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09-30-2021, 02:34 PM
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Courtier
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Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: NORTH HOLLYWOOD, United States
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Thank you for that explanation Muhler! Wow....now all this pomp and circumstance makes sense!! Like you said....full red carpet treatment, including being met at the airport! I am not sure which ministers she has with her on this trip, but I had read it was at least 2 or 3? Just not sure which ones.
Yes, I was surprised at the F16 fly over. I could have seen that if it was Frederik maybe.
So has protocol in a sense gone out the window with this visit?
Now she's moved onto a more cultural portion of the day with a visit to the museum, opening an exhibit with a speech, given a tour and then in the evening a concert and then a dinner at the Danish Embassy. I will say it has been quite a first day for Mary on this visit.
Muhler - Do you think the reason you gave above is why Mary was asked to make this visit as opposed to Frederik? With Mary the obvious is, well, less obvious...or there is more an attempt to make it less obvious with the Crown Princess instead of the heir to the Danish throne?
There is quite a bit of interesting and delicate maneuvering and balancing if that makes sense.
Added Content: BB is all over this visit. Here is a video of Mary stopping to speak to two cute little girls. You can here their conversation in the video as cameras snap away
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongelig...aa-royale-fans
Photo and video from the engagement at the museum from the DRF IG
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUdTceiA...dium=copy_link
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09-30-2021, 04:10 PM
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Imperial Majesty
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Eastern Jutland, Denmark
Posts: 15,908
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That was a sweet little conversation.
The girls are daughters of a Dane working for a few months in Vilnius. Mary asked them how they were doing and whether they went to school here (they were home schooled) and when they were returning home.
She thanked them for being so kind and welcome her.
That's very good PR-work. Mary is well-trained, but she has always stopped to chat with onlookers. In fact I'd say she introduced it to the DRF.
Yes, I find it very plausible that Mary was selected to go solo on this trip, because of the delicate political balance this visit entails.
There are many ways of showing the flag...
Mary visiting the Danish troops will no doubt be well covered by the Lithuanian press. Had this been a trade delegation Mary had headed, such a visit would be a minor stop on the agenda and not of that big importance to the local media.
Mary can do that, not least because she in contrast to her husband isn't a general with a military career behind her. And in contrast to QMII isn't the commander-in-chief.
I simply cannot recall another visit by the DRF in recent decades where Danish fighters did a fly by. Over Mary and the local President, at the President's residence. - Not even to Estonia, which DK historically (and now also militarily) has close ties with, and where there is also a more or less continuous Danish military presence. In fact we have set up a brigade around a reinstated light combat regiment, that is supposed to be deployed to Estonia in case of an emergency. And not even there have we seen Danish fighters above.
Mary has visited Estonia alone and while she was well received it was at a lesser level than this one.
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09-30-2021, 04:23 PM
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Courtier
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Join Date: Aug 2021
Location: NORTH HOLLYWOOD, United States
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That's very sweet with the little girls.
I agree about Mary introducing the more tactile walk-about. I think she also taught Frederik to interact more during a walk-about. He was awkward in the beginning while she was chatting and shaking hands. I will say this and some might disagree with me, but IMO Mary is the biggest and best asset the DRF have! IMO she's the star of the DRF and when you get her and Frederik together...well....takes it to next level.
Yes, the flyover I must say was quite impressive with the ground standing on the balcony of the presidential palace.
Muhler - has this been getting good coverage in Denmark that you've noticed?
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09-30-2021, 04:38 PM
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Imperial Majesty
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Eastern Jutland, Denmark
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Izzie
That's very sweet with the little girls.
I agree about Mary introducing the more tactile walk-about. I think she also taught Frederik to interact more during a walk-about. He was awkward in the beginning while she was chatting and shaking hands. I will say this and some might disagree with me, but IMO Mary is the biggest and best asset the DRF have! IMO she's the star of the DRF and when you get her and Frederik together...well....takes it to next level.
Yes, the flyover I must say was quite impressive with the ground standing on the balcony of the presidential palace.
Muhler - has this been getting good coverage in Denmark that you've noticed?
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I agree with you. She has helped renewing the DRF and making it more modern and approachable and to a large extent also relatable.
There are some who say that they are perhaps taking it a little too far. I.e. becoming too ordinary and I believe they should only go as far as they are now and no further.
Don't become too informal or the magic goes away.
But we should not discount Frederik, who has learned form his wife and mixed that with his own very more folksy approach - which is natural to him. And he has allowed his wife to shine and give her room. And obviously without a hint of jealousy, on the contrary in fact.
Nor should we discount QMII, who as the wise woman she is, clearly has seen the potential in her daughter-in-law and allowed her to use that potential and develop into such an asset as Mary is today.
QMII too has learned from Mary and now as a matter of course approach onlookers. Something she didn't do before. Much of that I think also had something to do with her being shy and very focused.
Because PH had no problems chatting to the general public when he had the opportunity to do so. But before Mary he rarely had the opportunity to interact with onlookers, because he had to keep up with QMII.
So, as you point out, Mary is a part of well-working team. And one of the keys to it working so well, is that they complement each other and allow each other room to work in the way that suit them best.
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09-30-2021, 05:00 PM
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Courtier
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Join Date: Aug 2021
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I think at the moment, they are striking the perfect balance between being approachable and down to earth, but still maintaining the status of being members of the royal family.
Oh and of course I'd never discount Frederik at all. Mary has just enhanced his already immense talent at relating to people, etc. I have never once gotten an inkling of Frederik being jealous of Mary. He looks at with immense pride at all she has accomplished and relishes that...enjoys seeing her being so good at her job/duties. Mary has said how they are both very different in how they approach their work and that he allows her space to do things in her own way. It is beyond obvious that his pride for her overflows! And vice versa!
