Crown Princess Mary's Patronages and Charities

[Lumutqueen]

Here's a full gallery,
PPE Agency Crown

I'm not being rude here, and I love it when the royals recycle, but I would love to see Mary in something new.

[greenways]

Never been a fan of that dress for some reason. Looks a bit cheap with the glits on the front or something. It's cut is certainly safe.

[JessRulz]

Factsheet on Mary's involvement with the Alannah and Madeline Foundation; which includes a new picture of the Princess.

[Muhler]

Not sure if the mods will create a new thread for this one, or even how much significanse it has: Kronprinsesse Mary udnævnt til global leder - dr.dk/Nyheder/Penge

The World Economic Forum has appointed Mary as a Young Global Leader.

There are 192 Young Global Leaders from 59 countries.
They have been selected from the world of business, art, culture, media and academics.

Mary and the other leaders have been selected among people who have shown outstanding leadership, commitment in the society and successful accomplishments.

Once a year the global leaders will meet and discuss the global economy with global political and business leaders.
The meeting this year will take place in Puero Vallarta in Mexico on 14-18. April.

The World Economic Forum is one of the leading fora for discussing economic issues.

- Personally I haven't heard about it before and I guess the main purpose is to exchange ideas and views in the vain hope of influencing world leaders. How much influence it really has is debatable, I guess.

Billed Bladet infoms us that the Norwegian CP-couple are also members: Billed-Bladet - Kronprinsesse Mary udnævnt som global leder

[JessRulz]

The Young Global Leaders are appointed for a five year term, in one of the following categories: business, political, intellectual, arts and culture, societal, and opinion.

According to the WEF site, Frederik was appointed a YGL in 2005 (as his five-year term is over, he now belongs to the YGL Alumni Community). I remember reading about that around that time or the year after. This was the same year as the appointments of Prince Haakon, Prince Willem-Alexander and Princess Victoria.

Other royals who are either current YGLs or YGL Alums include:
-Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau (2006)
-Prince Jaime of Bourbon-Parma (2007)
-Princess Mathilde of Belgium (2007)
-King Jigme Khesar of Bhutan (2008)
-Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum (2008)
-Princess Lalla Salma of Morocco (2008)
-Princess Mette-Marit of Norway (2010)
-Prince Khalid bin Bandar bin Sultan (2010)

[dazzling]

Is it usually that they are appointed for only 5 years?

[ricarda]

CP Mary has accepted a new patronage
KFUMs Soldatermission i Danmark - Kongehuset

Information on their website
Soldaterhjem - KFUM's Soldatermission; in English YMCA Soldiers Home - KFUM's Soldatermission
When Mary visited the Danish soldiers in Afghanistan in 2009 she also visited KFUMs Soldiers Home in Camp Bastion.
On 10 April 2012 she will make a visit to KFUMs headquarter and Soldiers Home in Fredericia.

[Sternchen]

Originally Posted by dazzling

Is it usually that they are appointed for only 5 years?

Yes, you can only be appointed once, and only for five years. After that you automatically become an alumni :)

[iceflower]

.


Crown Princess Mary as the new patron of the KFUMs Soldatermission has visited the KFUM's
Soldier Mission in Fredericia today, April 10, 2012.



** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 ** Pic 3 ** Pic 4 ** Pic 5 ** Pic 6 **


** sn.dk gallery ** galleri.tv2.dk gallery ** jv.dk gallery **


** bt.dk gallery: Mary besoegte soldaterne ** lehtikuva.fi gallery **


** dr.dk video: Fredericia - Mary besøgte soldaterhjemmet **


** fredericiadagblad.dk gallery: En kronprinsesse kom forbi soldaterhjemmet **


** kfums-soldatermission.dk: H.K.H. Kronprinsesse Mary spiste frokost med soldater ** translation **


** purepeople: Princesse Mary : Le lieutenant de charme du Danemark en mission et en kaki **

[Muhler]

Thanks, Iceflower.

Mary looks really great. Can't put my finger on what it is - She just looks great.

Anyway, KFUM = YMCA. With similar functions both here in DK as well as on missions abroad. (When possible).
The town of Fredericia is a garrison town.

[sheikah deena]

I Don’t Like Her New Hair Color at all , The Color Going To Red Not Brown , It Was Much Better , Thanx iceflower

[marfre]

My thanks also iceflower.

Muhler, I agree Mary looks great. As I read somewhere else she seems to have a real glow.
Am I understanding this correctly, KFUM is a place for soldiers to get together? Could you please give a little more information. I am having trouble with the link tha was posted. Thanks

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by marfre

My thanks also iceflower.

Muhler, I agree Mary looks great. As I read somewhere else she seems to have a real glow.
Am I understanding this correctly, KFUM is a place for soldiers to get together? Could you please give a little more information. I am having trouble with the link tha was posted. Thanks

Yes, a certain glow.

