Opening of Parliament (Folketinget) 2003-2023


If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
What is wrong w/HM? The last couple of months there have instances of her sitting at events she normally would have stood for or taking an elevator instead of the stairs? Something is not right and is also worrying to see too.

I believe it's been said that she has severe back pains, which would account for the sitting and elevator.
 
When the Danish parliament usually opens?

I believe its the first Tuesday of October
this year Oct 7
The royal couple, royal couple, D.K.H. Prince Joachim and Princess Marie and HRH Princess Benedikte attends the opening of Parliament at Christiansborg Palace at. 12:00.
:flowers:
 
TV2 is right now sending live from the opening of the Parliament. All except the Regent Couple have now arrived and they are chatting on the first repos on the stairs.
Our Marie (and Frederik!) is talkative as always.

It's very windy today as you may be able to tell later on.

Let's go through the protocol again.

The DRF arrive in reverse order of rank, in regards to the Line of Succession and they are recieved at the foot of the stairs as the honored and invited guests they are.
Once the Regent Couple have arrived the DRF will enter the door of the Parliament, this time in decending order and each member of the DRF will (naturally) be escorted inside, also in decending order. I.e. the Chairman of the Pariament will escort QMII, the second chairman will escort PH and so on.

QMII's knees are fine today, she's walking up the main stairs today.
PH on the other hand took the lift up.

ADDED: Once the DRF have taken their places the show can start.
The nestor of the Parliament, I.e. the member who has been a member the longest, will chair the proceedings in regards to electing the Chairman, the second chairman and so on. That's usually a formality. In the members of the Presidium (where the chairmen sits) are appointed from the parties with most seats. If two parties have the same number of seats a lot will be made. That happened today and it was again the nestor who drew the lots.
Then the Chairman of the Parliament takes his place at the rostrum an starts by welcoming the members and also the honored guests from the DRF. They are each welcomed, by name and title. I.e. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince (because the can only one crown prince) and Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess. (Again, there can be only one crown princess).
 
Last edited:
Yeah there was a good family talk there... I don't saw the beginning, but Frederik and Joachim held together and had a long brother talk, while Mary and Benedikte and Marie had them a woman talk. Mary explained and explained with funny facial expressions, but this year we couldn't hear what. Sometimes when it is less windy we can actually hear what they're talking about.

Now is the time to try to stay awake... :lol:


**

ADDED:

Haha oh both the DRF and our politicians are at risk each year for a photographer captures them in a moment of blinking and ends up on the frontpage with a "Zzzzzz".

This year (anti-royal) Ekstrabladet selected to broadcast live from the Royal Box during the entire speech (totally silly IMO, but okay, then they are more than sure that they later today can make a condescending article about one of the royal closing their eyes while blinking)

I managed to take some screenshots along the way. I noted that the Prince Consort were struggling a battle, but that Margrethe used the tactic to study the ceiling very thoroughly to stay awake while F&M used the tactic chit chatting alot with each other along the way to stay awake.

:p
 

Attachments

  • 1.jpg
    1.jpg
    130.6 KB · Views: 320
  • 2.jpg
    2.jpg
    129.7 KB · Views: 329
  • 3.jpg
    3.jpg
    125.1 KB · Views: 273
  • 5.jpg
    5.jpg
    128.7 KB · Views: 4,321
  • 6.jpg
    6.jpg
    123.1 KB · Views: 316
  • 7.jpg
    7.jpg
    128.6 KB · Views: 290
  • 8.jpg
    8.jpg
    128.9 KB · Views: 469
  • 9.jpg
    9.jpg
    131.6 KB · Views: 312
  • 10.jpg
    10.jpg
    137.6 KB · Views: 292
Last edited by a moderator:
Thank you for the screen shots, Roskilde. Interesting to see the facial expressions in relation to the hands on the clock! All the ladies looked great - love Marie's hat.

The Crown Princess Mary Unofficial Message Board has more pictures and a video. Love that Frederik and Joachim kissed their father. Ah, those European men! Also noticed that PH needed assistance on the stairs.
 
It remains a pity that the Queen has no role anymore. It can be worse anyway: in Belgium and in Luxembourg there is no any Opening anymore with a royal involved...
 
Thank you for the video Muhler:flowers:

There is someone who yells when Joachim and Marie are driving past around the 4:43 mark, do you happen to understand what this man is yelling?, I imagine it is not something nice:ermm:

I can't exactly make out what he shouts, but you are right, the man was somewhat displeased...
 

Lovely pics, Polyesco.

I also want to post this pic of Margrethe and Frederik
http://imageservice.nordjyske.dk/im...e3456b.jpg?width=880&scale=both&bgcolor=black

I miss our Margrethes Teletubbies hat she always pair with this coat ;)


A nice gallery of F&M from a one of their Facebook fansites (with waterwarks through):

https://www.facebook.com/2352278166...5227816664642/298710466983043/?type=1&theater
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Muhler-Thank you for the links. I noticed when HM arrived that her daughters-in-law were the only members of the family to acknowledge her with a curtsey. I was surprised that her sons did not do a neck bow. Is this the norm with the family?