And yes, I agree that QM has also seemed to come out more and talk to people instead of just walking down the middle of the street waving to each side like I've seen in old videos. Plus, IMO she has allowed M&F to do things their way and develop their own style as they have taken over more and more. You can see the shift. She has not been one to say this is how you should handle this or that...but has given them room to find their own way in their roles together and separately. I believe she's very proud of both of them and has immense confidence in them.
This visit to Lithuania for Mary is just one example of the immense trust and confidence shown to her.
Edited to Add photo and video of Mary at wreath laying ceremony
https://instagram.com/stories/detdan...um=share_sheet
https://instagram.com/stories/detdan...um=share_sheet
https://www.instagram.com/p/CUeRh4Xj...dium=copy_link
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10-01-2021, 02:43 AM
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Courtier
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Join Date: Aug 2021
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10-01-2021, 04:51 AM
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Administrator
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Here's a gallery of day 2 today, October 1:
** tt.se gallery **
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10-01-2021, 11:25 AM
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Imperial Majesty
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: san diego, United States
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10-02-2021, 03:11 PM
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Imperial Majesty
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Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: san diego, United States
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Interview with Mary, who mentions good conversations with Frederik before her trip.
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongelig...e-med-min-mand
It's in Danish but that's what the article says ; )
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10-02-2021, 03:49 PM
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Imperial Majesty
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Eastern Jutland, Denmark
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She really didn't say that much of substance - she isn't really supposed to... - She talked about listening to Frederik telling about the Baltic countries.
As you may recall Frederik specialized in the Baltic countries at the Defense Academy (for staff officers) he gave lectures about the Baltic countries later on.
She also talked about how it was to physically feel the warm relations between DK and Lithuania.
- Not that sure how strong they really are though. Because Lithuania has historically been leaning much more towards Poland and Slovakia, than the Nordic countries. Language and culture is also more central-eastern European than Nordic.
DK has historical and cultural close ties with Estonia in particular, and to a lesser degree with Latvia, that perhaps has closer ties with Finland and Sweden. Historically Latvia also has ties with Germany, or perhaps more correctly Prussia.
For centuries Lithuania competed with Poland, Russia and Ukraine about control over what is now eastern Poland and north-western Ukraine, as well as Belarus. And sometimes you can still feel some tension between these nations, that are founded in these feuds over the centuries. But there are also ties. Culturally, language and also because sometimes they were enemies, at other times they were allies and the borders were until only a 100 years ago very fluent. So intermarriage has also taken place on a large scale.
I noticed, as so often before, that Mary's spoken Danish regress a bit when she has been speaking English and presumably been thinking in English as well - as she must have been for a large part of this visit.
When that happens you can tell right away from her pronunciation and grammar.
It happens to me as well. Then I speak (or write) Danglish. Mary spoke Engnish in this video, if you get my meaning.
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10-04-2021, 12:39 PM
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Courtier
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10-06-2021, 04:12 PM
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Imperial Majesty
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During her trip to Lithuania, Mary presented the Gold Oak Leaf symbolizing 40 years' of service in the Danish Army
https://twitter.com/DkDefatBaltic/st...28691179810817
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10-06-2021, 11:50 PM
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Posts about the Mary Foundation have been moved to the correct thread, see here.
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10-12-2021, 11:39 AM
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Imperial Majesty
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10-12-2021, 01:12 PM
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Imperial Majesty
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Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Eastern Jutland, Denmark
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That looks good. 
There was particular focus on women, and not least women in the Sahel Belt.
The Sahel Belt being the broad area south of the Sahara Desert, and before in turns into a lush savanna or forest.
It's generally a very undeveloped area and very traditional in regards to culture and outlook.
If you happen to be born as a girl in that region, you can expect your life to suck!
It may not be as bad in regards to women's rights as Afghanistan, but it sure is close enough!
- I don't think I can sum it up in a better and simpler way.
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10-29-2021, 03:49 PM
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Imperial Majesty
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She sure is doing great work.
It would have been for security reasons indeed and I guess she's on her way back or is visiting places in Burkina Faso, surrounded by FET agents and/or the Danish special forces in the area.
Because DK is heavily involved in that area of the Sahel Belt, both politically (via France), militarily (supporting French units fighting there) and in regards to aid.
Burkina Faso has for many years been a recipient of Danish relief aid. It was really a hole in the ground, that Danish school children were taught and encouraged to support. In particular the children there.
It is still a very poor country, but also a developing country in desperate need of investments (and military support) and today also in need of vaccines, so it's no wonder the red carpet is rolled out for Mary and the delegation she is heading. - Apart from her status of course as Crown Princess.
As a direct representative for the Danish head of state, she will of course pay her respect to the Burkina Faso government and in this case also the president. - That's diplomatic protocol.
Burkina Faso is located on the edge of the area of Sahel Belt where Islamist has been a true menace for many years, not least in neighboring Nigeria. Where Boko Haram has been notorious for killing civilians and abducting school children for purposes it's better not to dwell on. Sometimes these fightings spilled over into neighboring countries, like Burkina Faso - even though it was most to the north-east of Nigeria, but Islamist constitute a serious problem in the border area in the north of Burkina Faso, which is also the most poor part of the already poor country.
Boko Haram has recently suffered a major setback, with their insane leader being killed, so there is some hope for the future in that regards.
And the plight of women and girls there? - Well, they are a little better than in Afghanistan, despite government initiatives to improve that. So it's pretty bad to be a woman in that part of the world! - Which is probably a main reason for Mary going there.
- I could easily go on, but that background info will suffice for now, I think.
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