The KFUM homes and places for soldiers and veterans is basically a part of readjusting veterans to a civillian life or normal garrison duty again.
There are also small apartments or rather dorms being offered for veterans and soldiers, so that they can be with others like them.
It's a place where they know they are understood, where they can be with someone just like themselves, where they can talk to someone or just having someone else around. - After living close together for six months a quiet apartment can be very spooky.
In recent years it has been realised that you just don't let veterans back out on the streets. They need a period to gradually readjust.

That's a far cry from when I served in the mid 90's.
We were suddenly civillians again within days from going on patrol in Croatia.
It was great to go back to family and friends and they were delighted to see me. But I soon felt somehow outside, even lonely. I couldn't relate to the things they were talking about and what was important in their lives.
Talk to them what had happened? No. They didn't understand. They couldn't understand. - That came much later.
So within a few days I teamed op with a mate who had served with me and we got drunk. We met more mates and we were basically constantly drunk for the better part of a week. And in a strange way we felt safe again.
That of course disappointed my family a lot and they couldn't understand.
I wasn't married back then. For some returning to their wives and children was the best readjustment possible, for others it led straight to a divorce.

It's difficult to explain. I would wish there had been KFUM homes available for us back then. It's a good place to go and be with someone else, perhaps even to stay a few nights if things are heating up at home or the moodswings get the better of you. Or just learn that you are not the only one still looking for mines.

[Muhler]

The Defence site has this article and a video from Mary's visit to the KFUM home.
En seng til soldaten

Translation:

A bed for the soldier.
Written by Karen Dahlin.

Wounded and injured sodiers can temporarily need a little home in a safe place. KFUM can soon offer such an accomodation for them.
There were savoury snacks and big wigs at the Soldier Home in Fredericia yesterday. HRH Crown Princess Mary was visiting and the occasion was pretty serious. Wounded and injured soldiers from international missions can need to spend some time after their deployment in very secure suroundings/frames.

"What the soldier home gives you is basically pure safety (as in feeling safe/secure). It's the safety of going in the door", says language officer and first lieutenant Lea, who among other places have been deployed to Sudan in 2005 and in Afghanistan with team 9 ISAF.

So far soldiers with special needs have lived at the Soldier Home, but now four new and modern apartments in Holstebro (*) are being build for them.

When Lea needed to recuperate after a deployment the offer was for a small room on the same floor where also the staff at the Soldier Home live. Lea experienced that she increasingly felt ill after her first deployment to Sudan, where she experienced misery and poverty close up. An alert and compassionate KFUM-mother (**) by the name of Ester quickly discovered that Lea felt bad.

"It was my way to rcuperate after Sudan by being close to a lot of soldiers, while I at the same time could go upstairs, when i wanted to be alone", tells Lea. (***)

Facts:
KFUM's Soldier Recreation is a refuge for those who have been deployed, where they can stay for a period of one to twelve months.
These homes will initially be build in three places: Holstebro, Hvorup and Høvelte. (****)
The apartments will be placed next to a Soldier Home in order to take advantage of the facillities and the community.

(*) A garrison town. Home of the Jutland Dragoon Regiment, who have deployed tanks to Afghanistan and before that Bosnia.

(**) In charge of a KFUM home or facillity.

(***) All ranks are welcome and mix at KFUM facillities.

(****) Home of the Royal Lifeguard Regiment.

The video: http://www.forsvarskanalen.dk/Defaul...aid=7591&bhcp= Mainly featuring first Lieutenant Lea, who is a language officer (translation, local contacts, intelligence, interrogation). Lea has lived at this home in a small room upstairs for some time now. It was the manager of this home, who invited Lea to live here.
Lea suffers from PTSD from serving in Sudan in 2005.
She and Mary talked among other things about the field rations, which Mary has also tried.
Mary's visit is very much appreciated by the soldiers.

[fairy tale]

The little girl at the end of the video is just too cute

Crown Princess Mary visits KFUM Soldiers Mission (2012) - YouTube

[sheikah deena]

Very Very Nice Video , I Really Did Like It , Yes Indeed The Beautiful Little Girl at The End Of The Video She’s Sooo Cute She Seems Love Princess Mary So Much , Thank you For Posting fairy tale

[Tarlita]

Wow Muhler your description of how you tried to cope was quite revealing. It is difficult for the rest of us at home to try and understand how a returned soldier is trying to fit in again. Here in Australia we have the RSL a Returned Soldiers League which is a club. I guess it was originally meant to be something like what you described but is now a place full of poker machines and bistro type meals and restaurants. I think the RSL still try to do there best for soldiers but not being one I couldn't really say. We also have a group called Legacy for Soldiers widows who try to help in various ways.
This April 25th is our ANZAC Day every town/ city big & small will have marching Armed forces to commemorate all regiments. It is a huge thing in this country. Australian and New Zealand Army Corp. About 10,000 hardy Aussies and New Zealanders will descend on Gallipoli [young & old]in Turkey for a Dawn service to commemorate the senseless loss of life in the WWI that happened there.
Thanks for trying to explain.

