Crown Princess Mary and the Danish Home Guard

[iceflower]

___________________


Here's another great gallery with large pics of Mary at the name-giving ceremony (just click on the small version):


** purepeople: Mary de Danemark : une élégante princesse pour un sacré baptême **

[Muhler]

Brief summary of article in Billed Bladet #38, 2011.
Mary stod til søs - Mary went to sea.
Written by Dorte Quist.

Who, like me, noticed that Mary at times were a little hesitant as to where she should stand and when to go, in this for her somewhat novel experience with military ceremonial.

Apart from that there isn't that much new in this article.

Mary was told, be several eager officers about the vessels capabillities in fighting oilspills and putting out fires, which as you know by now, are the main functions of the vessel.

However, the namegiving was a little bit unusual, because Mary went sailing for 45 minuttes on the vessel. When QMII named her sister, Bopa (also after a well known resistance group), she drove home after naming the vessel.
Mary also stayed for the lunch after returning to Kalundborg. And on her own request she changed table several times during the lunch, in order for her to speak with as many of the guests as possible.

[Emmily]

Thanks, Muhler, for posting this. I like that Mary went sailing on the vessel and wanted to move during the lunch to talk with the guests. Very nice!

[iceflower]

Yesterday, November 3rd, Crown Princess Mary has visited the Danish troops at the
Novo Selo camp in the northern part of Kosovo between Mitrovica and Pristina.

As usual as to security reasons the visit had not been announced any earlier.



** BB: Løjtnant Mary – kronprinsessen i Kosovo ** translation ** ppe gallery **

** msn.dk gallery: Mary besøger udsendte i Kosovo **


** hvj.dk: Kronprinsesse Mary har besøgt Hjemmeværnets Bevogtningsdeling i Kosovo ** translation **

[dazzling]

Thanks ice flower. Is it every year that a royal makes a visit to troops in different countries? Im not surprised such visits are not announced due to security reasons. Its nice seeing royals who have taken courses interact with military personals.

Was this a few hours visit?

[AnnaNotherThing]

Wow! What a full and interesting life Mary leads...Mother of four still has to fit in time with kids around a New York trip, meeting the Cambridges, then jetting off to Kosovo the following day...

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by iceflower

Yesterday, November 3rd, Crown Princess Mary has visited the Danish troops at the
Novo Selo camp in the northern part of Kosovo between Mitrovica and Pristina.

As usual as to security reasons the visit had not been announced any earlier.



** BB: Løjtnant Mary – kronprinsessen i Kosovo ** translation **


** hvj.dk: Kronprinsesse Mary har besøgt Hjemmeværnets Bevogtningsdeling i Kosovo ** translation **

Thank you, Iceflower.

Mary looks good in uniform, eh?

Denmark has for several years had units stationed in Kosovo, in order to keep the different nationalities from each others throats. Tensions are lurking just beneath the surface.
Right now a platoon from the Home Guard is performing base security in Kosovo A similar platoon is performing base security in Afghanistan, freeing regular troops for other tasks.
The Home Guard has in recent years gone through a transition from a kind of militia, for territorial defence to a combination of auxillaries for the regular army and also a vital part of the total defence of DK itself, including various emergencies.
I was a member of the Army Home Guard myself around the end of the Cold War, back then 65.000 or a little more than 1 % of the entire Danish population were members of the Home Guard.
The number of members now is around 50.000. - Or the equivalent to around 180.000 Australians or 2.800.000 Americans.

So yes, Mary's visit means a lot!

[dazzling]

Here is the official press release from kongehuset.dk

The Crown Princess visited the Home Guard Guarding Division in Kosovo

HRH Crown Princess is Thursday 3 November 2011 visited the Home Guard Guarding Division in Novo Selo camp in the northern part of Kosovo between Mitrovica and Pristina. The visit was also attended by the Head of the Home Guard, Maj. Gen. Finn Winkler and the Chief of Army Operational Command, Major General Agner Rokos.

