Marie: Possible Future Challenges, Patronages and Successes as Princess of Denmark

[Heike]

Originally Posted by BurberryBrit

Do we know that's real and not faux fur?

Even if it's real, I doubt if we will get the answer: "oh, yes, I wear real fur coat."

[UserDane]

Originally Posted by carlota

your point is certainly quite interesting, mme royale. it would be quite strange to give her a protectorate on animal welfare with margrethe attending every year the royal huntings, although i see nothing wrong in only just one member with such patronage and refraining from attending these kind of events because of that cause. i can however understand this can lead to misinterpretation on the RF's position about the issue.

it's quite a shame however, as margrethe and mary seem quite fond of animals and so does marie, that because of tradition they need to give support to this kind of troglodytic and barbaric activities.

Still, there are animal related issues that to me present a more pressing problem that the issue of hunting; I am not a hunter and have never attended one but as far as I understand you can be an animal lover and still be a hunter. I suppose I am of the opinion that if I eat meat I cannot be whole-heartedly against hunting when done properly. I'd rather eat a deer that has lived in the woods and shot by a hunter than a pig or a calf which has been raised indoor in a too confined space - or even tied up all its life.

If I could choose an animal issue as a patronage for a royal it would be the cause of slaughter animals. I am so furious about the transports that takes place all over Europe with slaughter animals and some of the pictures we see from these transports are so awful they defy description. It is an extremely controversial issue within the EU - but I would love to see it get some royal patronage!

[UserDane]

Originally Posted by carlota

i couldn't really understand the meaning of this phrase can you re-explain?

Sure What I mean is that the two fashion patronages held by the DRF are some of those which at the website of the royal family are explained as meant to further trade. If Marie is offered a patronage to further sale of a specific Danish agricultural produce for example, no one will lift an eyebrow. If she is asked to help promote sale of a certain niche of Danish fashion sale on the other hand.....
So, I would like to see Marie take on as many fashion patronages as she is offered and wants to take because the only way to remove the negative attitude surrounding fashion patronages that is sometimes displayed in these forums for example, may be to bring on more of them to underline that they are just like any other trade related patronage

[CasiraghiTrio]

She loves her dog. Maybe she will be interested in animal causes. I'm not thinking of something controversial like PETA but there are other things that aren't politically charged. Princess Anne the Princess Royal of Britain is a good example of a royal who is involved in animal-related charities which are not politically charged. I'm sure Denmark has them too. I have no idea what "Princess Marie" will take on, but it's an idea.

[carlota]

Originally Posted by UserDane

Still, there are animal related issues that to me present a more pressing problem that the issue of hunting; I am not a hunter and have never attended one but as far as I understand you can be an animal lover and still be a hunter. I suppose I am of the opinion that if I eat meat I cannot be whole-heartedly against hunting when done properly. I'd rather eat a deer that has lived in the woods and shot by a hunter than a pig or a calf which has been raised indoor in a too confined space - or even tied up all its life.

If I could choose an animal issue as a patronage for a royal it would be the cause of slaughter animals. I am so furious about the transports that takes place all over Europe with slaughter animals and some of the pictures we see from these transports are so awful they defy description. It is an extremely controversial issue within the EU - but I would love to see it get some royal patronage!

i know what you mean, and i think you are totally right. i see nothing wrong in hunting as long as it's ethical (well, let's put that into inverted commas as after all, there's nothing ethical about killing another "live creature") and causing the least suffering to the animal. i totally support animal welfare, but i can't say i don't enjoy eating meat at all, and in fact i come from a country where meat production is important and exquisite as well. and as you said, i'd rather eat an animal that lived a "happy" life rather than another that was fed and kept in a farm to be slaughtered afterwards just because of the purpose of being eaten some day.

it is quite a difficult topic, but i hope they get around it and give some members of the family an animal connected patronage. i know mette-marit was once written by a fan to help a killer whale live in a more appropriate place - i can't remember the exact situation - but that was the closest i heard of a royal becoming involved in an animal welfare activity.

can any of the experts in the danish royal family tell us when mary's profile was online and when she started being given patronages? i'm curious as to when to expect the announcement happening. when did she start attending activities along with frederik during the engagement period?

[ricarda]

I don't know when Mary's profile was online since I only took notice of her a few weeks before the wedding.
But she started doing activities with Frederik in the same month of her engagement, she took part in the state visit from Luxembourg in October 2003.

