Mette-Marit and the German press

[Mandy]

Palace blasts German press

Norway's royal house has had enough of the Germany's mass-market press' sensational fantasies about crown princess Mette-Marit and, in a rare move, made a public statement to try and stem the wild stories .

The lurid tales that finally exasperated the royal family were based on purported pregnancies and abortions.

"In the German press the crown princess has been pregnant, but the pregnancy lasts for 11 or 12 months, so then an abortion or a birth has to be written in. In addition, there have been reports that the crown prince is not the 'father' and that twins which were supposedly born have been put up for adoption, and so on," said palace information chief Wenche Rasch.

Rasch has given interviews to both newspapers and television stations in Germany on behalf of the crown couple, and has blasted the wild pursuit of the crown princess by the German media.

"What we want, first and foremost, is to give a signal that enough is enough. There are limits to what we can accept," Rasch said.


Aftenposten English Web Desk
Jonathan Tisdall/NTB

 

[Alexandria]

www.afterposten.no

Rumors keep flying about Mette-Marit

News last week that Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit is pregnant hasn't toned down rumors that continue to swirl around the woman set to be Norway's next queen. The German press is having a field day, but this time the Royal Palace in Oslo is staying mum.

Last spring, palace staff came out swinging and called on German publishers to stop printing what they claimed were outright lies about Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon.

Things then went quiet for awhile, but now several German celebrity magazines are back at it, featuring Mette-Marit on their covers and printing a rash of unsubstantiated claims to go with the photos.

One headline wondered whether Mette-Marit "is strong enough for this child," while another claimed the baby "saved" her marriage. Others reported marital problems between the two, and that Mette-Marit already has had at least one nervous breakdown.

Palace officials in Oslo are likely furious over the new media circus, but told newspaper VG they had "no comment."

Meanwhile, VG itself landed in hot water this week for allegedly misusing a Red Cross ambulance boat to ferry a reporter and photographer out to waters off the royal summer house on the island of Tjoeme.

The Red Cross wasn't pleased, but a VG editor made no apologies. He said VG's team identified itself and asked to be taken where the other press boats were bobbing in an effort to get fresh photos of royal family members.

The entire family was spending Thursday in Sweden to attend the funeral of King Harald's uncle, Prince Carl Bernadotte. An official flag of mourning hung outside the palace Thursday morning.

 

[Alexandria]

www.nettavisen.no

German magazines terrorize Mette-Marit

The low stories about the Norwegian Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon continue in German magazines. The pregnancy has only thrown more gas on the fire.

The German gossip tabloids have written about Mette-Marit’s pregnancies and abortions for over a year. Now that the Crown Princess finally is pregnant, several of the tabloids claim that it happened under very dramatic circumstances.

«The dreadful suspicion»
The Norwegian paper VG refers to the magazine Echo der Frau: «The dreadful suspicion – she is pregnant and he is with someone else.»

They refer to sources employed at the Norwegian palace, when they write that Haakon is enjoying the summer in London with his «good female friend,» while Mette-Marit is left at home alone, «crying her eyes out.»

«This child saved my marriage,» claims the magazine Vida at Mette-Marit said.

Not doing well
The magazine Neue Post used a picture of a moved Mette-Marit from Maud Angelica's christening July 2, to tell the story:

«It has now for the very first time been made public in all its plainness how poorly the Princess is doing.» The magazine continues:

«The 29-year-old princess, who herself is expecting, had a dramatic breakdown when her niece was christened.»

 

[Josefine]

www.aftenposten.no

Palace may sue gossip magazines

Swedish Crown Princess Victoria's victory over German scandal sheets has inspired Norway's royal house, and the palace is now considering similar legal action against gossip magazines that fabricate racy tales about the Norwegian royal family.

On Tuesday German weeklies Woche der Frau and Die Neue Frau agreed terms with the Swedish royals after printing lies about Princess Victoria in recent months. The magazines agreed to print large retractions about various rumors they circulated about the princess' love life, 'pregnancy' and 'illnesses'.

