I would also like to know how long Alexandra had to wait before she was given her patronages. Was it immediately upon marriage, or did she wait at least 5 months also?
As far as I remember Alexandra took over her first patronages in June 1996, ~ 6-7 months after her wedding, and the patronages weren't the most challenging ones: The Danish National Girls Choir and Randers Rainforest (I am not 100% sure about the rainforest, I know she inaugurated it in June 1996 but I am not sure if she became patron at the same time). The patronage she is/was mostly known and praised for on this messageboard - UNICEF - she took over from Queen Margrethe in summer 2002, almost 7 years after the wedding. At the time of her divorce she had 23 patronages.
Marie is not married 6-7 months yet and I think it's really no problem she hasn't chosen a patronage yet. She has the right to take her time just like Alexandra and btw Mary. I have the feeling there will be an announcement at the end of this year.
Lilla
After the marriage she [Mary] gradually became patron for more and more carities - but not that many.
IIRC Mary took her first 3 patronages in late November, early December 2004, ~ 6-7 months after the wedding, just like Alexandra, the patronages were "heavier" though (they had actually nothing to do with fashion, as some poster wrote): The Danish Mental Health Fund, The Danish Association for Mental Health and The Christmas Seal Foundation. The next were announced in January 2005: The Danish Heart Association (she took it over from Prince Henrik) and The Danish Brain Damage Association. Her sixth patronage finally had something to do with fashion:CIFF.
At the time of her 1st wedding anniversary Mary had 16 patronages - almost too many if you ask me. And she started to work with them right away. But somehow - and I guess it has something to do with those fashion shootings of Mary, a silly idea IMO (1st impressions last longest)
and one Marie will hopefully not repeat - the focus of the media always was on fashion and her 2 fashion patronages overshadow(ed) her 14 (now 22) patronages in the social, health, sport, science, culture, humanitarian department.
Viv
In addition to our "performing" RF we now also have the ex-wife of a prince running about with poseys and waving to gathering crowds. Maybe it's just me

, but I see it as a problem, also for Princess Marie in the long run!
I can see your point, Viv (actually I always found it a bit strange that in the beginning Alexandra took Martin to almost all her events as if she wanted the public to get used to the idea of a new "semi-royal" couple, but this seems to have changed lately) but I don't think Marie should take over the patronages of Alexandra. Another wife, same patronages? There must be other organisations in Denmark in need of a patron and Marie has to establish a profile of her own.
Moreover, I don't think the media coverage Alexandra gets nowadays is that big, in fact I think it has declined in a way I never thought possible, considering what a huge media star Alexandra once was. She is still famous and I think will always get her share of media attention. But Marie already gets more although she hasn't done that much up to now. Wait until she really gets started!
