Princes Nikolai, Felix, Henrik & Princess Athena, Part 1: February 2012 - July 2018

[LibrarianDaisy]

I watched it live on Billed Bladet's facebook feed and she was very reluctant to come out, bless her. At the end the camera panned round and you saw all the other photographers and news cameras that were there and I'm not surprised that it was very daunting for a 5 year old. Also, I don't think she's as experienced as her cousins in facing lots of cameras and being the centre of attention as they are, after all, the children of the Crown Prince. I thought her parents dealt with it very well, in a calm and humorous manner.

[Nordic]

Originally Posted by LibrarianDaisy

Also, I don't think she's as experienced as her cousins in facing lots of cameras and being the centre of attention as they are, after all, the children of the Crown Prince.

I don't know about that. The children of Joachim and Marie (and before that Alexandra) seem to accompany their parents on official events with cameras quite often.

[LibrarianDaisy]

I was probably just thinking of the tour of Greenland that the Crown Prince family did and then made a big assumption. Happy to be corrected but I do still think they get more exposure

[iceflower]

.

Here are some more additional pics of Athena's big day:



** svenskdam.se: Nervöst med första skoldagen **


** bt.dk: Se de søde billeder: Genert prinsesse Athena gemte sig før første skoledag **

[Moonmaiden23]

Originally Posted by carina_a

Awww, she does't seem very enthusiastic about going to school (can't say i blame her)

Cute little dress, though, matchy with mom

Poor baby. I love how her mother comforted her.

[polyesco]

video of Athena's first day
https://www.facebook.com/seoghoerdk/...5726087109581/

Im sure she will have fun!

another short article on Athena's first day of school
Væk var hun: Prinsesse gemmer sig for pressen – Ekstra Bladet

"And then Athena was asked what she had in her new nice little school bag.
"Not a thing, she answered"
(this was google translate so apologizes if the translation is not correct)

Originally Posted by iceflower

.

Here are some more additional pics of Athena's big day:



** svenskdam.se: Nervöst med första skoldagen **


** bt.dk: Se de søde billeder: Genert prinsesse Athena gemte sig før første skoledag **

this picture is just LOL
https://bt.bmcdn.dk/media/cache/reso...billede-11.jpg

their dog was ready to pose for the cameras
https://bt.bmcdn.dk/media/cache/reso...billede-13.jpg

[LibrarianDaisy]

I like the way they have presented it - she was eventually coaxed out, bless her. I'm sure she's had a great day and is now busy telling her parents all about it.

[Mbruno]

As a 5-year-old, is that school or still preschool in Denmark ? Also, I wonder why the school term starts so early in Denmark (second week of August).

[An Ard Ri]

Here's a video of Princess Athena's 1st day of school!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fWkXkBOOVuQ

[Muhler]

Sweet to see that royal children can be shy and overwhelmed too.
I read on another forum some people saying she should have been brought up to better face the press. But come on, she's five years old!

Joachim explained that Athena eagerly writes her name, even though the N tend to be turned the other way around.

Originally Posted by Mbruno

As a 5-year-old, is that school or still preschool in Denmark ? Also, I wonder why the school term starts so early in Denmark (second week of August).

Preschool. 0. grade is a transition between kindergarten and regular school. Where the children combine play and learning, and gradually let them become used to regular schooling and dos and don't of school.
It is also a chance to assess the children, in case they need to wait another year after all.

I don't know why school starts in August here in DK.
Perhaps due to the "potato-holiday" in October. The potato-holiday was introduced as a necessity. In a country where at the time the majority lived in the countryside, children were needed for the potato harvest and were kept home anyway. So it was simply decided to make a virtue out of necessity.

[betina]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Preschool. 0. grade is a transition between kindergarten and regular school. Where the children combine play and learning, and gradually let them become used to regular schooling and dos and don't of school.
It is also a chance to assess the children, in case they need to wait another year after all.

