Mary and Frederik's Circle of Friends (Danish and Australian)

[Marengo]

How terribly vulgar. Why on earth would she do that? She must be wealthy as she received an enormous sum from her ex-husband when she dumped him after only a few years of marriage. Just a wish to become famous? Not an uncommon wish for a teenager maybe, but a bit sad for an adult. Is she still invited to attend court functions or did they scratch her from the list (which would not be surprising at all).

[Muhler]

Poor judgement I'd say, but we all make silly decisions in our lives.

Perhaps she lost a bet or she's reached the "panic-age" and at that age people can do silly things.

[Nordic]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Is she still invited to attend court functions or did they scratch her from the list (which would not be surprising at all).

She has been invited to some private events but I don't know about "court functions". I've never had the impression that she is particularly close to Mary and Frederik. Could be wrong, of course.

[Muhler]

Mary's hairdresser and personal friend, Søren Heedegaard, has given a very long and personal interview.
In his typical style he says very little about Mary. Let me put it in another way: If we ever hear anything personal about Mary it will be most unlikely that Søren Heedegaard will be the source!

He says this about being asked about being Mary's hairdresser: "I'm happy/overjoyed and honored that the Crown Princess asked me whether I would help her, but the work is the same (as with any other). There is just so much more focus on the Crown Princess than on the other jobs I carry out. That's why it's a challenge I really solve to the best of my abillities".
The job for Crown Princess Mary was also a challenge that came to Søren Hedegaard:
"I was actually driving our scooter - with the milk-box behind (*) - when my phone rang. I pulled over and that was the then chief of court who asked whether that was a job I was willing to undertake.
I was delighted and said yes, please, but it was sort of like a dream. Only later did it dawn on me that it was true enough!
It may sound a bit over the top, but I thought: Well that's what I'm going to do now.
All my life there has been added on top of what I can. And now this challenge came as a new addition. You can literally say that this is the crowning glory of my work and the high-mark of my career.
I am of course proud that I over the years have become skilled to such an extent that I am offered and competent enough to carry out such a task".

Working for Mary means a lot of trips abroad.
"And it's not just about hair. There are different occasions and events and lots of things I have to familiarize myself with. That I see as a nice challenge. You acquire an insight into many cultures and then I meet other colleagues who work for other royals.
I'm very conscious that the things I do are being commented. Not just by the Danish press. My work means a lot to me and it matters very much to me to do it to the very best of my abilities".
He is also conscious that Mary is labelled a style icon:
"I think we have found a concensus in regards to hairstyles and make up and all that entails. And I know the Crown Princess feels safe in my hands".

Søren Heedegaard goes on to explain that he relies very much on sketches in his preparations and only when the idea is in place is it presented.

(*) Like this: A moped actually with the almost mandatory eeh... "organized" milk-box attached.
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/...20110614162407

[Rudolph]

Zoe Thinks ‏@ZoeThinks 6 mins6 minutes ago
housewives of London trailer and all about the players:
Ladies Of London Season 2 Premieres September 7th! Meet The Newbies And Watch The Trailer! - Reality Tea

Zoe Thinks ‏@ZoeThinks 9 mins9 minutes ago
Crown Princess Mary is Carolyn Flemming's daughter's god mother..

Zoe Thinks ‏@ZoeThinks 9 mins9 minutes ago
Holy crap: Crown Princess Mary's friend Carolyn Flemming is going to be on Ladies of London (a Bravo Housewife show) coming soon.

[Tarlita]

Originally Posted by Muhler

Mary's hairdresser and personal friend, Søren Heedegaard, has given a very long and personal interview.
In his typical style he says very little about Mary. Let me put it in another way: If we ever hear anything personal about Mary it will be most unlikely that Søren Heedegaard will be the source!

He says this about being asked about being Mary's hairdresser: "I'm happy/overjoyed and honored that the Crown Princess asked me whether I would help her, but the work is the same (as with any other). There is just so much more focus on the Crown Princess than on the other jobs I carry out. That's why it's a challenge I really solve to the best of my abillities".
The job for Crown Princess Mary was also a challenge that came to Søren Hedegaard:
"I was actually driving our scooter - with the milk-box behind (*) - when my phone rang. I pulled over and that was the then chief of court who asked whether that was a job I was willing to undertake.
I was delighted and said yes, please, but it was sort of like a dream. Only later did it dawn on me that it was true enough!
It may sound a bit over the top, but I thought: Well that's what I'm going to do now.
All my life there has been added on top of what I can. And now this challenge came as a new addition. You can literally say that this is the crowning glory of my work and the high-mark of my career.
I am of course proud that I over the years have become skilled to such an extent that I am offered and competent enough to carry out such a task".

Working for Mary means a lot of trips abroad.
"And it's not just about hair. There are different occasions and events and lots of things I have to familiarize myself with. That I see as a nice challenge. You acquire an insight into many cultures and then I meet other colleagues who work for other royals.
I'm very conscious that the things I do are being commented. Not just by the Danish press. My work means a lot to me and it matters very much to me to do it to the very best of my abilities".
He is also conscious that Mary is labelled a style icon:
"I think we have found a concensus in regards to hairstyles and make up and all that entails. And I know the Crown Princess feels safe in my hands".

Søren Heedegaard goes on to explain that he relies very much on sketches in his preparations and only when the idea is in place is it presented.