Guarding division is trained by the Home Guard and issued by the Army Operational Command for the area where Danish units have been stationed since the conflict began in summer 1999.

During the visit the Crown Princess, who is a lieutenant in the Guard, an insight into the guarding division of tasks and the conditions under which they are solved. In addition, Crown Princess got a thorough briefing on the situation and assessments of developments in Kosovo, both Danish, German and French military commanders.

Then handed over the Crown Princess, assisted by the Head of the Home Guard and the Chief of Army Operational Command, "Defense Medal" to the broadcast.
Guarding division is responsible for making access control, guard and patrol the camp, which is home to a French-led battlegroup.

For more information:
Home Guard press guard, tel 24 84 25 04th

[American Dane]

I have so much respect for royals who visit their compatriots in dangerous areas, and for Mary to have done so 2 or 3 times (has it just been this time and the 2008 visit to Afghanistan?) is commendable. Unlike politicians who are the ones who signed off on the participation in a war or the participation in civil strife that risks the soldiers, Mary and every other royal do it because they want to.

Denmark has every right to be proud of their Crown Princess (the Lieutenant)!

[rubies]

Well said, I absolutely agree with you!

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by iceflower

Yesterday, November 3rd, Crown Princess Mary has visited the Danish troops at the
Novo Selo camp in the northern part of Kosovo between Mitrovica and Pristina.

As usual as to security reasons the visit had not been announced any earlier.

** BB: Løjtnant Mary – kronprinsessen i Kosovo ** translation

It may not make a lot of sense if you put the comments to this article through a Google translation, but three of those who have commented are from the Home Guard platoon, Mary visited. - And they are delighted.

[DNF] Fotoarchief Denieuwsfoto
The seventh Home Guardman down the line in this pic is among those who commented. He is Frank Rønnow and he wrote: "Number 7 in the line. That's bloody (kicking) ass".

Ole Sanvig Knudsen (professional private) wrote: "I'm waiting for the group photo. If it turns up one day, it is me standing next to Mary.... no bunnyears (two fingers above head). That's something I after all couldn't do :-)".

John Andersen (Home Guardsman): "Yes, it was very cool to meet her downhere and shake her hand. That's very defintely an experience"!

[Muhler]

The new Home Guard magazine is out and there is an article about Mary visiting Kosovo: Untitled

As you know Mary visited the Home Guard platoon guarding a NATO camp in Kosovo on 3th November. With her went the heads of the Home Guard and the head of Army Operational Command.

33 years old private in a Home Guard company from Aalborg, Martin Elgaard Jacobsen tells us: "We had been told that some big whigs from the defence would come. But it was only just before 09.00, when my squad was to go on duty, that we were briefed that Crown Princess Mary would also come".

Mary got a tour of the camp and a thorough briefing by the German and French commanders of the soldiers in the camp. (*)

Mary spoke with all the Home Guardsmen. Martin Elgaard Jacobsen spoke with her for ten-fifteen minuttes: "It's the first time I've had the pleasure of meeting someone from the DRF. And I did shake a bit from being nervous beforehand. But she was very down to earth and very pleasant to talk with.
You can sense that she has a knowledge about the military. She's good at asking in-depth questions and she was very interested in what we are doing.
It's some of the best things that has happened to us. It gave (us) an adrenalin-kick. And the smile was still on peoples lips many days afterwards".

- Mary is as you know, lieutenant in the Army Home Guard and she is attached to the staff company in central Copenhagen. Lieutenant is normally the highest rank a volunteer in the Home Guard can rise to. The company commanders are captains and they are all from the regulars, as are all other officers above that rank.

(*) Denmark has now withdrawn the regular troops from Kosovo, but the Home Guard is in demand because of the experience it has gained from guarding camps in Afghanistan.

[Tarlita]

It must be a great morale boost when any member of the royal family visit the troops so far away from home. I'm glad Mary was able to put smiles on so many faces.

