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/x/status/1170747563877814273

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]

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]

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]

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-overrasket-over-arpenge-sporgsmal-det-er-ikke-noget-man-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]

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]

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]

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]

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-...itikken-er-fuldstaendig-urimelig-i-skal-vaere
https://www.bt.dk/royale/ekspert-forsvarer-prinsesse-marie-det-kommer-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]

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]

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.

 

[O-H Anglophile]

As it is an honor to even be asked to attend this military training school in France and the press release from the Royal House indicates this training will assist Joachim in learning

"international relations in the areas of trade, politics, culture and military disciplines are debated and discussed, just as crisis management and experience exchange are among the topics."

How can that not help Denmark? I really don't get the criticism. This isn't a vacation.

http://kongehuset.dk/en/news/prince-joachim-admitted-to-military-training-in-france

 

[Somebody]

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.

Both of them seem rather tone-deaf. They seem to really think that they 'deserve' all of their privileges and do not deserve any criticism. Understanding where the criticism is coming from would go a long way...

I am personally totally fine with them receiving the apanage at least for this one year but the way they go about it seems to be the main problem.

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

As it is an honor to even be asked to attend this military training school in France and the press release from the Royal House indicates this training will assist Joachim in learning

"international relations in the areas of trade, politics, culture and military disciplines are debated and discussed, just as crisis management and experience exchange are among the topics."

How can that not help Denmark? I really don't get the criticism. This isn't a vacation.

The criticism isn't aimed at the course or the fact that Joachim's taking it.

As I see it, the criticism can be divided into two separate points: Their inability to perform their engagements while in France and the apanage. Essentially, both are rooted in rookie mistakes from the court and their seemingly non-existent communications department.

On the subject of their workload, this would not have been an issue (or, the press would not have been able to make it an issue) if the court hadn't specifically noted that their patronages would not be affected by the move to France. Possibly the biggest own goal scored in newer history. It's simply a no-brainer that they won't be able to uphold their engagements living in a different country. But since that's what the court specified (and haven't backed down on), the Danish press is absolutely gonna keep a count of how many engagements they perform while in France. I don't think that's unreasonable and Marie (and Joachim) have only the communications department to thank for that. As I think I've mentioned before, no reasonable Dane would've batted an eye if the court had just been open about the fact that they won't be able to travel back and forth several times a week.

The first point is tied in closely with the second because it gives the press a reason to bring up one of their all-time favourite subjects: Are the royals really worth the money we throw after them? When the press can present a considerable decrease in J&M's number of engagements since the move to France, it legitimises criticism of the apanage. Is that reasonable? For time being, no. They still officially have plans of returning to Denmark and Joachim's taking the course in extension of his job with the Danish military, so it's justifiable for them to receive apanage for the duration of their stay. But again – no one's to blame but the communications department. If they'd just been open about the toll it was gonna take on their duties from the beginning, it would also be difficult for the press to make the argument about the apanage. Additionally, the court has allowed the subject of Joachim's apanage to be an even bigger issue by not asking for permission to take it abroad. Refusing to follow procedure is not exactly doing wonders for the general vibe around Joachim – or doing anything to remove the undertones of arrogance.

My take on Marie's comments is that if she feels the need to be this defensive after two (2) months, then she won't know what's gonna hit her. The press isn't gonna back down on this and the less engagements they total, the harder the press is gonna go on them. Also I think it's never done any royal good to meet criticism (that generally speaking really isn't that unreasonable) with such a harsh defence. I agree that that makes her come off uncharacteristically tone-deaf – especially seeing as, communications failures aside, the way her engagement count is affected is probably the most criticisable thing about the whole move.

 

[Isabelle de France]

Marie was badly criticized as soon as she met Joachim... she was harassed by journalists, treated as an idiot when she tried to be friendly... before wedding, when she was independent and she liked her job, she was accused of being a "gold digger"... she was compared to Alexandra et Mary, always in a negative way... I understand that she does not support it anymore... she must love her husband a lot to support this... many others would have fled Denmark to never come back...

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

Marie was badly criticized as soon as she met Joachim... she was harassed by journalists, treated as an idiot when she tried to be friendly... before wedding, when she was independent and she liked her job, she was accused of being a "gold digger"... she was compared to Alexandra et Mary, always in a negative way... I understand that she does not support it anymore... she must love her husband a lot to support this... many others would have fled Denmark to never come back...

I'd say this is a heavily modified version of reality.

First, someone as popular with the general public as Alexandra will always be a tough act to follow. Is that fair? Absolutely not, I wholeheartedly agree. They're two different people and they should be treated as such. But I also think it would've been difficult to avoid. A lot of people had to come to terms with the idea of Alexandra getting "replaced" which is silly, sure, but unless Joachim had waited 15 years to remarry, it was also bound to happen to any successor. As for the comparisons to Mary, Marie would never be able to dodge those. It's just a given – like how Frederik and Joachim routinely are compared in the Danish press. That women generally are pitted against each other much by the press more frequently and in a much harsher fashion is a whole other problem that extends way beyond royalty.

