https://www.dr.dk/tv/se/dronningens-slotte/dronningens-slotte-fredensborg-slot-3
In this episode we visit Fredensborg, where QMII absolutely love to be and that is clearly shown throughout the programme.
We also see a QMII with a mischievous sense of humor.
Before the introduction:
QMII talks about how she loved being here! No going for a walk with a nanny in one hand and a kid sister in the other... (ØV! - Childish Danish exclamation for something annoying).
But come November... Back to Amalienborg and going for walks - which she did
not think was much fun! And still doesn't.
Fredensborg was build to celebrate peace after the end of the Great Nordic War in 1720.
Frederik 4's værelse (room):
It really wasn't his room, but his portrait is hanging there and QMII believes he must have been a nice person.
It's a cozy room. The Regent Couple use it a lot, not least because it has a working fireplace. PH often play the piano.
It's an old house so the door is causing a bit of trouble.
Fredensborg is very much inspired by a visit to Italy by Frederik IV, not least the extensive use of marble.
Kuppelsalen = The Dome Hall.
The fireplaces of marble as well as the door frames were brought back from Italy.
(Hammering is heard). QMII says aloud: "Well, one sure can tell that someone is talking loudly"!
But parts of the door frames are made from painted wood.
QMII believe the palace itself add 50 % to the festive mood at parties.
06:55 "Carry on, guardsmen".
After the death of Frederik IV the kings who followed became so fond of the place that they expanded it, and that's why it has two wings. Mainly with guestrooms.
Gardersalen - The Guards Hall.
That is the grand entrance hall that is not used on a daily basis. As is custom in such halls the Regent Couple's portraits hang here.
08:24 The "unicorn" is one PH claims to have shot! It makes a good icebreaker when you haven't anything else to talk about.
The Kuppelsal is surrounded by the grand salons and sometimes as children they spinned visiting children around and told them to locate say Gardersalen. Not always successful.
QMII has been to Fredensborg every year since 1947, when Frederik IX became king. His father, Christian X, didn't like the place. But Frederik IX loved it!
09:55 QMII's study.
She usually sits in that chair, because from here she can enjoy the room.
There is also room for the dachshund.
QMII freely admits that she is
not very tidy! And things have a tendency to end up on the desk, which is otherwise pretty big.
When Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid took over in 1947, the place was very old-fashioned and the furnishing was, well.... So Queen Ingrid quietly started putting the place in order and that is an ongoing process. Several salons have now been restored to the original style from the 1730's or so.
And when princess Margrethe came home from school she followed her mother around to learn what had been done.
So she was introduced to the various styles, rococo, baroque and so on.
Christian IX in particular was were fond of the place and gathered the extended family here in the summer.
14:39 - The Garden Room, where Frederik IX was very fond of sitting.
The public is allowed into the park till the semi-circular bit, even when the DRF are in residence.
17:05 - The Little Baroque Dining Room.
Here the Regent Couple and an adjutant dine. QMII stands at PH's seat, where there in an ample supply of spices, herbs and what not.
Opposite is her seat, there are salt and pepper, because she borrow from her husband is she needs anything. - And as she points out, there are also cigarettes and an ashtray.
Beforehand this is where QMII and her sisters dined on a daily basis. They only dined with their parents on Sundays and on "days off".
Later on Frederik and Joachim dined here.
This room has also been restored to the original look.
19:45 - The Yellow Salon.
The family painting was started when there were three children less in the family.
20:45 - Then all of a sudden when the work on the painting was going on "Whoops! Twins came. - And then whoops, a daughter came along at Joachim's. - And then all of a sudden we were many more". So the age of the children is not correct in regards to when the painting was made.
21:05 - "We have eight grandchildren, so... We are pretty surprised ourselves, because we had two boys, and well, we'll hopefully have some grandchildren. Then one day we did a count and there were eight"!
21.45 - "They are very fine together all the kids. That's really very nice. Nikolai and Felix are fantastic sweet with little Henrik and Christian think they are wonderful, because they are the big cousins you always look up to as a younger cousin".
The many portraits in QMII's study are Queen Juliane Marie's relatives.
The study has also been restored to original.
24:10 - QMII was so delighted with the result of the restoration that she wrote about it on the window pane.
24:43 - Churchill's autograph from a visit in 1950. QMII and her sisters had a chat with him. They had a kitten who sat in Churchill's lap, while they talked.
Churchill was presented with the Order of the Elephant, which he the next morning told Frederik IX had been standing on his night stand and "I gave him a bun this morning". (25:29).
There is loads of graffiti on the door-frames. QMII spends much of the episode looking for a particular note from Princess Dagmar's (later tsarina) first engagement. She does eventually manage to find from the second engagement. But it's not only guests and royals who have scribbled on the frames, servants did it too.
"If it's old enough, then it's interesting. And that the difference between history and vandalism".
27:15 - The Little Blue Salon.
Also restored. This is the TV-room of the Regent Couple. QMII doesn't watch much TV though and they dine late, so it tends to conflict with programmes they might want to watch, but it happens they dine in here, if there is something special on TV.
They mainly watch the news.
28:00 - QMII and her sisters played a lot in the park, but not that much together because QMII is several years older than her sisters.
But when they came home from school, it was out the door! - Before being called back for homework... (29:08) ØV!
29:20 - Dachshunds. "They are not well-behaved but they are funny and have personality". (30:00).
31:00 - The Marble Garden which has always had the many little statues.
31:50 - This a synthesizer/jukebox brought back from Italy by Frederik IV.
33:40 - The red colors on the window frames is to make the light less cold. "They knew what they were doing".
34:20 - This is the apartment/suite for visiting heads of states.
It's not always the Regent Couple accompany visiting heads of states throughout the entire visit, so it happens that while the guests are away that QMII put on more casual wear. And often members if the visiting dignitary's staff stay back as well - presidents in particular tend to have a very large staff... and they meet QMII and she can tell they are puzzled... Isn't that...? She finds that very amusing. (35:36).
In the restored dressing room hangs a painting of Queen Juliane Marie. Here QMII has played with the setting, furnitures and colors.
38:35 - After the fall of the Wall, the three Baltic nations became independent and DK opened official diplomatic relations with them, as the first country and the ceremony took place at Fredensborg.
A very moving occasion for all involved.
41:00 - Yes! She found the Dagmar graffiti. Almost, it's the second engagement.
- And that's it.
Tomorrow, it's Gråsten.
But that will have to wait until Tuesday, because we expect guests tomorrow evening. - But if someone else would like to have a go, please do.
)
royals are used to things being a little old-fashioned from their own two and she received them. That was a special moment for her. That's it, you are on.
The discussion seems to have caused much laughter so I wonder whether Danish speakers could share the joke with the rest of us? Mange tak
