Quote:
Originally Posted by gerry
This is where we need Muhler  : (Are there school holidays happening now in Denmark?) but I would guess that the Crown Prince and Princess would go through security like anyone else; indeed insisting on equal treatment. However, there is probably a VIP entrance where the usual procedure takes place.  |
M&F have diplomatic passports and as such they are exempt from going through the usual security checks. That also applies to their luggage.
A breach of their diplomatic immunity (not least as invited and welcomed guests) would have constituted a diplomatic incident and led to very severe protests from the Danish government.
As invited guests, their entourage, I.e. staff, security, government minister and civil servants are also considered a part of the diplomatic mission and they would not have gone through the usual security checks either. The PET officers may have had to hand over their pistols, I don't know. That is the case in some countries like UK.
However, the businessmen and journalists are
not exempt from the standard security checks. Even though most would have arrived on the same plane as M&F and followed them around.
For those interested in financing. As a general international rule the host country pay for bed and board for a visitor (with spouse) and up to twenty staff members or entourage in connection with a state or official visit. Are there more than twenty, the visiting country will foot the bill for the rest.
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Summary of a number of articles in Billed Bladet #11 & 12, 2013.
Written by our woman in the Andes, Annelise Weimann.
As you know this visit is about money. South America in general is a growing market and DK would like to get a foothold and this is where the DRF come in. Due to their status, protocol wise and simply by being royals they are able to ensure a higher degree of coverage and to ensure that the business delegation meet people on a higher level, than had they just followed the Minister for Commerce.
M&F are of course not the Regent Couple, but I doubt the business delegation mind. M&F have the glamour factor and that's worth a good deal!
On top of that Chile is the most affluent country in South America.
The visit started unofficially with a very official walk in the hills. The Regent Couple were of course not expected to go hiking in the Andes, but they were supposed to visit a market. But now they had a young, physically active CP couple on their hands, so what to do? Got it! Let them have a walkabout. Sporty, good pics and both Mary and Frederik showing legs, what is there not to like?
Mary stated: "It's really nice to go out and walk. Much better than lying about in the hotel room". She also graciously admitted that Frederik was in better shape than she was. Frederik didn't contradict her, as he pointed out he had after all just completed the Vasa run, so he is pretty good shape these days.
The first day ended with the Danish ambassador inviting M&F and following to a dinner at a neat restaurant, El Meson Neudiano, named after a very well known Chilean poet Pablo Neruda. The ambassador is incedentally newly married - to a Chilean lady. Among those invited was also the Danish Foreign Minister, Villy Søvndal. Who much less reverently is better known in DK as Villy Sleepvalley or Villy Schlafenthal - (Hopefully he didn't open his mouth too much during the visit and thereby embarrassed his country and his English teacher!)
As direct representatives for QMII, M&F naturally popped by the Chilean President, Pinera, to say hi. However because they are "only" the CP couple, it was up to the Chilean Foreign Minister to bestow the official handing over of orders to Frederik (and Mary too I presume). That was a merry affair, with Frederik and the Minister joking. Frederik who was in high spirit during the entire visit and didn't show signs of the akwardness he sometimes display when in the spotlight nor did he stumble over the words, jokingly held his breath to avoid being skewerd by the pin in the order he was presented. The Foreign Minister on the other hand advised him not to bend over so as not to drop the order. It all ended with a big hug.
The order was the Gran Kruss, which QMII also recieved when she last visited Chile as a Princess in 1966.
It wasn't all about orders. M&F also met the mayor of the capital city Santiago, and were presented with the keys to the city, before being taken to a school for children from socially troubled backgrounds. This is where Frederik is in his right element, but a genuine Crown Princess,
that interested the girls! One of them being seven year old Natalia Hernadez, who had read about Mary on the Net and she hoped: "I wish I could be friends with the Princess".
M&F had a good division of labour. Frederik recieved the keys to the city and Mary gave the thank you speech, ending with the words: "Muitas gracias".
The visit continued with Frederik looking at some Danish machinery we would like to export to Chile and stuff.... While Mary ran with the attention, (carrying a clutch from Carland Copenhagen) visiting a library. Founded by a Dane who has lived in Chile for many years. Anne Hansen, would like to help a bit and as such she opened a library for children in one of the poorer neighborhoods of Santiago.
With four year old Rosita sitting on her lap, Mary sat among the children and listened to the speeches.
Afterwards Mary was interviewed by the curious children.
Does she read a lot? Yes, but not as much as she would like to but she does read aloud for her children.
Does she like to dance? Yes. And she likes dancing to among other things rock & roll.
Mary also told that many children are disappointed when they see her, they expect her to wear a big gown and a crown.
Q: How does it feel to be a Princess?
M: "It's a big priviledge, but there is a big responsibillity as well".
Q: How has it been to start as an ordinary women and then become a Princess?
M: "You may get the title as Princess very quickly but like everything else in life it's a journey. You find your way/road and fill out the role that feels right for you. But you are always yourself".
Apart from children M&F also visited a Dominican convent and attended a dinner basically on behalf of the business delegation at Club de la Union, with more than 300 guests. By then the temperature had dropped to a balmy 25 degrees C!
But it wasn't all fun and smile. M&F also visited Museo de la Memoria about the dictatorship under Pinochet. here they looked at a wall with photos of thousands of people who vanished, never to be found.
The visit ended in the Atacama desert, where there is clear sky for 330 nights a year, an ideal place for observatories that are located at an altitude of 2.600 meters. It's desolate but nevertheles scenic and M&F were busy photographing each other.
Some of the astronomers are Danes and they met M&F.
However, there was a slight touch of drama. M&F were flying in seperate helicopters and the helicopter Mary flew in lost connection with the GPS sattellites and in accordance with safety procedures the helicoper landed until the connection was reestablished. This is not to be confused with losing radio contact.
Near the observatory is a hotel, which was "blown up" in the Bond movie, Quantum of Solace. A movie at least Frederik has seen, but apparantly Christian has not been allowed to see a Bond movie yet, even though some of his friends have.
Here M&F gave a pretty long interview. In fact it was for once mostly Frederik who answered the questions.
Do they expect to replace QMII on similar visits in the future? They don't want to speculate but they are ready to step in again some other time if need be.
Frederik said that he and QMII had had a last talk shortly before departure and that QMII was annoyed she couldn't go.
Q: It is like you have shown more power on this trip than you usually do. Do you feel you have to do an extra effort because you have stepped in for your parents on this trip?
F: "The concept for these travels are not unknown for the Princess and me. for the last three four five years we have been on similar trips with business delegations and been the tip of the spear for them. But it's nice to be able to step in and be able to help your mother and father. And there was a big wish for the trip to take place at this time". (*)
Q: Crown Prince Frederik, you have been on many official travels in your life. Does it give/mean something extra that you are now two, travelling together?
F: "We have each had our tasks, but we have been together on most jobs. In that way you manage to speak to more people".
Q: I was more thinking on the personal level?
F: "I can relax in a different way, than I could before we were married".
Q: How?
F: "It's a huge fortune/happiness to be two, to share things with each other and support each other. When I was younger and travelled alone I may have been in better shape, yet I remember that on some of the trips to among other places Thisland and Japan, that I was truly spend when I came home. I was always alone and there was a constant focus on me".
(*) Without venturing too far out in the psycologial depths of Frederik, I personally believe he enjoyed the challenge of suddenly having to step in and take over. M&F are here not appendixes to the Regent Couple but on their own. Also M&F clearly enjoy working together, it brings out the best in both of them I believe.
thanks for the link fairy tale.
)
) and look forward to further M and F adventures
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