I bet you have all been there: You couldn't fall asleep because you wondered who is the man, behind the man, who is behind Mary's hair?
As you know Mary's hairdresser is Søren Hedegaard and he has looked after her hair since the very beginning I think.
And on occasion he takes care of Frederik and the children and I guess we are going to see his work even more as the children grow up. Isabella is only a year or so away from ditching her "child-hair" to a teenage-style hair. Christian already has!
He has also grown close to in particular Mary and must be included in their circle of good friends.
And so has his husband, Preben Kristensen.
The popular and very likable 67 year old Preben Kristensen has now for more than 30 years been a household name in DK, as an entertainer, a theater-actor (he has made very few films,) singer and dubbing where his characteristic voice is instantly recognizable.
And typical for the friends of the DRF in general and M&F's friends in particular, both of them hardly say a word about M&F. It is no secret that Frederik has cut off several who couldn't keep their mouths shut. That has been described in a portrait book of him from 2008 IIRC.
So apart from the odd anecdote about the DRF, in some sort of professional and public setting, not a word from either of them.
https://www.bt.dk/kendte/preben-kristensen-glemmer-aldrig-det-oejeblik-vanvittig-stolt
https://www.bt.dk/royale/preben-kristensen-om-ikonisk-parodi-en-gang-rettede-dronningen-mig
But back to Preben Kristensen.
As both hair-salons and theaters as well as the DRF were closed down for months, they went to their summer cottage in Skagen and had some quality time there together. - Then everybody else in Copenhagen got the same idea and went there too - so they left.
Preben Kristensen has deservedly won quite a few awards but the one he is most proud of is the Knights Cross that he got from QMII.
Despite the fact that he has for years made a great parody of QMII, where he genuinely nails her voice, though not her looks. Always as an encore, when he is performing with a trio called Linie 3. (Named after a bus-line BTW.)
In fact Queen Ingrid insisted that he made a parody of her daughter.
Eventually QMII went to see this particular show. And even though she has never commented on the parody, she did in a roundabout way by meeting the trio behind stage:
In this particular parody Preben Kristensen had gone full Norwegian on QMII, issuing "her" with a knitted cap and a sweater. As well as huge braids.
"I recall that the Queen after the performance was standing speaking with you two (the other members of the trio.)
Then she suddenly turned towards me and said: By the way, there are always bows in the braids.
And then she continued talking with you.
- Your Majesty, that shall be corrected by tomorrow, was my hurried reply.
She has so much subtle humor, our Queen."
But as for how far you can take a parody: "Loving humor is fine. So long it isn't sarcasm or mean. Whether it's Queen Margrethe or other victims, it's important that they should be able to laugh as well."
And as mentioned before he was awarded the Knights Cross (Something most of the accomplished actors of good repute gets BTW.)
Being an emotional man, Preben Kristensen cried when he got his decoration.
"I've always teared up easily. I often cry. But yes, there I cried. I'm madly proud of it. And fortunately my father and mother lived to see it."
"I won't belittle all the other great awards I've been given, but that Knights Cross! That is clearly one of the proudest moments of my life.
I'm proud of the monarchy and proud of what I have been presented by the Queen. It meant and still means so much."
Once in a while he gets to wear it, because as the husband of Mary's hairdresser and personal friend, he is sometimes invited to gala events. Where he is following his husband so to speak.
At other cultural events, it is the actor Preben Kristensen who is invited, with husband - and then they switch place so to speak.
"I put it on on occasion." And almost resembling a mischievous child he adds: "You can't always see it, because you are only to wear it at special occasions. But then I wear it underneath." And pads his breast pocket.
Frederik and Mary with Christian have attended the funeral today