It is. Except when the really big show is on, like weddings or baptisms.
When the family meet at official events or rather before official events, I have noticed Frederik, Joachim and Benedikte do not curtsey or bow.
I, and I think I speak for most Danes, would think it was a bit over the top, if QMII's own sons and sister were to bow to her. They are after all close family.
That her daughters-in-law curtsey is something I personally find charming, but I wouldn't find it odd at all if they only kissed.

Once M&F become king and queen I don't expect Joachim, our Marie, let alone Benedikte to bow or curtsey - again with the exception of really big events. They are too close age and family wise I think.
Nikolai, Felix, bette Henrik and Athena, yes. M&F's children perhaps, but not the older members of the family.
 
I can just imagine the press sitting in the gallery opposite taking bets among themselves if they can stay awake long enough to get the shot of the DRF having a snooze so they can sell that pic to our trashy magazines. Never mind our trashy magazines will follow their past pattern from Every year previous. They will publish a shot of Fred looking serious - actually he is desperately trying to stay awake. And they will say that He and Mary have marriage troubles. They do it every year, never mind the lovely photos of them sharing a joke or a tender moment.
 
It is. Except when the really big show is on, like weddings or baptisms.
When the family meet at official events or rather before official events, I have noticed Frederik, Joachim and Benedikte do not curtsey or bow.
I, and I think I speak for most Danes, would think it was a bit over the top, if QMII's own sons and sister were to bow to her. They are after all close family.
That her daughters-in-law curtsey is something I personally find charming, but I wouldn't find it odd at all if they only kissed.

Once M&F become king and queen I don't expect Joachim, our Marie, let alone Benedikte to bow or curtsey - again with the exception of really big events. They are too close age and family wise I think.
Nikolai, Felix, bette Henrik and Athena, yes. M&F's children perhaps, but not the older members of the family.
Thank you Muhler. So the Danes are somewhere between the courts that require it ie: UK and those that do not ie: Netherlands. :)
 
I saw this lovely comment on Facebook to Mary from Lone Loklindt who accompanied Mary up the stairs:

"To accompany the Crown Princess up to the Royal Box was a wonderful debut for me from at the opening of Parliament. Our common agenda for women's right to decide over their own bodies, sexual and reproductive rights and health was substance for our conversation all the way up the parliament's royal box. The Crown Princess do a fantastic job with great enthusiasm and great effect for the causes. Respect!"
 
Thank you Muhler. So the Danes are somewhere between the courts that require it ie: UK and those that do not ie: Netherlands. :)

You are welcome. :)
Yep, they curtsey when the show (and cameras) is on, but in private or private settings they greet like normal close family members.
 
Yeah there was a good family talk there... I don't saw the beginning, but Frederik and Joachim held together and had a long brother talk, while Mary and Benedikte and Marie had them a woman talk. Mary explained and explained with funny facial expressions, but this year we couldn't hear what. Sometimes when it is less windy we can actually hear what they're talking about.

Now is the time to try to stay awake... :lol:


**

ADDED:

Haha oh both the DRF and our politicians are at risk each year for a photographer captures them in a moment of blinking and ends up on the frontpage with a "Zzzzzz".

This year (anti-royal) Ekstrabladet selected to broadcast live from the Royal Box during the entire speech (totally silly IMO, but okay, then they are more than sure that they later today can make a condescending article about one of the royal closing their eyes while blinking)

I managed to take some screenshots along the way. I noted that the Prince Consort were struggling a battle, but that Margrethe used the tactic to study the ceiling very thoroughly to stay awake while F&M used the tactic chit chatting alot with each other along the way to stay awake.

:p

Okay, that the Queen has no role anymore, that is sad enough. That the balcony has not even been decorated with flowers, velvet tapestries, special guards or something to mark that there are Very Special And Most Honoured Guests In The House, that is really a shame.

Even in the very republican German Bundestag (the Lower House) they do extra efforts when there are special guests in the House. See picture:
http://blumen-liessem.de/images/img/bundestag02.jpg
 
Does anyone know if the Danish monarch opened the old Rigsdagen, when parliament was made up of two houses, the upper Landsting and the lower Folketing?

I agree though, that the current arrangement seems a bit half-hearted.
 
Does anyone know if the Danish monarch opened the old Rigsdagen, when parliament was made up of two houses, the upper Landsting and the lower Folketing?

I agree though, that the current arrangement seems a bit half-hearted.

He did actually, but the two chamber system was abolished and the Communists especially, who were strong after WWII, were among the most vocal in objecting to the Monarch speaking in the Parliament, or for that matter standing on the Parliament floor.
So the DRF became invited and honored guests instead.

That means the current arrangement is a reflection of the Monarch's current role: Politically neutral but still very much the head of state - and without whom no law is valid.
 
He did actually, but the two chamber system was abolished and the Communists especially, who were strong after WWII, were among the most vocal in objecting to the Monarch speaking in the Parliament, or for that matter standing on the Parliament floor.
So the DRF became invited and honored guests instead.

That means the current arrangement is a reflection of the Monarch's current role: Politically neutral but still very much the head of state - and without whom no law is valid.

I can imagine a better arrangement, for an example like in Sweden, where the King is guest of honour "on the floor" and not eh... tucked away on a balcony. The King speaks some ceremonial words and then listens to other speakers: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r-GL-TaGU...ande-2012-foto-claudio-bresciani-scanpixW.jpg

:flowers:
 
Back
Top Bottom