About the relationship with the press, I think it's a bit harsh to say she was harassed (especially in the light of the absolute smear campaign that's currently being run on Meghan over in the UK). Was the press interested in her every move? Of course. Just like they were interested in Mary's every move. Both had acquaintances who routinely opened their mouths to the Danish tabloids. And that's tough but it's sadly also what comes with the territory when you marry into royalty these days. The difference between Mary and Marie is that Marie made the mistake of becoming chummy with the press. You can't hold that against her as she was completely unexperienced in terms of living in the public eye back then, but I do think it was such a rookie mistake of Joachim and the court that they didn't warn her that that was a bad idea to invite the press inside. It just left her more vulnerable to criticism – especially with people already feeling a grudge against her as a "the other woman" figure rolleyes.

But I definitely think both the public opinion on and the press behaviour regarding Marie has changed a great deal since then. And that's courtesy of no one but Marie herself. In that sense, her openness has really worked in her favour post-marriage because it's given the Danes an insight into who she is as a person. I still remember when she stood in the Kongehuset indefra documentary and explained how important it was for her to learn Danish so she could talk to every Dane she met. That was so powerful and so moving. And she's so easy-going and unassuming in everything she does. That has really done wonders for her. Also, I think it should be noted that Marie is usually left out of the press' criticism of Joachim (as she should be – she shouldn't be held accountable for her husband's (more often than not) poor decisions).

That said, I think the victim narrative is sort of on par with defending Henrik's unreasonable behaviour towards QMII because "look at everything he gave up for her!" Like, unless the media scrutiny is as extreme as with Meghan in the UK currently (which it isn't at all in J&M's case), I think it's only fair to assume that the men and women marrying into the various royal families have been prepped for the potentiality of media storms. It comes with the territory that their actions are scrutinised and that people expect to "get their money's worth" of them, and if they're not prepared for that, they shouldn't have married into a royal family. These are hugely privileged people who are being held accountable for their actions (or, in Joachim's case now, something that has been communicated really poorly by his own comms department). If they can't handle that, nothing's stopping them from, as you suggest, getting out of the country and/or stepping down as working members of the DRF. Only then they'd have to accept that they can't stay funded by the Danish tax-payers. You can't eat your cake and have it too, and that's sort of what Marie's interview with Se & Hør makes me think is what she and Joachim really want. All the privileges and no pushback.

 

[Muhler]

While I agree with most of what you are saying, Archduchess Zelia, I nevertheless think you are a bit harsh on J&M.
I certainly agree with you that Marie has been treated very mildly and pretty fairly by the Danish press. As well as the public. She has a personality and approach that is easy to like, which is a great help.
A part of that is that she wear her heart on her sleeve. Our Marie absolutely sucks at being a hypocrite.
If she is enthusiastic, we see it.
If she is bored to the point of almost falling asleep, we see it.
If she is shocked, we see it.
Marie is such a rare thing; she is sincere.
So when she comes out and defends her husband and when she is angry on his behalf and feel he has been treated unfairly - that's Marie unfiltered. She is being honest. And explaining things as she see it.

You can agree with her point of view or not, it's no secret that I very much sympathize with her view.

Also, outside Se & Hør and the tabloids her frank outburst has hardly been mentioned at all elsewhere. And is sure isn't something people talk about on the street.

Anyway, let us hear some interesting words from Joachim himself, while M&F visited Paris.

Excerpt from article in Billed Bladet #42, 2019.
By Ulrik Ulriksen.

Who also asked Joachim a few questions at the now infamous reception.
Frederik was asked how it was to be reunited with Joachim:
"It's great to see my brother."

Joachim said: "It's great."

But how is he and Marie in the children in France, where they in many ways have a new life and new day to day existence?
J: "The ceiling is high in Paris." (Idiom, meaning there is more tolerance or more room to move.)

- Joachim is usually a stickler for being very precise in his expressions. And it is, to me at least, a little odd response. Which I interpret as the family feeling very well in France. Perhaps even feeling at home.

 

[ladongas]

Oh, Muhler, I wish we had a Muhler-like clone to help us with every royal family! Your wisdom is much appreciated.

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

While I agree with most of what you are saying, Archduchess Zelia, I nevertheless think you are a bit harsh on J&M.
I certainly agree with you that Marie has been treated very mildly and pretty fairly by the Danish press. As well as the public. She has a personality and approach that is easy to like, which is a great help.
A part of that is that she wear her heart on her sleeve. Our Marie absolutely sucks at being a hypocrite.
If she is enthusiastic, we see it.
If she is bored to the point of almost falling asleep, we see it.
If she is shocked, we see it.
Marie is such a rare thing; she is sincere.
So when she comes out and defends her husband and when she is angry on his behalf and feel he has been treated unfairly - that's Marie unfiltered. She is being honest. And explaining things as she see it.

