Princess Alexandra, Current Events 3: April 2006 - March 2007

[Jasl]

Remember there was some media < removed - GT> about Mary not doing enough, and Alex was the most hardworking member of the RF (this was after the divorce)?
It´s naive to think that Mary or Alex, or even Fred or the Queen, have 100% say in what they do or not do. All RFs are run by a machinery behind, deciding the PR angles etc. So everything the RF members is choreographed and decided by others. Remember permission from parliament was also needed, at least officially, before Fred and Joachim could marry their ladies?
I doubt if anything can be decided by Alex or Mary themselves.

That any of the royals have a 100% say in what they do (i.e. what they want always happens) is indeed naive. But that they can't decide "anything" for themselves is also very unlikely.

I think for the most part, they have quite a lot of say in what they want to do. E.g. some people were pushing for Mary to make heaps of appearances and take on a lot of charities after her wedding... Mary said in the Vogue interview (I think) that she felt the pressure, but did things her own way because she felt she needed to take on charities that she could contribute to/ connect with. In time, we did see her appearing for the charities she wanted herself to be connected with.

Of course they also have 'advisers' - that can't be denied. But I don't think the advisers for the DRF has such a hold over the DRF as for example, the Japanese royal house (whch has put so much pressure on its CP couple, especially Masako).

I think (and others have their own opinion) that making less public appearances is Alexandra's choice, but that there is also the possibility that she's doing more behind the scenes work.

 

[Heike]

The situation is hard for Princess Alexandra.
If she works a lot, people say that she intends to pull attractions to her or to compete with Mary.
If she works less, people say that she is too lazy and it doesn´t worth paying her so much money per year.
It´s not possible to make everybody satisfied.

 

[alola]

I agree with you Heike, it's very hard for her

 

[Heike]

I agree that Alexandra is not a lazy person. She has characters of a typical career woman. There´s no doubt that she loves her duties and wants to try her best to do them.
BTW, she often wears suits repeatedly or makes new combinations of old clothes/hats/accessoires. Many career women do so due to limited budget for clothing.
This is somehow a sign for me that Alexandra considers her job really as a "job", just like anybody else has, but not occasions for her to show new clothes and be photographed every time with different suits or gowns. (Like being a model or an actress...) If she wants, she has enough money...both before and after the divorce.
(The dress she wore in the New Year´s gala has been worn for several times!)
Although it´s quite boring to see her in the same suits or gowns, I like her doing so because it makes her just like you and I!

 

[ricarda]

BTW, she often wears suits repeatedly or makes new combinations of old clothes/hats/accessoires. Many career women do so due to limited budget for clothing.
This is somehow a sign for me that Alexandra considers her job really as a "job", just like anybody else has, but not occasions for her to show new clothes and be photographed every time with different suits or gowns. (Like being a model or an actress...) If she wants, she has enough money...both before and after the divorce.
(The dress she wore in the New Year´s gala has been worn for several times!)
Although it´s quite boring to see her in the same suits or gowns, I like her doing so because it makes her just like you and I!

Obviously you didn't follow Alexandra in the years 1995-2004.
This "wearing the same suit over and over again" is something rather new.
Perhaps to give the impression she has a limited budget?
Which she definitely has not.

 

[Heike]

Obviously you didn't follow Alexandra in the years 1995-2004.
This "wearing the same suit over and over again" is something rather new.
Perhaps to give the impression she has a limited budget?
Which she definitely has not.

Although I became her fan after their separation announcement, I have found a lot of pictures of hers during 1995-2004. (Otherwise I wouldn't call myself her fan.)
Actually she wore some hats, jewelries and shoes repeatedly already during the years when she was still a "Her Royal Highness". She also wore many of her maternal clothes repeatedly. (So this habit seems to exist already before the divorce.)
If she intends to give a certain impression after divorce through this way, I don't think the reason would be "showing that she has a limited budget."
Everyone knows how much she gets per year.
If she does it intentionally, for such an intelligent woman like her, I think it would rather be giving the public a message that she doesn't spend lots of money and she doesn't live a luxrious life although she gets quite a large amount of money per year.
It is also correct that the royals give their people this kind of message.
Making this impression by intention is at any rate much better than not thinking about it at all and then receiving lots of critisms from the public.

 

[royaltywatcher]

If she does it intentionally, for such an intelligent woman like her, I think it would rather be giving the public a message that she doesn't spend lots of money and she doesn't live a luxrious life although she gets quite a large amount of money per year.
It is also correct that the royals give their people this kind of message.
Making this impression by intention is at any rate much better than not thinking about it at all and then receiving lots of critisms from the public.