[Muhler]

Thanks Tarlita. RSL sounds more like a social club to me. KFUM is also a kind of social club but with, I think, a more intimate atmosphere.
Gallipoli. Talk about a waste of lives. An ANZAC equivalent of Somme and Verdun.

There are of course also various veterans organisations. I was a member of two but I left one, The Blue Berets, some years ago.

There is now a whole system in place for soldiers both when on deployment and afterwards. When a unit has been in a sharp situation there is a debriefing immediately afterwards. A kind of psycological brainstorming. Then there is the "buddy-system" where you look out for eachother and psycologists in place at the main camps.
When the soldiers return home, they are not immediatly discharged but granted a leave to see their families after which they most show up for duty again for a period. Gradually replacing deployment life with civillian/garrison life.
Then there are follow-up contacts and questionaires and opportunities to come and seek council for those who may have issues.
As well as now the KFUM Soldier Homes.
Soldiers still in service are encouraged to talk about their emotions between themselves when they feel like it.
Nowadays the main psycological after effects stems from combat stress and combat fatigue.
Yet, despite all this there are at any given moment several ex-soldiers living in the forests here in DK.

It has been estimated that the majority will not suffer from particular longterm after effects. Readjustment is the key.

There was no such thing in my time.
It wasn't that it was considered un-macho to talk about such things, we just didn't. It didn't come natural I think.
It happened from time to time that someone was send home with a depression and they were quitely discharged and left in the care of their own GPs and what the local municipality could come up with, - who really didn't know how to handle such cases.
You can prepare yourself for snipers and mines, even casualties but none of us were prepared for the feeling of sheer frustration.
We were there as peacekeepers, we were meant to make a difference, we should and could have made a difference. Even though we weren't combat troops we were trained and equipped well enough to have stood up to the undisciplined rabble that constituted most of the militias there.
We were willing but we were not allowed to make a difference. Some UN bureaucrats preferred to do nothing, absolutely nothing! It's worse than being helpless.
That led to a lot of anger issues, bitterness and depression.

And most of us were let back out in the society with these feelings penned up inside us.
Most of us moved on, some started to drink, others vented their frustrations on their families, others hid it all away and they are now paying the price for that.
It was our field chaplain (back then they were the closest thing we had to a psycologist) who gave us a very sound piece of advise when we returned. Instead of getting furius when people back home complain about trvialities, be glad. If people complain about what's on TV or the neighbor's lawnmower, then they live a very priviledged life, and that's wonderful.

Anyway, there is another issue I hope Mary will take up at some point.
Children. It's difficult to explain a child aged eight or ten what it really means that dad, brother, uncle, sister is serving in Afghanistan. It has been realised how much it really affects such children. Children follow the news as well, without really understanding it, they observe their families and see the worry but they don't talk about it to their families. They don't talk about it to anyone, because their teachers are not geared for it and nor are their friends and classmates.
Adult relatives can talk to and find comfort with other adult relatives but the children are rarely included.
That has fortunately been realised now. And I think Mary may wish to engage herself in that.
M&F's good friend Peter Heering has been deployed to Afghanistan twice, albeit in the rear, Caroline and Peter Heering's children are too young to understand much anyway, but in regards to concern, Mary now has very close friends who understands the issue first hand.

Thanks for the video, Fairlytale.

Mary was genuinely praised for her commitment and interest in the issue by the leader of the KFUM home, Ester.

[Tarlita]

There are a lot of issues for returning soldiers. I am sure our defence force here & the RSL have schemes in place to help them of which the general public is not aware of unless related to a soldier. I imagine. And your comment about soldiers living in forests - looking for some solitary perhaps. A bunch of Vietnam veterans here have found a remote place to gather in the bush and live off the fishing etc. The comeraderie helps them deal with their feelings. I think its a good thing if thats what they want. And it sounds similiar to your soldiers living in forests in DK.
Anyway to get back to the thread, Mary may have more of an understanding than most of the general public relating to these issues. Her support to keep these things going would be appreciated I imagine.

[Lady Rosie]

Hello Tarlita & Muhler.

I watched one of our more reputable current affairs shows and it had a story about returned soldiers and PTSD, trouble resettling into civilian life and difficulties with DVA (Department of Veterans Affairs). DVA is the Dept. charged with compensation, medical bills amongst other things. Here is the transcript and video link. Not sure if those outside of Aus. will have difficulty with the video though?

7.30 - ABC

If you have trouble with the link let me know and will try to fix it.

Interestingly companion dogs are being trialled to assist those living with PTSD.

Some may find it interesting. If only we had similar homes set up here to help our Vets. Mary took sun safe message to DK maybe she could bring KFUM back here. If only life were that simple!