Norway's Crown Princess Mette-Marit has repeatedly featured in the German gossip weeklies, in a wide variety of fantastic tales including speculation that Crown Prince Haakon is not the father of the child she is expecting.

The German scandal press also happily manipulates photos, a recent example being front page pictures of Mette-Marit with 'her baby', which is not due until January.

According to newspaper Dagbladet the palace has been compiling a file of such tall tales but has not yet decided to go to court.

"We have made note of the Swedish palace's victory with their demands to the German press," palace information chief Wenche Rasche told Dagbladet.

 

[Smilla]

The German mags are still insinuating that Mette-Marit has BIG health problems and that the court spokespersons are holding back the sad truth that she's doing badly.
Utter rubbish, probably.

 

[carlota]

i wonder what those german tabloids say about other princesses. is it just mm they pick on or on every other princess?

 

[lula]

i wonder what those german tabloids say about other princesses. is it just mm they pick on or on every other princess?

I believe that they say it of all, on the health of Maxim they did some commentaries, and on Letizia's pregnancy they have written all the imaginable barbarities, when it is evident that she is nice because she has not stopped.
What they write everything is invented or does not confirm anything, but write barbarities and cruelties that are afraid, because that say things of the princesses it is wrong, but that things are invented on the health of the babies it is terrible. It does not surprise me that this press receives so many denunciations.

 

[Smilla]

i wonder what those german tabloids say about other princesses. is it just mm they pick on or on every other princess?

Actually they don't pick on mm at all. They adore her quite a bit. It's all done in a voice of concern and pity.
But true, hinting that the royal babies might have some incurable disease or that the pregnancies might go wrong is downright cruel.

 

[carlota]

Actually they don't pick on mm at all. They adore her quite a bit.

how can that be understood? they publisize not contrasted/not official information (and usually hurtfull information) because they like her? that's difficult to understand...

 

[Larzen]

Its very easy to understand its called $$$$$$$$

Happy couple and healthy children dont sell, drama on the other hand...ka ching!!!!!

 

[carlota]

then it's something like interest and not liking, isn't it? that's what you meant, smilla?
i still can't understand why they do it if they actually like her.

 

[Larzen]

They ADORE Silvia (their very own german born glam Queen) and they keep writing nasty untrue things about her family and husband constantly, I guess that is their way to show their love.

 

[Smilla]

then it's something like interest and not liking, isn't it? that's what you meant, smilla?
i still can't understand why they do it if they actually like her.

It's a schizophrenic situation. On the one hand, they write lots of nice and sympathetic things about her, but as somebody said here, happy couples and healthy babies don't help them to sell more mags. So they invent the evil stuff, too. I don't buy them on principle. It's filth.

 

[akina21]

The pictures are the only reason I sometimes read our "great" magazines . By the way the normal life of any crownprincess in these magazines is like that: First they are the new girlfriend (royal parents don't like her at all ). Then the potential husband threatens to marry without permission (great drama). Suddenly they all like each other and a huge wedding is in the cards. After the wedding the new princess has a lot of difficulties to overcome . First , they have problems to cope with the protocol. Then after some time (2 months or less) the princess gets pregnant but with great sadness she suffers a miscarriage and is now unable to become pregnant (or unwilling ). During the next months a lot of doctors are being brought to the palace to examine the patient . Then out of the blue a pregnancy is announced (thanks to some strange doctor living somewhere in the rainforest ). Everything looks fine for some weeks until all signs point to some life threatening desease or premature birth. After the healthy child is born older siblings (if there are any) become extremly jealous and might want to move to there biological fathers ( ok this is a personal story , only used for one princess). The baby also has his or her difficulties . The baby gets sick (lack of hair sure is a sign for concern )and the parents are so worried , they cannot work and the whole country suffers with them

 

[redeye215]

By the way the normal life of any crownprincess in these magazines is like that:

I agree with you. These magazine seem to have a script for royals and even celebrities just to sell their magazines. They are doing it with princess Mary in Oz at the moment but not to such an extreme i guess because of what happened with Diana. They're probably worried about a backlash against the tabloid magazines. I guess its best to just watch out for what the palace says about MM's condition. But I hope she gets better soon though. I do think she should take as much time as she needs to feel better.

