Countess Alexandra & Martin Jørgensen, Current Events 2: October 2008 - December 2009

[Sereta]

Exactly. I think most of the events he attends with Alexandra are in the evenings.
I like Alexandra's new hairstyle. It emphasizes her slender neck.

 

[ayvee]

What does Martin do for a living? sorry if this has already been asked but I couldn't find it.

He works for JJ Film, owned by Martin's father, Jacob Jørgensen, JJ Films produced 'The Wild Swans' in which QMII designed the costume and sets. She also appears in one scene in the movie. The DRF attended the premiere Sept. 13, 2009. This link from JJFilm has a video clip showing QMII working.
De Vilde Svaner

If you check the info about staff, everyone else has an e-mail contact info except for Martin:
Martin Jørgensen - JJ Film

I didn't realize the Martin's father was knighted with in 2000.
http://www.jjfilm.dk/en/jj_film/staff/jacob_joergensen/

 

[iceflower]

All posts about Countess Alexandra's book presentation at
the Nyboder School in Copenhagen have been moved to the
following thread:
Countess Alexandra as Patron of the Animal Foundation

 

[dazzling]

BB has an article saying that Alexandra attended the Breast Cancer Campaign on Sunday
Article in english ** original article

 

[iceflower]

All posts from today about the holidays of Countess Alexandra with
her sons have been deleted as the contained links have already been
posted at the Princes' thread yesterday. Please take a look at that thread:
** Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix and Prince Henrik **

Iceflower
Danish Forum Moderator

 

[RubyPrincess168]

I love her short hairstyle. Not many people can carry it off well.

 

[alex001]

I'm not sure if this has been posted before, but I've just come across an article about an interview Alexandra apparently gave in HK last month:
ÎÄÑÅÀö_°Ù¶È°Ù¿Æ
It's about her experience of living in N. Europe compared to HK, in particular how absolutely freezing it was for her arriving in Denmark in winter; she said “女王对我说，这年冷得有些特别，她以为我会卷起铺盖回香港/The Queen said to me that this year the cold (eurgh, it's hard to translate from Chinese into natural-sounding English when you're thinking in Chinese...) was somewhat particular and she'd half expected Alexandra to pack her bags and run for HK” When she visited Uganda, her first time back in the Southern Hemisphere, she felt like she'd returned back to Hong Kong - at last no need to wear a huge thick coat or surround herself with heating units.

On the day of her wedding, Queen Margrethe said to her, "From today onwards, you are Danish". The article then goes on to say that she surprised even the Queen with her quick ability to learn languages and to adapt to a new (cultural) environment. However, despite being multi-lingual herself, she said that since her parents generally spoke to her in English and not Cantonese, she chose to speak to her own children in Danish so that they could first master that tongue.

The Countess also says that she really admires her parents and that she has learnt a lot from her mother in particular about adapting to a new country, about it's never too late to make new friends. One problem she had in her own opinion was that when she first came she was not suited to the role of a royal wife, but she says she soon found her place once she realised that you must simultaneously get close to the people while retaining the aura of mystery; for example, it wouldn't be done to be seen queuing to buy things. However she does emphasise that whilst it is the oldest royal family, the Danish royal household is still very modern, which she believes is one of the reasons for its popularity.

Oh and it appears she's being very Chinese and overly modest about her Cantonese; since this is written in Chinese and was held in HK, the author is obviously Chinese and they actually say that she can speak Cantonese (as well as German, French and English...they've strangely missed off Danish...) "有着1/4中国血统的文雅丽是土生土长的香港女孩，能说英语、德语、法语和广东话" Well, either that or the author is also being typically Chinese and very polite about her Chinese - some people will actually compliment you profusely if you say lei hou, or hello, and nothing else

Apologies if that sounds somewhat Chinglishy...

 

[Terri Terri]

Thanks for the interesting read alex001! Very appreciated! It will be interesting to see how much media attention will be paid to the official visit of Prince Joachim and Princess Marie (Prince Henrik will go along too) to Hong Kong next month and whether there will be any comparisons between that visit and when Joachim and Alexandra visited Hong Kong as a royal couple!

We'll just have to wait and see!

 

[alex001]

You're welcome Terri Terri!

There's an article here about how the "otherwise hard-working Countess" has spent more than double the amount of days she spends working for her patronages on holiday and that she has become "invisible".

TV 2 Vip - Alexandras fede driverliv

There's another one here about how Alexandra, who got a 'debt-free house' off of Prince Joachim, has 'borrowed 2.5 million (dkk) on the house'. It's not known why, but Ekstra Bladet reckons a good deal of it went on her new holiday home in the Danish jet-set enclave of Alanya, Turkey. Alexandra and Martin refused to comment on the story and the Director of Totalkredit said "I didn't even know that she had been a customer of ours. It must be one of our cooperating financial institutions that have made the loan.

​

So she stays with us treated exactly like everyone else"

Ekstra Bladet - Alex låner millioner

 

[Odette]

You mean she mortgaged the house she got in her divorce settlement to buy a vacation house ?
I wonder if there was any clause in the divorce papers about this or she is free to do as she pleases with the house.