I too have wondered why Princess Alexandra wears the same things over and over again. The practice seems extreme, in fact there is one hat (the one with the leather coil) that she must have worn 20 times. I noticed, too, that she recycles gala dresses, wearing the same one to the January 1st event 2 times in a row last year and the year before (I think, I may be wrong about that).

It doesn't make sense to me, and I wonder why she does it. She would look good in just about anything, so she doesn't need very expensive clothing. And she doesn't do that may events anymore.

I like your theory, Heike. It's really the first one that's made any sense.

 

[princess olga]

I too have wondered why Princess Alexandra wears the same things over and over again. The practice seems extreme, in fact there is one hat (the one with the leather coil) that she must have worn 20 times. I noticed, too, that she recycles gala dresses, wearing the same one to the January 1st event 2 times in a row last year and the year before (I think, I may be wrong about that).

It doesn't make sense to me, and I wonder why she does it. She would look good in just about anything, so she doesn't need very expensive clothing. And she doesn't do that may events anymore.

I like your theory, Heike. It's really the first one that's made any sense.

Same here. Alexandra seems to be saying: 'I may have a representative role, a clothes horse I ain't.'
Good for her!

 

[ricarda]

If she does it intentionally, for such an intelligent woman like her, I think it would rather be giving the public a message that she doesn't spend lots of money and she doesn't live a luxrious life although she gets quite a large amount of money per year.
It is also correct that the royals give their people this kind of message.

That's what I actually meant with my remark "showing that she has a limited budget".
Alexandra wants to give the impression that she doesn't spend a lot of money and doesn't live a luxury life.
But trying to give that impression while you actually spend a lot of money and live a luxury life
is not correct in my opinion, it's manipulation of the public perception and hypocracy.
(see Se&Hor article "Alexandra: Mad Consumption",
http://www.sh-online.dk/default.aspx?Action=ViewArticle&ItemID=552&GroupID=51,
according to that article she and her boyfriend must have spent app. 2.250.000 kroner in 2005)

Alexandra seems to be saying: 'I may have a representative role, a clothes horse I ain't.'

Perhaps I could believe that if she had tried to give this impression right from the beginning
and not just towards and after the end of her marriage.

 

[Heike]

I am actually sceptical to gossip or freetime magazines, no matter where they are published.

I want to say that many royals have been critisized for spending too much money. For example, CP Mary was one of them. If they try to "act" a little bit in public, I don´t consider this as a "manipulation." At least I don´t know any media reporting about Alexandras clothes/accessoire recycling, neither in a positive nor in a negative way, simply nothing. She earns no good reputation through this way. I actually think it is good if Alex does her recycling action by intention. She receives less criticism and the DRF has fewer problems. It is good for the monarchy image.

Each of us acts more or less. There are occasions when we have to put on our mask and say or do something which doesn´t belong to our real/usual thoughts, preferances or behaviour.

But who cares? That´s your job, that´s your life. You can´t deny that Alex performes her job as a princess very well.

Although I come up with such a theory, it remains only a theory. I personally rather believe that Alexandra is a person who likes fashion, but not crazy about it, and it is very natural for her to wear suits or hats or shoes whatever repeatedly. (Otherwise she doesn´t have to spend time coming up with some new combinations of old things. She can make it much easier for us to see that she has the old things on.)

 

[ricarda]

I am sceptical towards magazines too.
Therefore I spared you most of Se&Hor's interpretation.
But still, it seems a fact that Alexandra got 450.000 kroner refundation
which means that she must have spend app. 2.250.000 in 2005.

Of course Mary has been critizised for spending too much money
(and I actually believe she does)
but unlike Alexandra she does not try to give the impression she has a low budget
by wearing the same dress over and over and over again.
(Actually Alexandra makes it very easy for us by wearing the same combinations over and over again.)

As I said already, if Alexandra would have recycled from the beginning I wouldn't care about it
but this way it seems hypocracy to me.
There is a difference between acting in public and manipulating the public IMO.

And - as you can see from princess-olga's post - Alexandra does earn a good reputation through it.
Of course Alexandra who hardly did any recycling in her first - let's say - 4/5 years as a princess
and was constantly wearing the most eye-catching suits and hats and Barbie-Princess evening gowns
isn't a clothes horse at all.

Alexandra does her work well when she works, I don't deny that.
But her 30 engagements last year were a real joke
and I hope she will do more this year.