 

[KikkiB]

Some news regarding the Crown Princely couple.

Reprimand for gossip mongering

Eight German magazines have been reprimanded by the national press committee for inventing scandalous tales about Norwegian crown princess Mette-Marit and those nearest her.

The rest of the article is found here: http://www.aftenposten.no/english/local/article1132926.ece

 

[Sol]

Please, do not listen to what German tabloids tell. Guess they have not told anything true this far.
MM is not unpopular in Norway, actually her popularity grows.

 

[Smilla]

Please, do not listen to what German tabloids tell. Guess they have not told anything true this far.
MM is not unpopular in Norway, actually her popularity grows.

Thank you for telling us. This is good news!

 

[Smilla]

I've seen that recently German gossip mags are starting an anti-MM campaign (which is strange, since they've been very supportive of her all the time.) It comes in the guise of concern ("Poor Mette-Marit. How often will Hakoon be able to forgive her?"). They say she've made a lot of embarassing mistakes like wearing the wrong clothes in Thailand (e.g. white = colour of mourning; stuff on head = bad, bad manners). I don't know if any of this is true, but they more or less suggest she's too preoccupied with her kids to do her job properly.

 

[kwanfan]

I've seen that recently German gossip mags are starting an anti-MM campaign (which is strange, since they've been very supportive of her all the time.) It comes in the guise of concern ("Poor Mette-Marit. How often will Hakoon be able to forgive her?"). They say she've made a lot of embarassing mistakes like wearing the wrong clothes in Thailand (e.g. white = colour of mourning; stuff on head = bad, bad manners). I don't know if any of this is true, but they more or less suggest she's too preoccupied with her kids to do her job properly.

That seems rather strange. The only white she wore was the dress when she was departing and the dress under her coat on arrival. Maxima, and Empress Michiko both wore hats on arrival. One of Queen Sofia's dresses was a white or off white dress, as well as Empress Michiko wearing a dress with a full white skirt and a dress that was white at the Royal Barge procession,

 

[Smilla]

That seems rather strange. The only white she wore was the dress when she was departing and the dress under her coat on arrival. Maxima, and Empress Michiko both wore hats on arrival. One of Queen Sofia's dresses was a white or off white dress, as well as Empress Michiko wearing a dress with a full white skirt and a dress that was white at the Royal Barge procession,

I also thought this wasn't reliable since the German glossies generally aren't. Don't ask me. They actually had a picture of her wearing a bunad and focusing on one of her fingernails which was broken. Saying that this was surely a sign of disrespect - having a broken fingernail in a public appearance. Obviously the other CPs aren't making enough mistakes at the moment, so the gossip mags are homing in on MM.

 

[akina21]

About those German tabloids. I think the best lines were the part about how she doesn't know the names of her childrens teachers

 

[Smilla]

About those German tabloids. I think the best lines were the part about how she doesn't know the names of her childrens teachers

Oh, really? I missed that one. What did she do? (I guess she arrived at the PTA-Meeting with a broken nail, wearing a flowery headdress symbolizing Early Death to Teachers AND then didn't know the names of the children's teachers.)

 

[Smilla]

Just another bit of gossip thrown up by a German gossip mag: they say poor Sverred Magnus is ill all the time because he is stressed out because MM insists on taking him to all those official functions abroad.

 

[kwanfan]

Just another bit of gossip thrown up by a German gossip mag: they say poor Sverred Magnus is ill all the time because he is stressed out because MM insists on taking him to all those official functions abroad.

Tabloids! I'm sure Sverre would be in worse shape if he was left alone instead of being nursed!