You can agree with her point of view or not, it's no secret that I very much sympathize with her view.

Also, outside Se & Hør and the tabloids her frank outburst has hardly been mentioned at all elsewhere. And is sure isn't something people talk about on the street.

How am I being too harsh on them?

I don't disagree that Marie is wearing her heart on her sleeve (which is brilliant the vast majority of the time) and I also don't doubt she thinks Joachim is being treated unfairly. But the latter, to me, also just demonstrates their recurring unwillingness to actually listen to the criticism Joachim's receiving and a completely misplaced frustration. Is it unreasonable for the press to hold J&M accountable for a statement their own communications department put out? Hardly. Is the press to blame for the communications department's inability to communicate a realistic expectation of their workload for the duration of the stay in France? Absolutely not.

And that brings us back to Joachim's perpetual Achilles' heel: Deflecting all criticism with self-pitying. I think he's lulled himself into a very unhealthy sense of everyone being out to get him and as such, he feels above listening to people's criticism. (This isn't even criticism, it's confronting them with something the court has said – ikke en kritik, men en konstatering, som Poul Nesgaard vist engang sagde). And that seems to have rubbed off on Marie.

If she felt it was an absolute necessity to comment (I still think she would've been better off just ignoring it), her message would've been so much more effective if she'd pointed out that Joachim's job with the military justifies him taking a demanding course that leaves little room for commuting back and forth between Denmark and France. It would also not be ineffective if she herself checked in for the odd engagement once in a while. I think that could lift a lot of the press scrutiny on them and the subject of their apanage. The way she went about this interview made it seem like they want to enjoy the privileges of royalty without having their actions questioned. And that does nothing to shake the perception of arrogance that she herself contests in the interview.

As for the bolded part, very little of what's discussed in this forum is something people on the street talk about

 

[Muhler]

Weeell, perhaps you should drop by Mariager one day.

Oh dear, we are not resuming our old duel again, I trust?

For starters in your response you just called Marie, arrogant. Our Marie may be accused of many things, but hardly arrogance. Not consciously.
And you also stated Joachim's self-pity. He never complained once when he took the full force of the public disappointment after the separation from Alexandra. He may have felt sorry for himself ( I sure would!) but he didn't say so.

But what I object against is the IMO un-nuanced view you have of in particular J&M, and which you expressed in your previous post.
I regocnice that even royals have feelings, where they feel personally hurt or unfairly treated. Whether that is justified or not is not the point. The point is that royals (also Joachim) are human beings.
Come on! They have been in France for two months! They have hardly unpacked and hung all the pictures up on the walls yet.
Joachim have been extremely busy with a six day a week course, and even though his French is no doubt brilliant it's nevertheless and advanced course in a foreign language. Let him get started.
And Marie, she has been left pretty much on her own, finding her footing with two children, a new home and new surroundings. It's after all quite a few years since she last lived in France.
Give her a chance to find her footing before demanding she should return to DK to do a job or two.

Having said that, I do agree with you that in glaring light of hindsight, it would have been better had the DRF said from the beginning that it would not be possible for J&M to carry out their duties in DK for the next year.

And finally: Allow me to remind you that J&M did represent Denmark at the recent memorial service for the former French President. And J&M did also represent DK at the reception at the recent visit by M&F to Paris.
How much more do you want?
Give them a break.

 

[Archduchess Zelia]

Consciously or unconsciously, I think suggesting the press is unreasonable for confronting them with a statement their own court has put out (and so far as I know, hasn't backtracked on) is arrogant regardless of who it's coming from. It's misdirected anger and as I've said before, it gives off the impression that they want all the privileges but can't pass a close review of their work.

You're asking people to feel sympathy for Joachim regardless of whether it's justified? I can see why you're so fond of Marie's interview then. But sure, I'm the one with the unnuanced views

"They did tally two (2) engagements over the course of three (3) months! Give them a break!" ? It's not about what I (or anyone else) want. This is Marie complaining to a nation-wide tabloid that the press is being unreasonable for bringing her and Joachim's apanage into question. Something the press has been given a solid outlet to do only because the court foolishly assured them that J&M's work wouldn't be affected by the move. (Something that, might I just add, hasn't just become obvious in hindsight – it always was).

Personally, I couldn't care less how much they do while in France because I didn't expect them to do much to begin with. (It's absurd to think they could rush back and forth between Denmark and France some once a week). My problem is that Marie's complaint is completely irrational and unfounded for reasons I've listed several times above. And so, I guess it's not so much what "I want" as it is that I don't particularly fancy someone in Marie's position of power telling the press off for asking legitimate questions.