I don't know why school starts in August here in DK.
Perhaps due to the "potato-holiday" in October. The potato-holiday was introduced as a necessity. In a country where at the time the majority lived in the countryside, children were needed for the potato harvest and were kept home anyway. So it was simply decided to make a virtue out of necessity.

Looking at Athena, she looks like a girl who schould have waited a year before starting school. I have no idea why Joachims children are starting school at the age of 5???

Its actually not a transition anymore. Before it was, but now 0. grade has turned into a regular school aswell.

All children have 200 schooldays each year. Some years ago, the politicians actually moved the summer holliday further into august, as the weather was better in august than june

[HereditaryPrincess]

Thank you to those who shared the photos and videos of Athena's first day. I don't think Athena seemed as if she should have been kept back a year; and the fact that she is starting a year earlier would suggest that she is gifted for her age or that Joachim and Marie, who know their daughter best, felt that she was ready to start school this year rather than next. She did seem shy in the photoshoot but as other posters have already suggested, that could have been due to the fact that the press were there. As she has a more minor place in the succession, Athena is exposed to less of the press than her Crown Princely cousins. She's also still very young, and at that age having lots of clicking cameras and strangers asking you questions must be incredibly daunting - heck, I'd feel rather daunted in her position now and I'm obviously a lot older than Athena.

On a different note, I thought it was cute when she said "not a thing" when the press asked her what was in her schoolbag I hope Athena had a fun first day!

[Thena]

Awww, my little namesake is growing up so fast!

I do feel sorry for her having to face that horde of camera without her siblings and cousins. I wonder if this is the first time she's had all the press attention focused on her.

[polyesco]

I think Athena did well. She has been to many events with her parents and cameras. Just recently Joachim and the Copenhagen race derbies.

I don't think her facing the press should be a reflection on if she is ready or not for school. The two are not dependent on each other.
She might just had an off day with the press, but I'm sure she will enjoy school.

Now what are Marie and Joachim going to occupy themselves with without lively Athena at home during the day lol

[iceflower]

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Normally Joachim's family doesn't make it into the dailymail...maybe it's because of the silly season


** dailymail: A right royal tantrum: Princess Athena of Denmark proves she is just like any other five-year-old as she throws.. **

[acdc1]

I think that Athena looks very similar to her cousin Isabella- I've never noticed it before!

[polyesco]

Originally Posted by iceflower

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Normally Joachim's family doesn't make it into the dailymail...maybe it's because of the silly season


** dailymail: A right royal tantrum: Princess Athena of Denmark proves she is just like any other five-year-old as she throws.. **

Oh Dailymail, nice pictures but as always the headline and article are silly. And they can't even do basic research stating "Royal children now attend public schools in Denmark*"; Joachim's kids go to private schools.
But good on the Dailymail to refrain from mentioning Henrik's outbursts, at least for one article.

[CrownPrincessJava]

Originally Posted by iceflower

.

Normally Joachim's family doesn't make it into the dailymail...maybe it's because of the silly season


** dailymail: A right royal tantrum: Princess Athena of Denmark proves she is just like any other five-year-old as she throws.. **

Dear Lord. What a headline and article. Typical Daily Fail dribble

[Thena]

Originally Posted by polyesco

Oh Dailymail, nice pictures but as always the headline and article are silly. And they can't even do basic research stating "Royal children now attend public schools in Denmark*"; Joachim's kids go to private schools.
But good on the Dailymail to refrain from mentioning Henrik's outbursts, at least for one article.

Plus they mention 2 paragraphs later that Athena's older brother attends "the same Catholic school."

I also loved how they worked in the part about Joachim meeting Marie while he was still married, like that's relevant.

[betina]

Originally Posted by Thena

Plus they mention 2 paragraphs later that Athena's older brother attends "the same Catholic school."

I also loved how they worked in the part about Joachim meeting Marie while he was still married, like that's relevant.

But it is a catholic private school and prince Henrik is attending the same school.