[Muhler]

In Billed Bladet #36, 2012, we are informed that Mary last week spend a whole day at Jægerkorpset (the army special forces) at their base in Aalborg.
With her was also Caroline Heering, who just like Mary is a lieutenant in the Army Home Guard.

Some of you may ask what a lieutenant in the Home Guard is doing with the special forces.
Well, it may be general information,
it may be a preparation for Mary and Caroline earning their jump wings. Parachute training in the armed forces in DK is under the direction of Jægerkorpset, and it was here Frederik earned his jump wings.
It may be a part of a course with specialist weapons and tactics, which I doubt. That would require a lot more training than I have the impression that Mary is having.
It may be an introduction for the Patrol Course 1. - Quite a few Home Guard members try to complete Patrol Courses 1 and 2. It is basically Long Range Reconnaicaince (spl?) Patrols. Mainly operating behind enemy lines. Patrol Course 1 alone requires a lot of physical stamina! Patrol Course 2 is worse.

I don't think she trying for a Combat Swimmer Course. That's under the Frogman Corps.

I guess we'll see.

[marfre]

Kongehuset has some lovely photos of Mary attending the Hjemmeværnets nytårskoncert ( Home Guard New Year concert ) yesterday.
The event was not listed.
Caroline was in attendance also.


Edited to add: Sorry, I think I posted this in the wrong thread. Thanks

[Roskilde]

Originally Posted by marfre

Kongehuset has some lovely photos of Mary attending the Hjemmeværnets nytårskoncert ( Home Guard New Year concert ) yesterday.
The event was not listed.
Caroline was in attendance also.

Thanks, marfre

Mary looks really happy and pretty.

Here are the pictures
http://kongehuset.dk/materialemappe/...arskoncert.img
http://kongehuset.dk/materialemappe/...skoncert-2.img
http://kongehuset.dk/materialemappe/...skoncert-3.img
http://kongehuset.dk/materialemappe/...skoncert-4.img
The gallery:
Hjemmeværnets nytårskoncert - Kongehuset

I wonder why the event wasn't written in her calendar and how many informal/private arrangements Mary has.

[Muhler]

Thanks, Roskilde

Let's have a closer look at your pics.

http://kongehuset.dk/materialemappe/...arskoncert.img
Mary is here being recieved by a full colonel, who against the regulation is not wearing his beret outside. - A big no, no!
Mary is being accompanied by an adjutant. In this case the head of the staff of adjutants of QMII. He is also a full colonel. He is however from the regular army.

http://kongehuset.dk/materialemappe/...skoncert-2.img
The man in the background is interesting. He's security. My guess is he is from the Police Home Guard.

http://kongehuset.dk/materialemappe/...skoncert-3.img
Mary sitting next to the colonel from before and the head of the Home Guard, major general Finn Winkler.
Behind her sits Caroline Heering in her capacity as LiW. Caroline Heering could attend the concert anyway as she is also a second lieutenant in Army Home Guard, as is Mary.

IRRC Mary also attended the New Year concert in previous years.

[polyesco]

Is Frederik not part of the Home Guard too? does he not attend these events?

Nice pictures by the way

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by polyesco

Is Frederik not part of the Home Guard too? does he not attend these events?

Nice pictures by the way

No, he is a regular, albeit in the reserves.
Anyway, Mary is de facto a patron of the Home Guard, so this is more her area, while Frederik I believe mainly deals with the regular armed forces.

[Muhler]

H.K.H. Kronprinsesse Mary deltager i hjemmeværnsøvelse på Bornholm

As you may know from the DRF calendar Mary will from Thursday until Saturday evening take part in a Home Guard excersize on the island of Bornholm.
Bornholm belongs to the same Total Defence Region as Mary.

Around 500 members of the Army, Navy and Air Home Guard will take part in the excersize called Safe Sunshine. (Bornholm is also known as the Sunshine Island).
There will not be access for the press, but photos will be published late Friday on the DRF site as well as the Home Guard site.

- Mary is a member of a staff company, so we may not see her in full gear and with her rifle.