Frederik and Mary's Introduction and Courtship

[Harold]

Thanks. That's a really good story!

[Xeara]

I think Andrew and Mary were housemates in a Bondi sharehouse...??? So Mary had the right flatmate at the right time

[HRH Abigail]

Originally Posted by Harold

If I understand correctly, Frederik and Mary met in Sydney during the Olympics. And if I understand correctly further they met in a bar! So, how did it come to pass? Have they talked about it? I picture him with his Danish friends drinking beer and seeing Mary and then saying hello. Then, my question really begins. At some point she has to say something like "so what do you do?" Did he say I'm the crown price of Denmark or did he demur and say something like "I work for the government?"

Hello there, Harold:

Abbie here.

I have heard that Frederik introduced himself to Mary with these words: "Hi, I'm Fred from Denmark" (seriously!) after having walked up to her in a Bar (NOT just any Bar, I am sure ... I think it was at some function or other) after having spotted her from across a crowded room (as the saying goes).

I am told he was most UNpretentious, and continues to BE that way, in fact. KUDOS to him.

Actually, I am told that Fred is quite a hoot to be around!

[Harold]

A hoot to be around? Sounds wonderful and I bet he makes a great king!

[GlitteringTiaras]

Originally Posted by HRH Abigail

Hello there, Harold:

Abbie here.

I have heard that Frederik introduced himself to Mary with these words: "Hi, I'm Fred from Denmark" (seriously!) after having walked up to her in a Bar (NOT just any Bar, I am sure ... I think it was at some function or other) after having spotted her from across a crowded room (as the saying goes).

Actually, Abbie that is incorrect. According to various interviews they were introduced through friends and he specifically said, "I'm Fred." They sat next to each other (Prince Joachim on the otherside of Mary) at the Slip Inn along with a crowd of people.

It wasn't until later in the evening and just before they left the bar to head on over to the club, Establishment, that they began to talk.

If you want to read about their relationship from the very beginning I recommend the book Mary: Crown Princess of Denmark by Karin Palshoj and Gitte Redder. Also there is a famous Mary: The Interview by Ninka which published some years ago and excerpts from the book were published in the Danish newspaper, Politiken.

[BurberryBrit]

I wonder what happened to Beatrice and how she came to know Bruno in the first place?

[GlitteringTiaras]

Originally Posted by BurberryBrit

I wonder what happened to Beatrice and how she came to know Bruno in the first place?

She knew Bruno through her sister, Katya, who lived in London at one point where she met him. So when he came to Sydney he called Beatrice and Katya to see them and hang out. One night he called and asked to met up with him. Bruno brought several friends along one of whom was Frederik and the rest is history.

[Aotearoagal]

Originally Posted by Xeara

I think Andrew and Mary were housemates in a Bondi sharehouse...??? So Mary had the right flatmate at the right time

Andrew Miles works for NSW MP Clover Moore and has many years experience doing PR and advocacy work. He is particularly interested in advocating on behalf of sex workers, of whom there are a lot in inner-Sydney. Prostitution is legal in Sydney, but the sex workers are often exploited. He attended a number of parliamentary committees in Australia, investigating the state of the sex industry, but wasn't called on to give evidence. I believe he knows Mary through PR circles.

[auntie]

There's something about CP Mary,(more than any other married into royal of this generation) that gives me the impression that Fred's money and position had a major impact in her pursuit of their relationship, she was terribly clever or well guided, how to work his way into his heart. Sorry, I know some of you will not like to read it, but I feel this to be true with all her "more royal than royalty" behaviour, her continuous picture perfect behaviour and all the books and articles that have been written by the media about her. It doesn't mean that she isn't in love with her husband or a devoted mother and a good role model for the Danes, it just means she is a human being with some minor imperfections. I've been a royal fan for years and have followed up all the European royals and this feeling, based on what I see and read hasn't left me! Had Fred been a (even wealthy) Dane, Mary wouldn't have gone after him.

[ricarda]

quote=auntie
I've been a royal fan for years and have followed up all the European royals and this feeling, based on what I see and read hasn't left me! Had Fred been a (even wealthy) Dane, Mary wouldn't have gone after him.