Regarding patronages: the first 3 (The Christmas Seal Foundation, Danish Association for Mental Health, The Danish Mental Health Fund) were announced shortly before Christmas 2004 and afterwards a few almost every month. I do remember she had 16 patronages after 1 year of marriage.
There were many requests and she had to decide carefully which ones she would take. Actually the patronages are not "given to you" just like that, the organisations ask you to become their patron and you say yes or no. If they don't ask you you can't become patron even if you would like to.

So, in the end I think Marie will be patron of those organisations who ask her and which she accepts. I can also imagine that - within time - she might take over from Henrik his patronages which are related to France and French language/culture (e.g. Alliance Francais).

Anyhow, I don't think we should compare her too much with Mary. I think everything will be handled differently. Marie does not live in DK, so perhaps she will not attend many events with Joachim during her engagement time. She is not going to be queen and she has to learn the language first. I think everything will be much more relaxed, more like it was in Alexandra's case. IIRC Alexandra's first patronage was Randers Rainforest in June 1996, then she became patron of the cultural house Svenska Villa and the newly built Arken Museum. The first organisations she was patron of were quite "light" and the more important like UNICEF came later.

[CasiraghiTrio]

There are many kinds of charities involving animals' concerns that have nothing whatsoever to do with hunting. There is animals' care, and the problem of over-breeding (for profit) as too much breeding contributes to many animals being homeless and too many being "put down" and even negatively impacts the biological genetics. There are issues like horse slaughter, although that particular one can be very political; hundreds of horses who are perfectly healthy are sent to have their heads cut off daily, although there is nothing wrong with most of them, it's just that the breeders need money and can't "race" them (and they get money from the slaughter houses, who then sell the meat). But the list of animal issues apart from hunting goes on.

[Avalon]

I find very probably that casiraghitrio is right, and Marie will be actively engaged in patronages, connected with animals.
It also looks like she is the natural successor of Henrik's patronages, connected with France (as ricarda suggested).

And of course, she will have the usual pack of the Princesses: art, orphans, enviroment...

[carlota]

hopefully they will let us know what her patronages will be shortly before the wedding (or perhaps a bit before?).

[madeleine victoria]

Well, I doubt Marie will have an agenda on fashion since IMO she's not fashionably dressed like other royal women. Her sense of style is normal, kind of safe. So I guess animals would be her agenda. I haven't seen her with any jaw-dropping, super elegant outfit so I'm guessing the fashion industry in Denmark will not consider her but she maybe invited to any fashion shows. Her engagement outfit is boring with those chunky shoes and black?! She could have worn other color close to her outfit. Not a good choice IMO!

[Lilla]

Originally Posted by madeleine victoria

Well, I doubt Marie will have an agenda on fashion since IMO she's not fashionably dressed like other royal women. Her sense of style is normal, kind of safe. So I guess animals would be her agenda. I haven't seen her with any jaw-dropping, super elegant outfit so I'm guessing the fashion industry in Denmark will not consider her but she maybe invited to any fashion shows. Her engagement outfit is boring with those chunky shoes and black?! She could have worn other color close to her outfit. Not a good choice IMO!

Fasion? animals???? cars? bananas or iron industry?
Nobody knows and nobody will know before she starts getting protectorats. What is the idea of this guessing game? Hopfully not a substandard way of critizising someone, who is just at the very beginning of beeing a public figure.

[GlitteringTiaras]

Originally Posted by Lilla

Fasion? animals???? cars? bananas or iron industry?
Nobody knows and nobody will know before she starts getting protectorats. What is the idea of this guessing game? Hopfully not a substandard way of critizising someone, who is just at the very beginning of beeing a public figure.

Of course no one knows exactly what patronages Marie will take on once she becomes a princess. Furthermore, members are simply expressing their opinions regarding the issue at hand, which is one of the reasons why this and other forums like it, exsist.

Second, if members would like to discuss Marie Cavallier's fashion and style in further detail, I suggest you take a look at this topic. Post away and knock yourselves out.

[madeleine victoria]

Originally Posted by GlitteringTiaras

Of course no one knows exactly what patronages Marie will take on once she becomes a princess. Furthermore, members are simply expressing their opinions regarding the issue at hand, which is one of the reasons why this and other forums like it, exsist.

Second, if members would like to discuss Marie Cavallier's fashion and style in further detail, I suggest you take a look at this topic. Post away and knock yourselves out.

Yup, sorry about my comments re Marie's fashion style here. Anyway, I agree that's the reason why this thread is created, to guess the agenda of Marie or what will be her focus once she becomes a princess of Denmark.

