Christian, Isabella, Vincent and Josephine, News Part 3: November 2015 -

[Muhler]

This sure is a surprise!

Mary talked a little about it today in France:
https://www.bt.dk/royale/mary-derfor...rn-til-schweiz

When asked about sending the chidlren to Switzerland, she replied:
Vi ser det som en gave til vores børn, hvor de kan være sammen om det, og en gave de kan have med sig resten af livet,«
"We view it as a gift to our children, where they can be together about it and a gift they can share/bring with them for the rest of the life."

All reports coming talks about a short stay. Presumably anything from a few weeks up to three months or so.

It is of course not unusual that royal children are send away for periods at least. And Christian is about the age that J&F were when they were send off to a boarding school in France for a year.
That was a very difficult year for not least Frederik. The education was on a higher level than back in DK, so Frederik in particular struggled with Latin.

Nor is is unusual in royal/traditional noble circles to send the children out into the world to study once they are in their teens. The traditional formative journey.

I wonder if this is a test-run for the children. They will in this way, and fairly gently, learn how it is to go to school abroad, without mom and dad around the corner. Here they will support each other - and I think as a consequence of that, grew even closer. Even if this is only for a short period.
Anyway, if this is something some of the children find interesting, say Christian and Josephine. Then M&F can already now start to look for suitable schools abroad. And if say Isabella is less keen, she may need a few more years before she will again contemplate studying abroad, say after high school.
And say Vincent hate every minute of this. Then they know he is better of studying at home in DK.

It will be interesting to learn more details.

[Nordic]

Originally Posted by Roskilde

Important too mention Frederik & Mary will accompany their children and it is ‘a short school visit’

But will they accompany the kids? Did Lene Balleby or Mary confirm that or was that part just Avisen speculating?

From Avisen:
"Der bliver nok også en del pendling mellem Schweiz og Danmark for forældrene, som sikkert skiftevis vil bo ved børnene og skiftevis i hjemmet på Amalienborg, da de royale pligter jo skal passes."

google translation:
There will probably also be some commuting between Switzerland and Denmark for the parents, who will probably alternate living with the children and alternately in the home at Amalienborg, since the royal duties must be taken care of.

[polyesco]

What a surprise, and an experience for the kids. All together that is sweet, maybe test out the water to see if it's something they like.
I wonder for how long?
I know the Youth Olympics are in Switzerland for the month of January, of which Frederik is in the coordination commission for, I wonder if this played in their decision.

Hopefully we get more info.

[Ista]

This is a surprise, less so for the older children than the younger. I wonder what played in to this decision and if the children will like it enough that it becomes a longer term commitment?

[Duke of Marmalade]

Maybe they all do a term. Royal children are not normal children, I guess we see all of them in international boarding schools around the age of 15.
So Christian and Isabella are not far off.
I am only surprised about the twins, they are very young to leave home for longer.

[Archduchess Zelia]

Hadn't seen it coming right now but I'm not exactly surprised. @polyesco's point about the Youth Olympics could very well play a part in the timing of the stay.

Always thought that if they were gonna send the kids to boarding school, they'd pair them up so that Christian and Isabella would go together and Vincent and Josephine would go together (can't for the life of me imagine Frederik shipping off his kids by themselves when they're still just in folkeskolen) but this is a great opportunity for them all to get the experience together. Will probably be ace for their sibling relationship.

[HereditaryPrincess]

Originally Posted by polyesco

What a surprise, and an experience for the kids. All together that is sweet, maybe test out the water to see if it's something they like.
I wonder for how long?
I know the Youth Olympics are in Switzerland for the month of January, of which Frederik is in the coordination commission for, I wonder if this played in their decision.

Hopefully we get more info.

Good point. I wasn't surprised at hearing that Christian and Isabella will be boarding at the school, but I'm still a little surprised that Vincent and Josephine will be going with them as they seem very young to be living away from home still.

[eya]

And the official announcement from the Palace:


"Their Royal Highnesses Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine will begin a 12-week school break at the Lemania-Verbier International School in Switzerland at the beginning of the new year. When the school stay is complete, all four children will continue their schooling in their current classes at Tranegårdsskolen in Gentofte.

Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess will primarily stay with the children in Switzerland during the period, and His Royal Highness The Crown Prince will be with the family when there are opportunities for it in the Crown Prince's program. As a result of the children's schooling, the Crown Princess's official activities in Denmark will be fewer.

With the school stay, the Crown Prince couple wants to give their children a common experience in an international environment."


Pressemeddelelse: Kronprinsparrets fire børn tager på skoleophold i Schweiz | Kongehuset

[carina_a]

12-week is not too long, I guess, it will also use up some of their usual winter holiday time as well?

[Archduchess Zelia]

I wonder what played into the timing. Doesn't really make sense to me that they'd pick a period of time where they're already short on working members to ship someone with as many engagements as Mary off to another country. Perhaps it's just another sign that Joachim and Marie have a longer stay abroad planned and M&F felt like this was the last chance for them to do this?

[CrownPrincessJava]

Originally Posted by eya

And the official announcement from the Palace:


"Their Royal Highnesses Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine will begin a 12-week school break at the Lemania-Verbier International School in Switzerland at the beginning of the new year. When the school stay is complete, all four children will continue their schooling in their current classes at Tranegårdsskolen in Gentofte.

Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess will primarily stay with the children in Switzerland during the period, and His Royal Highness The Crown Prince will be with the family when there are opportunities for it in the Crown Prince's program. As a result of the children's schooling, the Crown Princess's official activities in Denmark will be fewer.

With the school stay, the Crown Prince couple wants to give their children a common experience in an international environment."


Pressemeddelelse: Kronprinsparrets fire børn tager på skoleophold i Schweiz | Kongehuset

What a great opportunity for the kids, and even better is that CP Frederik and CP Mary will be with them. I'm glad the family can do this together and QMII is being supportive

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by eya

And the official announcement from the Palace:


"Their Royal Highnesses Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine will begin a 12-week school break at the Lemania-Verbier International School in Switzerland at the beginning of the new year. When the school stay is complete, all four children will continue their schooling in their current classes at Tranegårdsskolen in Gentofte.

Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess will primarily stay with the children in Switzerland during the period, and His Royal Highness The Crown Prince will be with the family when there are opportunities for it in the Crown Prince's program. As a result of the children's schooling, the Crown Princess's official activities in Denmark will be fewer.

With the school stay, the Crown Prince couple wants to give their children a common experience in an international environment."


Pressemeddelelse: Kronprinsparrets fire børn tager på skoleophold i Schweiz | Kongehuset

It is odd that, shortly after announcing that Mary could now legally serve as acting regent to cover for Joachim, they send her off to Switzerland for almost. 3 months.

When I said it was a shocker, I was reacting to Eya’s OP where it was not mentioned that the children would be in Switzerland for 12 weeks only. I was assuming they would do a full school year there or even longer than that as Princess Elisabeth of Belgium’s two-year IB program in Wales.

Given that it is only a short stay, it is actually not so shocking anymore , but, still, it is a bit unusual, especially for the younger kids. Besides, as princes of Denmark, I would assume it is important that they are seen as having a Danish education at least at the elementary level ( overseas experience would be expected at the upper secondary and/or university level).

[Archduchess Zelia]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

Given that it is only a short stay, it is actually not so shocking anymore , but, still, it is a bit unusual, especially for the younger kids. Besides, as princes of Denmark, I would assume it is important that they are seen as having a Danish education at least at the elementary level ( overseas experience would be expect at the upper secondary and/or university level).

They are currently in the midst of receiving 10 years of that. They will resume their studies at Tranegårdsskolen when they get back from Switzerland. 10 years minus 3 months isn't gonna make a dent in their Danish education

[Muhler]

To me, this does indeed smell like a trial-run in attending a school/education abroad and since Mary will be around for most of the time, seemingly, Switzerland is appropriately far away and different and yet no further than a couple of hours flight.
I think this is mainly aimed at Christian and Isabella in general and Christian in particular - with the twins going along, because their mother (mainly) will be in Switzerland, with daddy Frederik visiting them in the weekends. (Remember he spends a good deal of time at the office.)

The timing is indeed odd IMO and why now? Why not in a year? Because by next summer Joachim will have completed his course, and even if he and our Marie should opt out as active DRF members, surely that could be postponed for six months or so?
And why no mentioning of such plans in the many interviews and statements there have been in regards to their children? It does seem a little improvised.