 

[Heike]

I hope that Alexandra works more in 2007, too.
So that I can see her more often.

 

[blyton]

Yes,I would like to see more of her in 2007.It would be nice if she got some new suits and a couple of new hats!

 

[Zonk]

Well of course Alexandra and than Mary spent a lot of money in clothes the first years of their marriage. I can't think of any of the princesses (as they were commoners) had the the wardrobe in their previous lives that would effortlessly fit in their new lives. So the first couple of years are about building the wardrobe for a princess. Tons of suits, evening wear, etc. And then you have children and sometimes...your body doesn't bounce back and you might have to go up a size or two. I expect before long...we too will see Mary doing a lot of retreads.

Back to topic...I also hope to see more of Alexandra in 2007! She is one of my faves...I understand her role has changed somewhat (because of her divorce) but its always nice to see her out and about.

 

[ricarda]

Actually Mary has done quite a lot of recycling from the beginning.
We don't have to wait for her divorce.

 

[Larzen]

Actually I disagree, and Im not one of Alexandras troopers. Back in 1995 Alexandra was the only "Stylish Princess" in scandinavia (Victoria and Madeleine was so young, and Märtha still a frump who loved it best in the stables) so she was followed pretty closely in norwegian magazines and I remember how even if there was no such thing as the internett I could recognise the same outfits several time or the magazine would point it out. Maybe not her most eyecatching gala gowns, which was indeed very Fairy-Barbie-Rapunsel-in-a-tower-style, but her day clothes, deffenetly reappeared very often. Also around the time Felix was born when one would assume they were not exactly planning the divorce she recycled pretty hefty.

 

[ricarda]

No, in the first years even her day clothes definitely did not reappear very often, some of them reappeared in later years though.
Just have a look at polfoto, switch through the years 1995-1999 (which I was referring to)
and you will see that she had a different outfit for each of her engagements.
And Felix was born in 2002.
She did more recycling at that time (though I wouldn't call it pretty hefty)
but this habit to wear the same dress and even combination several times in a year is quite new.
Also her choice of colour has quite changed.

 

[Larzen]

Fine we will disagree about this issue We obiously cannot make each other dchange our minds.
When I search for Prinsesse Alexandra between 1.1.1996 and 1.1.2000 i get only 800 pictures, and all of them are not even of her, also the monaco girl and Alexandra SWB. Polfoto hardly shows all the events ALexandra attended theese years.

Ofcourse her choice of colours has changed, she has gotten ten years older, those garsih colours which she could get away with early in the 90s would hardly suit a 40 year old mother of 2 in 2007.

 

[Heike]

Actually Mary has done quite a lot of recycling from the beginning.
We don't have to wait for her divorce.

Really?!
I thought Mary was criticised by many media in the beginning because she spends too much money on her wardrobe.
Some of them were very hard like: "Yesterday she was still Miss Donaldson who has to wash her own laundry."
Then one day a magazine reported that Mary starts to wear repeated suits or dress in some events in order to save her image.
There wouldn´t be those reports if Mary recycles her clothes in the very beginning.

There are also rumours saying that Queen Margerethe is quite unsatisfied with Mary.
Of course we are all outsiders and will never get the truth. But at least there were no rumours saying that the Queen had problems with Alex.
I guess Queen Margerethe likes her very much. She allowed Alex to keep her princess title and keep her name on the DRF homepage after the divorce. She even created a countess title for Alex.

 

[Azur]

This note is linked to last thread.
It's nice to see Alex in public again, in the last four photos I found her looked tired though. Anyway, she is still my favorite!

 

[ricarda]

Quote from Heike
Really?!
I thought Mary was criticised by many media in the beginning because she spends too much money on her wardrobe.
Some of them were very hard like: "Yesterday she was still Miss Donaldson who has to wash her own laundry."
Then one day a magazine reported that Mary starts to wear repeated suits or dress in some events in order to save her image.
There wouldn´t be those reports if Mary recycles her clothes in the very beginning.

Well, we agreed that we should be sceptical towards the press.
I'm so happy we live in the days of internet and don't depend on magazines for information anymore.
(If you are interested on how much Mary recycles, here is the link to the thread: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f63/crown-princess-mary-recyles-her-clothes-5333.html)

Mary was critizised last year by EB and not by many media
(others, especially in Germany, just reported that she is critisized,
they obviously didn't do research on their own - not that EB did any research )
But I think the accusation that Mary is spending too much money and is only attending fashion shows
would have been much more justified if it had been made 1 year earlier
(and even then it would have been quite unfair).
And the funny thing is that the same journalist who critisized her as a "Luxury Princess"
wrote a book the same year in which he praises Mary for being a "Princess of Style".
It's all about money, not about truth, if you ask me.

