DR: The former master of ceremonies Christian Eugen-Olsen (the guy I mentioned in the above post) said on DR1 that he's glad that PH whises to be cremated, with half his ashes being spread over the sea, and the other half being put in an urn and buried at Fredensborg. - Why? Because that shows that he saw himself as Danish. He repeats that ''PH is a Dane and has always felt like a Dane''.
And one of the other journalists on DR even decribed him as ''beloved'' earlier today (that really surprised me a bit). He is also being praised as a ''good ambassador for Denmark''.
TV2: Their foreign correspondent Ulla Terkelsen (also a favourite of mine) praised PH earlier today. - She said that most danes liked the fact that he was his french self (and the fact that he wasn't afraid to say something if he felt poorly treated).
The Danish television coverage is IMO about 99% positive towards him. - And yes, I knew he would be praised in death, but not to this extent (I think he would have loved it).
The Danish TV-coverage in special is 24/7 right now on most channels! In fact I've only tuned in at the main news updates but it's bordering on hysteria, even for a hardcore royalist like myself.
And you can hear it on the journalists, they are talking themselves into a frenzy. Hence why they are using expression that IMO are over the top.
If the ducks in the city parks hadn't sought refuge in the middle on the lakes, they would right now be asked to comment on the death of PH and what he meant to them!
I would not use the word beloved about PH. As a rural Jutlander that is an extremely strong word, we don't use every decade about anyone. (Serious!)
PH was interesting. he was
very popular indeed, when he was popular, and pretty unpopular when he wasn't.
He had the enviable ability to interact with everyone, just like Frederik, and he could suddenly ditch his PET officers and go to a hippie enclave strolling around the very illegal hashish stands there. And people loved and cheered him for it. (Including myself).
Then he could throw it all away by complaining about his status. And keep in mind, this was years ago.
He could jump of a helicopter, go for a pee in open view and then shake people's hands afterwards. And it was wonderfully male and so unroyal and so incorrect.
Then he could ruin it all by having a fit because he felt his own son usurped him. A mindset that is very alien from the Danish mindset. Almost incomprehensible in fact.
Then he could do such a typical grandad thing like luring his grandchildren to offer him a piece of their candy, only to take a huge bite.
(...)
PH is dead, after having been ill. Dementia is an illness, so he got a lot of sympathy. Also now, and also because you really don't say something bad about people who have just died. You tend to remember the sides of the person you liked. That's natural.
I wonder however if PH would have been labelled "beloved" had he died two days after QMII's 75th birthday where he was seen by the public as snubbing QMII because he couldn't be king. - Keep in mind that the first time he voiced his misgivings in that respect in public was in 1992. At that point it's pretty safe to say that he was very unpopular.
So listening to all the praise he's getting I can't help thinking: Yes, PH had his good sides,
very good sides in fact! But let's not overdo it. - He was after all only human.
And that I think is a good epitaph.