I have been a royal fan for years as well and I have a different feeling, for me their relationship is very convincing, more convincing than some others are. IMO they are "on the same level" and I can definitely see the attractiveness of Frederik (besides status and wealth) whereas I don't see that of Willem-Alexander or Philippe for example.
I mean, I don't quite see why Mary is singled out here. It might well be that status and wealth were attractive for her but I don't believe for a second that those things did not have any attraction for Maxima, Mathilde, Letizia, Mette-Marit or Alexandra and Marie as well.
Besides, there is a separate thread to express such feelings: Would she have married him? (in the Royal Chit Chat Forum, I believe).

[Penny Royalty]

I think there is "Something About Mary." And I think Fred loves her for it. I like this thread because you can see many pictures of Mary prior to becoming the graceful future Queen we all admire and adore. I personally think they are happy from all I've seen. There seems to be a harmony and a show of liking from one to another. Mary and Fred seem balanced to each other forming a duet that we can only speculate to be enchanting and charming. I think they're doing fine and I would also like to say that from this thread I think Mary is bold from looking at her pictures prior to Fred. She seems to have spunk and that "it" called the libido. I think Fred made a lucky find. I hope they do waltz and dance off the night as a happy duet. Good luck to them.

[BurberryBrit]

Originally Posted by auntie

There's something about CP Mary,(more than any other married into royal of this generation) that gives me the impression that Fred's money and position had a major impact in her pursuit of their relationship, she was terribly clever or well guided, how to work his way into his heart. Sorry, I know some of you will not like to read it, but I feel this to be true with all her "more royal than royalty" behaviour, her continuous picture perfect behaviour and all the books and articles that have been written by the media about her. It doesn't mean that she isn't in love with her husband or a devoted mother and a good role model for the Danes, it just means she is a human being with some minor imperfections. I've been a royal fan for years and have followed up all the European royals and this feeling, based on what I see and read hasn't left me! Had Fred been a (even wealthy) Dane, Mary wouldn't have gone after him.

Well Mary wasn't in a position to "go after Fred." She met him by chance. It was his decision to visit her in Sydney after their initial meeting. Mary was working and probably wouldn't have that kind of money to pick up and go to Denmark and visit him. Mary didn't come from money, nobility or aristocracy. She certainly didn't have friends on the inside telling her how to act or what to do. I think she "worked her way into his heart" the way any girl does to the man who falls in love with her. If Mary had been someone already in Fred's circle then I might be inclined to think that she planned to trap him. Do I think she made the best of a lucky situation? Absolutely. But that shouldn't be confused with trickery and baiting.

[ashelen]

I belive that he is handsome and probably very charming and of course he is wery well educated, anywoman would fall for him but of course his money help too, so i am sure she was impress with all that, if he wasn't in this positio i wonder if she would have been living everything for him, and this goes for more of the new princess comming from being commoners!

[Lakshmi]

I think both took a role when Mary met Frederick. She met him by a chance, she fell in love with a man, but I believe that ,like most girls would in the same situation, she was charmed by meeting a prince.

[Amelia]

Originally Posted by ashelen

I belive that he is handsome and probably very charming and of course he is wery well educated, anywoman would fall for him but of course his money help too, so i am sure she was impress with all that, if he wasn't in this positio i wonder if she would have been living everything for him, and this goes for more of the new princess comming from being commoners!

I think something that is important to remember when questioning if these women would have given up their careers, private lives etc if the men they were marrying weren't princes, is that the only reason they had to give these things up is because they were marrying princes. If they were just average men then there would have been no need for them to change so much about their lives in order to get married. It is easy to question if Mary would have given up her life in Australia if Frederick was not a Prince, well maybe if Frederick wasn't a prince he could of given up his life in Denmark and move to Australia but he is a prince and if they wanted to be together she had to move to Denmark. Just like it is easy to question if Letizia would have left her promising career in journalism if Felipe wasn't a prince well if he wasn't a prince there would of been no need for her to leave her job but he is a prince and if they wanted to be together then she had to give it up. The same goes for all the former commoners that are now princesses. These women gave up a lot to marry their princes but they also gained a lot and perhaps to them it was worth the sacrifice.