Okay, three months. They'll be back in DK by late March/early April.
QMII turns 80 in April.
This will fuel speculations that QMII will abdicate for health reasons. And "health reasons" may not necessarily mean something serious. It could simply mean that she feels the weight of her years, she did mention that at the latest interview to a Swedish paper.
Her recent cheerful mood could indicate, if you permit me to speculate, that she knows that the future of the dynasty is in good hands and that she is about to and can safely retire.
It would even be a popular move. QMII bowing out when she is pretty much on the top and in good shape, leaving her place to very popular successors who are in their prime.
Because if QMII had a family-pow-wow recently informing the family of such plans, that could explain this sudden rush by M&F. Because once they become the regent couple, they will not have time to go with their children abroad. Because a retired QMII will only step in a Rigsforstander in exceptional circumstances. (Why else retire?)

I think QMII's New Year speech this year will be worth paying attention to!

[Muhler]

Some details have emerged about the school and the stay there:
https://www.bt.dk/royale/skole-bekra...liver-opholdet

Lemania-Verbier School.
Located in Verbier, it's in a place the children are familiar with.
Children from 15-20 nationalities attend the school.
The curriculum follow the English curriculum. And presumably also in regards to holidays and such.
The school-days are combined with skiing. So it includes a good deal physical activities.

- I imagine Christian and Bella will live at the school, while the twins will live with their mother outside the school.
It will of course be a very different live for certainly the oldest.

[Mbruno]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Some details have emerged about the school and the stay there:
https://www.bt.dk/royale/skole-bekra...liver-opholdet

Lemania-Verbier School.
Located in Verbier, it's in a place the children are familiar with.
Children from 15-20 nationalities attend the school.
The curriculum follow the English curriculum. And presumably also in regards to holidays and such.
The school-days are combined with skiing. So it includes a good deal physical activities.

- I imagine Christian and Bella will live at the school, while the twins will live with their mother outside the school.
It will of course be a very different live for certainly the oldest.

Is it an academically rigorous program though ? It wouldn’t look good if they were seen to be taking a 3-month skiing vacation , would it ?

I apologize for being so blunt, but, on the other side of the Atlantic, we may have different cultural perceptions of things like that .

[Somebody]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

Is it an academically rigorous program though ? It wouldn’t look good if they were seen to be taking a 3-month skiing vacation , would it ?

I apologize for being so blunt, but, on the other side of the Atlantic, we may have different cultural perceptions of things like that .

Exactly my thoughts... Mary taking three months of royal work (while Joachim and Marie are already gone) so the family can enjoy a 3 months skiing holiday disguised as an 'international schooling experience' which happens to be in their favorite skiing destination exactly during ski season?

Probably they figured that Frederik is going to be in Switzerland for the Youth Olympics, they would be in Switzerland for the ski holidays in February, so decided that combing it all would provide them a nice family break (probably as Muhler suggested just before they are to take on a much heavier workload).

[ricarda]

Originally Posted by Mbruno
Is it an academically rigorous program though ? It wouldn’t look good if they were seen to be taking a 3-month skiing vacation , would it ?

I apologize for being so blunt, but, on the other side of the Atlantic, we may have different cultural perceptions of things like that .

The school has a website in English and French. Programmes - lvis
So how about informing yourself? Or is this something people never do on the other side of the Atlantic?

[Nordic]

Originally Posted by Mbruno

Is it an academically rigorous program though ? It wouldn’t look good if they were seen to be taking a 3-month skiing vacation , would it ?
.

"Academically rigorous"?

Does a three month temporary winter "course", after which they return to their classes in Denmark, need to be any more academically rigorous than the education they receive at the moment attending 8th, 6th and 2nd grades? (I hope I counted the grades correctly). They are all still in primary school...

[Frelinghighness]

US boarding schools all have mandatory sports right after classes. So, classes are from about 8-2:30 or so and then sports for 3 hours. Then dinner, homework...If it is winter, then they ski, spring, lacrosse, and so on. Private day schools in the us operate the same way.
Since Mary will be there, it isn’t really like they are going away to boarding school. I imagine the twins will be mostly with her. They are not babies anymore and will be nine years old. My husband was given the gift of studying in Switzerland for a year when he was eleven and it was a transformative experience, helping him with his studies and fluency in French.