And AFAIK (from a journalist friend) Mary's and Frederik's real problem is actually that they are too distant to the media
and IMO that's why they are critisized, sometimes unfairly.
Mary has become friendlier now and - surprise, surprise - the press writes friendlier about her.
Frederik is still quite unfriendly and - surprise, surprise - the criticism focuses on him right now.

Quote from Heike
There are also rumours saying that Queen Margerethe is quite unsatisfied with Mary.
Of course we are all outsiders and will never get the truth. But at least there were no rumours saying that the Queen had problems with Alex.
I guess Queen Margerethe likes her very much. She allowed Alex to keep her princess title and keep her name on the DRF homepage after the divorce. She even created a countess title for Alex.

Actually there were rumours about the Queen having problems with Alex or Alex having problems with the Queen,
it started just about the same time, after her first baby was born.
Journalists obviously have a limited imagination.

I personally believe that whatever Margrethe has done she did because Alex is the mother of her grandchildren
and because she wanted to keep the scandal to a minimum and not because she likes Alex so much.
I think they don't have much to say to each other.

And Margrethe being unsatisfied with Mary - I think that is really just a made up story.
They had an engagement together in Oct., I believe, and Margrethe didn't look unsatisfied to me.

But of course no one of us knows the truth.
We can only look at the signs and make our own interpretations.

 

[UserDane]

Actually there were rumours about the Queen having problems with Alex or Alex having problems with the Queen,
it started just about the same time, after her first baby was born.
Journalists obviously have a limited imagination.

And if we were to believe what the tabloids love to cook up, there were some rumours in the Danish tabloids a year or so ago that Henrik does not like Alexandra very much.
Judging from their public image, I would think that the queen is rather fond of Mary and I think she's been loyal to both her daughters-in-law in both words and actions.

 

[Heike]

I personally believe that whatever Margrethe has done she did because Alex is the mother of her grandchildren
and because she wanted to keep the scandal to a minimum and not because she likes Alex so much.
I think they don't have much to say to each other.

Your theory makes sense to a certain degree.
But I think that would be enough if she allows Alex to keep her princess title and keep her name on the DRF homepage.
It was not necessary to create extra a countess title for Alex.

Are there any signs that Margerethe doesn´t like Alex so much?
I thought they have the same interest: modern art?
And she was satisfied with Alexandras work indeed.

 

[altagrace]

about the spending issue: for princesses or any public figure it seems a case of damned if they do and damned if they don't...

 

[Isabel]

I find it hard to believe that Her Majesty doesn't have much to say to Alex at all. That would make it seem as though she doesn't like her and that is very hard to believe. Alex was the first daughter-in-law and she spent a lot of time with Her Majesty and Prince Henrik.

Alex was part of their immediate family for a very long time and it is obvious from photos throughout all of those years that when she and Joachim were still married, they spent a lot of time with his parents. In that amount of time, you get to know someone very well and become accustomed to having them in your life. I just don't believe that they spent years around the dinner table ignoring each other and making small talk.

I can agree that Her Majesty did want to make the divorce less awkward for her grandchildren, but again as Heike has said, an extra title really was not necessary, especially if you don't have much to say to a person. I like to believe that Alexandra still keeps an HH suffix and had a title created for her because she was such an important member of the family and made so many contributions throughout the years.

Your theory makes sense to a certain degree.
But I think that would be enough if she allows Alex to keep her princess title and keep her name on the DRF homepage.
It was not necessary to create extra a countess title for Alex.

Are there any signs that Margerethe doesn´t like Alex so much?
I thought they have the same interest: modern art?
And she was satisfied with Alexandras work indeed.

 

[moby]

sorry if this has been posted already:
Alexandra's fiancé helps out with the school run

martin is really cute and i love his fashion.

 

[crm2317]

Moby I was just about ot post that link!! I hadn't seen it anywhere before on the forum

 

[sara1981]

Alexandra receives escort from a knight in shining armour
Alexandra receives escort from a knight in shining armour

 

[lord_rankin]

Alexandra receives escort from a knight in shining armour
Alexandra receives escort from a knight in shining armour

That article has a typo or false fact did they not seperate in 2005? The article says 1995.

 

[magnik]

Nice knight.

Btw. do we/will we change thread's name on March 3 to Countess Alexandra current events?