Frederik & Mary's Interview with German Vogue about Amalienborg: December 2010

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by ricarda

Is it "down to earth" to spend a six week honeymoon on a millionaire friend's expense? Or to build/buy a holiday house in Mozambique?
You don't see this type of extravagant life style with Maxima or Victoria? Now that is just too ridiculous!

What holiday house?

[ricarda]

Originally Posted by Muhler

What holiday house?

You can read about it here: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...9-a-17729.html
An "extravagance" of Willem-Alexander and Maxima which IMO was more dangerous for the monarchy than F&M's photoshoot.
But some keep their eyes firmly closed when it comes to their favourites.

[AnaC]

Originally Posted by Roxsteve

Despite the comments justifying the pictures, I still believe that Mary loves the attention and wants people to know how great her life is. I don't believe that this people who were unknown before are the same as they used to be. I think the pictures are horrible. It is almost like making fun at themselves. In their expensive dresses, the prince in his tuxedo...if you are going to take a family picture, then take one as a real family. I don't see this type of extravagant life style with Maxima or Victoria. It is just too ridiculous. Mary is far from being down to earth, and these pictures prove it. She had a similar photoshoot when she first got married. It seemed like she was a super model and not a member of a royal family. I just don't like this. Sorry.

I didn't like the photoshoot and said so when the first pictures appeared, on that we agree. On the other hand, I have no idea if Mary loves the attention and wants everybody to see how great her life as a princess is, but I don't think it's fair to assumme she made the decision to appear on Vogue Germany on her own. She has a partner who is actually the Crown Prince, she's just the consort. If Frederick thought this could harm the monarchy I'm sure he wouldn't have done the interview.
In my opinion, Mary can't be "blamed" for this on her own.

[Kataryn]

Why does anybody who is presentable have a right to be photographed as a "supermodel" in all that splendour but not those who are really the "top of the top" in their country on being "The Royal Family"? I personally question it much more when young girls are picked up on the street because they have something to offer for photographers and then are made-up and dressed like puppets and are presented as models by Vogue.

At least this naturally beautiful couple live in this palace (not a "location" for a photoshoot but actually their new home) and that's how they are - for I doubt they would act other than they feel because due to their standing they commanded the shoot, not the magazine, I m sure.

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by Roxsteve

Despite the comments justifying the pictures, I still believe that Mary loves the attention and wants people to know how great her life is.

Just to say, from my point of view, if I had a husband as handsome as Frederik, two beautiful looking children and looked stunning whole 9 months pregnant with twins. I would want to show off how great my life is. People show off about their life everyday on a smaller scale than Vogue, but they still do it.

Originally Posted by Roxsteve

In their expensive dresses, the prince in his tuxedo...if you are going to take a family picture, then take one as a real family.

This was a family picture, I thought it was a photoshoot for Vogue? Two different things in my book.

Originally Posted by Roxsteve

I don't see this type of extravagant life style with Maxima or Victoria. It is just too ridiculous.

As someone pointed out, Maxima and Victoria both lead very extravagent lifestyles. Much more so than Mary and Frederik IMO.

Originally Posted by Roxsteve

Mary is far from being down to earth, and these pictures prove it. She had a similar photoshoot when she first got married. It seemed like she was a super model and not a member of a royal family. I just don't like this. Sorry.

This is a photoshoot for Vogue, as was the other one I believe? You are not supposed to be "down to earth" in a photoshoot for the most HIGH FASHION magazine in the world. Are they supposed to sit around a campfire wearing jeans and flip flops for Vogue?
Royals have continually posed for magazine shoots, wearing expensive dresses, tiaras etc. Why is this photoshoot any different to the others?

I respect your opinion, and can understand where you are coming from. But IMO, what your saying is the complete opposite to what I think.

[jemagre]

Originally Posted by AnaC

I didn't like the photoshoot and said so when the first pictures appeared, on that we agree. On the other hand, I have no idea if Mary loves the attention and wants everybody to see how great her life as a princess is, but I don't think it's fair to assumme she made the decision to appear on Vogue Germany on her own. She has a partner who is actually the Crown Prince, she's just the consort. If Frederick thought this could harm the monarchy I'm sure he wouldn't have done the interview.
In my opinion, Mary can't be "blamed" for this on her own.

You make a great point. Whether you like the shoot or not this decision wasn't just Mary's. This decision wasn't even just Frederick's. It was also down to their team of PR people. I remember watching a year in the life of the Danish Royal Family when Oprah wanted an interview. That whole event was discussed by Mary's lady-in-waiting and the head of PR for the Danish Royal Family before it was vetoed. I imagine this went down the same way.

I personally feel like it was a very "Vogue" shoot. By that I mean tongue-in-cheek. Whether or not they should have done it...well I think they already released pictures and a documentary. So for me it was enough with what they already did. I wonder what the palace rationalization was? We will probably never know.

[camelot23ca]

Originally Posted by jemagre

You make a great point. Whether you like the shoot or not this decision wasn't just Mary's. This decision wasn't even just Frederick's. It was also down to their team of PR people. I remember watching a year in the life of the Danish Royal Family when Oprah wanted an interview. That whole event was discussed by Mary's lady-in-waiting and the head of PR for the Danish Royal Family before it was vetoed. I imagine this went down the same way.

I personally feel like it was a very "Vogue" shoot. By that I mean tongue-in-cheek. Whether or not they should have done it...well I think they already released pictures and a documentary. So for me it was enough with what they already did. I wonder what the palace rationalization was? We will probably never know.

I imagine the rationale was showcasing the renovations done to the palace. Their home is an example of top notch Danish restoration work and art and I can see wanting to put that out there - I don't see that as "showing off" but rather celebrating something that's bigger than Mary and Frederik as individuals. The family being included in some, (not all), of the pictures is just par for the course for this kind of photoshoot, I think.

I don't really like when royals do photoshoots like this - I think it blurs the line between royalty and celebrity which, IMO, can't be good for the institution of royalty in the long run. But Mary and Frederik aren't the first royals to pose for a fashion/lifestyle magazine and I guess they won't be the last. What I don't see is how any of them doing it equates to boasting or showing off their extravagant lifestyles - that requires too big a leap in logic to make sense to me.