(*) Like this: A moped actually with the almost mandatory eeh... "organized" milk-box attached.
http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/...20110614162407

Isn't it just Murphy's Law that the most important [or one of] phone call for your future should come while you are least ready to receive it. Such as being on a bike!!

[Mr Society]

Princess Mary's best friend Kylie Matthews is now a residential property developer in Sydney.
https://youtu.be/0a3YOXzofYo

[jdd]

Hmm Kylie's trying very hard to speak well ... and has the local lisp and upward intonation at the end of the sentence ... depicted so colourfully by our friends from Kath and Kim fame, here parodying the hard life of the Aussie middle class:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gedPy6DjwEk

and here they are at the other end of the spectrum, demonstrating true Aussie kultcha!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=73RyJA1RDQA

[Muhler]

https://www.bt.dk/danmark/klar-laest...-er-bekymrende

Even though Caroline Fleming don't belong to the inner circles of friends around M&F - not anymore that is - I'll place this here.
The economy in regards to her manor, Valdemars Slot is "worrying". It's actually pretty bad!
The whole thing revolves around an "expected loan". If that loan does not materialize the manor is no longer solvent.
And there seems to be no plans for what to do next...

As always, keep in mind that her personal fortune and that of the manor, may not be intertwined.

[Hannelore]

What makes you say she isn't a close friend of Mary's anymore, Muhler? I remember them going for drinks together a few years ago and Mary being godmother to her daughter...

[Muhler]

The inner circle of friends are those who are specifically named as close friends of M&F, but also people who mentioned when ever there is a private gettogether with M&F.
The Heerings, for example, are mentioned constantly in that context.

Caroline Fleming, not that much. Certainly no longer.

[Muhler]

Update on Caroline Fleming's economy, or rather the economy behind her home, Valdemars Slot: https://www.bt.dk/danmark/laekkede-d...poster-penge-i

Without going into too many details, there is a large debt, way more than what the place is worth and there is a big minus in the capital behind the manor as well.
In short: the debt and deficit is larger than the money than can be raised. - Unless someone pump money into the place, and that is what has happened and now it has emerged who.

It's the Fleming family. Caroline Fleming used to be married to Rory Fleming, a nephew to the author of James Bond.
They have two children and so far their son, Alexander, is planned to be the one who will take over the place.
That may very well be the reason why they have injected so much money into the manor.

But... But there is a strong disagreement between the board behind the manor and Caroline Fleming herself and her father Niels Iuel-Brockdorff about what to do to improve the finances of the place and raise a capital. So nothing has been done, and in the meantime the debt grows larger.

- So unless Caroline Fleming and her family can raise enough funds, the Fleming family and the other creditors will soon be able to dictate what is going to happen, and since the Fleming family are by far the biggest creditors the manor may pass to them. That is to Alexander Fleming.

You can read more about Valdemars Slot here: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums...ml#post1994687

[Muhler]

These are bad days for Mary: https://www.bt.dk/royale/kronprinses...-er-gaaet-bort

First her father-in-law died and now one of her closest friends in DK has died as well.

Juliane Meulengracht Bang has died from cancer at the age of 54. She was married to Peter Bang.
Juliane Meulengracht Bang was a co-founder of the Mary Foundation and she and Mary knew each other from back when Mary first came to DK.

Juliane Meulengracht Bang was also founder of OvaCure, aimed at reserach into ovarian cancer, which ended up killing her.
Apart from that she sat in the board for the Maternity Foundation, for which Mary is patron.

In 2006 she married Peter Bang, a very wealthy IT millionaire. They had two children and by all accounts they had a happy marriage.

The author of several books about the DRF, Søren Jacobsen, says: "She was among the first friends Mary had in Denmark, ad I'll say thet she was among the five closest (female) friends of Mary".
Hun var blandt de tidligste veninder som Mary fik i Danmark, og jeg vil mene, at hun var blandt de fem nærmeste veninder af Mary

Juliane Meulengracht Bang will be buried tomorrow from Esajas Church.

[polyesco]

Frederik and Mary with Christian have attended the funeral today
https://www.seoghoer.dk/nyheder/mary...evaedet-farvel

[iceflower]

.

Here are more photos of Frederik, Mary and Christian at the funeral of Juliane Meulengracht Bang:


** profimedia gallery **

[Somebody]

It is quite telling that Christian is at the funeral as well. Clearly, Juliane was not only close to Mary but also to the rest of the family.

[carlota]

how sad that she fought against ovarian cancer which was the cause of her death. did she get involved with this cause before or after having been diagnosed?

[Muhler]

Originally Posted by carlota

how sad that she fought against ovarian cancer which was the cause of her death. did she get involved with this cause before or after having been diagnosed?

The BT article says after she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

[Somebody]

Which is normally the case, Prince Bernhard for example started Lymph & Co after he was diagnosed with (and recovered from) non-hodgkin lymphoma.

However, it is a hard truth that she died at this early age.

[JR76]

Originally Posted by Somebody

Which is normally the case, Prince Bernhard for example started Lymph & Co after he was diagnosed with (and recovered from) non-hodgkin lymphoma.

However, it is a hard truth that she died at this early age.

Queen Silvia started her by now tremendously important work with the care of Alzheimer patients after her mother got sick.