[ashelen]

Originally Posted by Amelia

I think something that is important to remember when questioning if these women would have given up their careers, private lives etc if the men they were marrying weren't princes, is that the only reason they had to give these things up is because they were marrying princes. If they were just average men then there would have been no need for them to change so much about their lives in order to get married. It is easy to question if Mary would have given up her life in Australia if Frederick was not a Prince, well maybe if Frederick wasn't a prince he could of given up his life in Denmark and move to Australia but he is a prince and if they wanted to be together she had to move to Denmark. Just like it is easy to question if Letizia would have left her promising career in journalism if Felipe wasn't a prince well if he wasn't a prince there would of been no need for her to leave her job but he is a prince and if they wanted to be together then she had to give it up. The same goes for all the former commoners that are now princesses. These women gave up a lot to marry their princes but they also gained a lot and perhaps to them it was worth the sacrifice.

Certenly I would not have any problem to live my life and do the "sacrificr" that this princes ex-commeners are doing today! it is really a "sacrifice" life, to live like them!!!!! i think most of the women would do that kind of "sicrifice"

[Lumutqueen]

Originally Posted by Penny Royalty

I think there is "Something About Mary." And I think Fred loves her for it. I like this thread because you can see many pictures of Mary prior to becoming the graceful future Queen we all admire and adore. I personally think they are happy from all I've seen. There seems to be a harmony and a show of liking from one to another. Mary and Fred seem balanced to each other forming a duet that we can only speculate to be enchanting and charming. I think they're doing fine and I would also like to say that from this thread I think Mary is bold from looking at her pictures prior to Fred. She seems to have spunk and that "it" called the libido. I think Fred made a lucky find. I hope they do waltz and dance off the night as a happy duet. Good luck to them.

I agree with you completely.
Your so right, the pair are extremly well suited for each other and they work in harmony and seem to love each other very much.
I do not think personally that Frederiks position or his wealth had anything to do with mary falling for him.
She doesn't seem that sort of person, the pair have lasted for 4 years know and they seem extremly happy and i do hope they last forever.

[auntie]

Originally Posted by BurberryBrit

Well Mary wasn't in a position to "go after Fred." She met him by chance. It was his decision to visit her in Sydney after their initial meeting. Mary was working and probably wouldn't have that kind of money to pick up and go to Denmark and visit him. Mary didn't come from money, nobility or aristocracy. She certainly didn't have friends on the inside telling her how to act or what to do. I think she "worked her way into his heart" the way any girl does to the man who falls in love with her. If Mary had been someone already in Fred's circle then I might be inclined to think that she planned to trap him. Do I think she made the best of a lucky situation? Absolutely. But that shouldn't be confused with trickery and baiting.

If I'm not mistaken Mary said in an interview that she and Fred exchanged email addresses at first and then they got to know each other ie: were freindly, and only after that a romantic relationship developed. I repeat, she was clever and well informed!

[BurberryBrit]

Originally Posted by ashelen

I belive that he is handsome and probably very charming and of course he is wery well educated, anywoman would fall for him but of course his money help too, so i am sure she was impress with all that, if he wasn't in this positio i wonder if she would have been living everything for him, and this goes for more of the new princess comming from being commoners!

Actually plenty of people meet someone from another country and move to that country for love. It's not that unusual. You can find work anywhere. Your "big love" (as Mary says ) does not come around everyday.

Originally Posted by auntie

If I'm not mistaken Mary said in an interview that she and Fred exchanged email addresses at first and then they got to know each other ie: were freindly, and only after that a romantic relationship developed. I repeat, she was clever and well informed!

No, that's common sense. I'm still not seeing the trickery and novel strategies that Mary used to land Fred. I've met many people in other countries and we keep in touch via the internet. It's nothing unusual.

[auntie]

Originally Posted by BurberryBrit

No, that's common sense. I'm still not seeing the trickery and novel strategies that Mary used to land Fred. I've met many people in other countries and we keep in touch via the internet. It's nothing unusual.

I was just reacting to a post that implied that after the initial meeting Fred flew back to Sydney to meet her again, and that's how their relationship began, which according to Mary, after the night they met they first exchanged emails, communicated for a year or so and then commenced their relationship to a more personal romantic level, that was a very smart or well guided step to take as they got to know each other before they got involved. A step everyone should take, royal or common!