Originally Posted by Lilla

Fasion? animals???? cars? bananas or iron industry?
Nobody knows and nobody will know before she starts getting protectorats. What is the idea of this guessing game? Hopfully not a substandard way of critizising someone, who is just at the very beginning of beeing a public figure.

Well, that is why it says Protectorates for Marie? (with a question mark). Guessing is fun plus we do it here in the forums almost any topic. We guess what's the name of the new baby, godparents and in this case we guess what Marie's agenda would be. Well, no one's criticizing Marie here (maybe not in this thread) we're just expressing what we think will be Marie's agenda. If she picks an agenda then surely we'll have a new thread that says so.

[Lilla]

Originally Posted by madeleine victoria

Well, I doubt Marie will have an agenda on fashion since IMO she's not fashionably dressed like other royal women. Her sense of style is normal, kind of safe. So I guess animals would be her agenda. I haven't seen her with any jaw-dropping, super elegant outfit so I'm guessing the fashion industry in Denmark will not consider her but she maybe invited to any fashion shows. Her engagement outfit is boring with those chunky shoes and black?! She could have worn other color close to her outfit. Not a good choice IMO!

If nobody is critizeising Marie on this thread, I wonder how this comment of youres are to be described. In my world this is critizeising. I definitely would not like to read such a statement if it was related to my person - I would feel hurt and get angry. Guessing doesn't hurt and it doesn't produce anger. Critizising does.

[biboquinhas]

Well I think that even if she loves animals (and I think Mary too loves animals) she will get the Patronages that the Royal house says so! When she marry a member of the Royal Family she is taking a commitment not only with her husband but also with the Court, here the Danish Court, so even if she likes animal causes I think that other causes will stand in front of this one and will win!

[carlota]

Originally Posted by biboquinhas

Well I think that even if she loves animals (and I think Mary too loves animals) she will get the Patronages that the Royal house says so! When she marry a member of the Royal Family she is taking a commitment not only with her husband but also with the Court, here the Danish Court, so even if she likes animal causes I think that other causes will stand in front of this one and will win!

nobody is arguing that. i believe most patronages will be dictated by the court, but i'm sure she will have a say over some others, just as any other royal member. if someone has an arduent desire to take up one patronage, or not to take it, because of x reasons, i don't think that would be a problem, as long as it's not with every single patronage, but i think patronages are by far something you need to take all the time without questioning. there may be one she may be reluctant to take, while there may be others she may like to take more than others. it's a good mix of both positions, i believe. she won't like all of them, she won't dislike all of them either, and she will love some others, just as with any other thing in life, but as other members in the family, she will most probably have a say. mary, for example, must have taken the danish golf patronage or the australian royal yatch club because she is fond of it, just as for example the fashion patronages, may have taken others with a bit more of reluctancy and there may be some she doesn't truly enjoy... and the same might happen with other members of the family.

[norwegianne]

Prince Henrik mentioned in an interview that he's been downsizing on his patronages, because of age, and I think, perhaps to get a younger demographic in. He does have several ones tied to Danish-French relations which would be an excellent soft start.

Given that Marie's main residence will be in Southern Jutland, it might also be nice if she continued Queen Ingrid's work there…

[sgl]

When Prince Henrik decides to downsize on his patronages, I wonder how he chooses which ones he will not be involved in. Does the court give their opinion, or is he allowed to decide on his own? I would be interested to learn more about how this process works, and how to step down from these patronages without offending.

[norwegianne]

Originally Posted by sgl

When Prince Henrik decides to downsize on his patronages, I wonder how he chooses which ones he will not be involved in. Does the court give their opinion, or is he allowed to decide on his own? I would be interested to learn more about how this process works, and how to step down from these patronages without offending.

It has been done by the younger generation (Frederik, Mary and Joachim) taking them over, so they'll still have the royal protection. One guess would be that both they, and the organizations, have some input on who goes where - and what patronage he hands over.

I doubt anyone would be offended. It seems to me to be a way to ensure that the long lines of "royal protection" stay with an organization, instead of suddenly being without it.

[Odette]

I feel bad for Marie. She is getting married to a prince but she cannot have the big wedding all the other newcomers were entitled to, since her fiancee has already been there done that.
Senior royals do not attend second weddings of the second son of a monarch.
Marie will have to make do with a much smaller wedding, more private smaller Church and less glittering tiaras than Alexandra was entiled to and had.
What worries me a little bit is that she has stated that she is a free spirit and the confined life of a princess scared her enough to break it off once with Joachim. How is she going to be happy with the long Danish winters in the countryside? No matter what she does or how fast she learns she will always play second fiddle to Mary.