that Joachim has no time to look after his royal duties while attending this school. He hardly has time to see his own family for that matter!
That could have been made clear by the DRF. - His course could have been presented as Joachim taking a years furlough to study, just as many normal people who have a private career take time off to study, before returning, often to the same company they came from.

It is obvious to me that Joachim in the clip is irritated and indignant and perhaps stressed too.

Agree.
He does look irritated and annoyed... funny seeing Marie's reaction, ready to pull him out

[Duke of Marmalade]

Marie does the typical smile the questions away and tries to pull him out. Not Joachim's finest hour. He easily comes across as arrogant and nobody will be buying what he's selling.

[Elektra]

If I had been serving my country for years and was still doing it while abroad and if suddenly someone was asking me if my salary is still justified, I certainly would react with a bit of irritation

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Duke of Marmalade

Marie does the typical smile the questions away and tries to pull him out. Not Joachim's finest hour. He easily comes across as arrogant and nobody will be buying what he's selling.

Yes, he comes across as haughty is and trying to make his point while Marie is already trying to pull him away to avoid him doing more damage to himself.

Had he responded with an "I understand your question. As you may know this has been agreed upon by X (the queen? as it doesn't seem the government had any say in it - he probably would say 'Denmark and France' - as he referenced in his answer). I intend to put my education to good use for Denmark in the future and we support the queen to the best of our ability while taking this course." he would have come across as much more considered and less entitled. - But that's probably easier to come up with behind a computer screen than in front of a microphone.

[Heavs]

Originally Posted by Elektra

If I had been serving my country for years and was still doing it while abroad and if suddenly someone was asking me if my salary is still justified, I certainly would react with a bit of irritation

Maybe, although they knew this question would come up a lot, especially with the Court insisting that nothing would change, they'd just live in a different country Salaries do get adjusted/put on hold sometimes when people take a leave of absence or sabbatical from a company or government role.

This isn't the first or second time Joachim has come across badly where a little less entitlement and arrogance and more humility would serve him better. Marie obviously knew he wasn't doing himself any favours whatsoever.

It's easy to come up with a better answer sitting behind keyboard it's true, but again, his staff knew this was going to come up, he could have had a more diplomatic answer or non answer prepared.

[HereditaryPrincess]

Originally Posted by Elektra

If I had been serving my country for years and was still doing it while abroad and if suddenly someone was asking me if my salary is still justified, I certainly would react with a bit of irritation

Me too. We forget that royals are humans just like us regular folks sometimes. I'm sure they've had moments themselves where they've forgotten they're in the public eye and have just reacted to something in a purely human way!

[tommy100]

I think the almost indignant response will rile people up as it suggests he is rather arrogant and almost above being questioned about it. I can see why he probably feels it is unfair, he is after all still a senior royal who can't exactly go out working his own business to pay his way through France and no doubt he has been working hard on his course and studies, and he was the Danish representative at Chirac's funeral. But likewise he should see that if he isn't dong public duties for a year people may question why he is still getting paid as such.

Simply reiterating they are returning to Denmark would perhaps have been enough of a statement for now.

[Muhler]

Marie has come out in defense of her husband, and she's pretty mad!
https://www.bt.dk/royale/prinsesse-m...g-i-skal-vaere
https://www.bt.dk/royale/ekspert-for...er-fra-hjertet

In an interview to the gossip magazine Se & Hør, she talks about the criticism Joachim has gotten, when leaving for France, taking his apanage with him.

Q: Is the criticism too much?
Marie: "The criticism is totally unreasonable. Utterly unreasonable in relation to what he is doing. I simply cannot understand it."
Kritikken er fuldstændig urimelig. Helt urimelig i forhold til det, han gør. Jeg kan simpelthen ikke forstå det

Q: Are You proud of him?
M: "Of course. And you (plural) should be proud of him."
Selvfølgelig. Og I skal være stolte af ham.

Q: Does it affect him?
M: "No, not anymore. because he works hard. But he does of coruse think it totally unreasonable. But he knows how the mood can be, but he's fine. He is not arrogant and he tells the truth. Always."
Nej, ikke længere. For han arbejder hårdt. Men han synes selvfølgelig, at det er fuldstændig urimeligt. Men han ved, hvordan stemningen kan være, men han har det fint. Han er ikke arrogant, og han siger sandheden. Altid,

- Well, you know my view on this matter, so needless to say I agree wholeheartedly with our Marie.

[polyesco]

I can understand her frustration and wanting to defend her husband, but telling the Danes that they should be proud of him? nah. They also have a right to question and yes criticize.

Maybe the criticism would be a little bit less if Marie did an event or two in Denmark. Missing the opening of Parliament was not justifiable imo.

And if they do decide to stay longer, then the apanage should be changed (not taken away completely but changed).

[Isabelle de France]

Marie must regret her simple and anonymous single life... since her arrival in Denmark she only received criticism... I pity them both a lot...

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by polyesco

I can understand her frustration and wanting to defend her husband, but telling the Danes that they should be proud of him? nah. They also have a right to question and yes criticize.

Maybe the criticism would be a little bit less if Marie did an event or two in Denmark. Missing the opening of Parliament was not justifiable imo.

And if they do decide to stay longer, then the apanage should be changed (not taken away completely but changed).

Totally agree and I'd like to add, speech is silver but silence is golden.
I think it's pretty arrogant of Marie to come forward and preach to the Danes what to think while enjoying a full apanage without doing any work.

[HereditaryPrincess]

Originally Posted by polyesco

I can understand her frustration and wanting to defend her husband, but telling the Danes that they should be proud of him? nah. They also have a right to question and yes criticize.

Maybe the criticism would be a little bit less if Marie did an event or two in Denmark. Missing the opening of Parliament was not justifiable imo.

And if they do decide to stay longer, then the apanage should be changed (not taken away completely but changed).

I agree. Whilst I can also understand why the couple are annoyed at the press and public's response, it does seem rather out of character for Marie to be so straightforward to the press. If she wanted to express her disappointment at them, she could always leave subtle hints when answering their questions in a less direct manner. I can totally understand where they're coming from, as I said, but like you pointed out, the Danish public have a right to form their own opinions on Joachim. Not everyone is going to like him or indeed Marie herself, and as public figures they should realise that.
FYI I like Marie a lot, but her style of confronting this matter wasn't my cup of tea.