 

[Terri Terri]

here's an article here about how the "otherwise hard-working Countess" has spent more than double the amount of days she spends working for her patronages on holiday and that she has become "invisible".

Well...that's obvious and it was expected. She will still be famous as the mother of 2 princes to the throne of Denmark. She will never be a truly private person. But she no longer has the profile as a member of the royal family. Plus, CP Mary and Princess Marie are on the scene and they are attracting most of the media attention.

I wonder if there was any clause in the divorce papers about this or she is free to do as she pleases with the house.

The house belongs to Alexandra. She can do what ever she wants with it...even sell it! Its up to her and Martin to pay back the debt!
Ekstra Bladet talks about her luxury living...but unlike members of the royal family...Alexandra has to pay taxes on her annuity. She also has to pay VAT (which is refunded to the royal family).
She chose the life she has now...and appears to be very happy with it. Whatever her financial decisions, they are hers to make.

 

[ricarda]

I only agree half with you.
The house is hers and what she does with it, is really nobody's business.

But she got the annuity from the state for her on-going work. So, it's actually the taxpayers' business how much she works. She chose the life she has now - but the taxpayers have to pay for it (even though she is paying taxes herself now). All in all it's a very strange situation: the Danes paying for Joachim's ex-wife who actually admitted that the decision to divorce was hers.

I do not agree with EB that she is invisible though. She is still much seen at society events and in gossip mags, just not that much at work.
But it might be that Danish organisations are just no longer interested to have her - with Mary and Marie around.

 

[Terri Terri]

I take your point!

Maybe EB is saying that she is "invisible" in relation to how much work she does for her charities in public? We don't know how much work she does behind the scenes.

 

[alex001]

There's a story in Her og Nu about how Alexandra has "lost to Mary and Marie" and has benn put "out in the cold". If this is about her profile compared to that of Mary and Marie, to be honest I don't think anyone really expects/ed her to be as high-profile as they are in terms of charity work etc...
http://www.herognu.com/upload/her-og-nu/2009/47/hn47s001.jpg

 

[sgl]

I agree with you, Alex001. It sounds to me as if this tabloid wants to stir up some drama where drama isn't necessarily present.

 

[rylt11]

It is public knowledge that for whatever reason (s) Alexandra and Joachim decided to end their marriage. She first lived with, then married Martin. As part of the settlement, she received a grand house and other monies. Actually, the house had been purchased before public announcements were made regarding the sad state of the marriage (TRF has threads on all of this).

Now that Joachim has started a new life, with a new wife, new child, it is a little late for making remarks that Alexandra has been put to one side and that the other two princesses get more attention in the press, etc., despite Alexandra's merits. It is a very natural thing to happen.

If this is coming from the tabloids, it is a fairly pathetic way to stir up circulation. If it is coming from Alexandra, it is unrealistic that she expects the same treatment as when she was a royal.

To their credit, Joachim, Marie, Alexandra and Martin get along, try to share events with the children involved, and are respectful of each other. It is admirable that they do so. Hopefully, this will continue through the years.

 

[Saragli]

Just tabloid fodder. Alexandra has herself a Gorgeous! husband, two beautiful children, a pretty great and well paid job, plus a nice house and alimony. It seems like Alexandra has moved on from her Princess life and has settled quite nicely into her new life.

 

[rylt11]

Gorgeous is in the eyes of the beholder - In my opinion, Joachim cuts a better figure and is far more elegant.

Be that as it may, it is important to accept the consequences of any serious action in one's life, especially something like divorce, particularly when young children are involved.

Alexandra is a savvy business woman. She is very capable of working and leading a successful, fulfilling life outside of the royal enclosure.

Just a point regarding the purchase of the house in Turkey if the house in Copenhagen was used for collateral. In the unlikely event that Martin and Alexandra default on that mortgage, surely the queen or Joachim, or both, would come to the rescue, not permitting the two boys to be without a home (or roof over their heads) in Denmark. I wonder if Joachim could then gain custody of his sons.

Using the primary home (which she didn't buy herself, and was given to her as part of a divorce settlement - a divorce which she may have initiated) as collateral for a second home in an exclusive location is a pretty astute move.

If Martin comes from a wealthy family, shouldn't he have provided the second home, seeing as he didn't provide the primary home?

Please advise me if I am wrong.

 

[Viv]

If Martin comes from a wealthy family, shouldn't he have provided the second home, seeing as he didn't provide the primary home? Please advise me if I am wrong.

I have no knowledge of the financial situation of Martins' family, but.. not even the local tabloids have suggested that Martin and his family were "wealthy"! They are most likely "comfortably off", but I for one doubt that Martin Jørgensen is able to fork out for a luxurious holiday home in Turkey "just like that". .

Viv

 

[grevinnan]

Very smart move on Alexandra's part. If there is another divorce in the future she will most likely keep both properties if the financial arrangements are handled correctly. I doubt she would jeopardize the settlement she recieved by co-mingling funds.

 

[rylt11]

I've read that the house in Copenhagen was bought before the divorce was announced, that Joachim had to sell the little inn by Schackenborg to raise funds for that property (I believe the queen also took part in the purchase). By using that as the collateral for the Turkey residence, a default there would then encumber the Copenhagen house, right?

Neither the queen nor Joachim would permit the princes to be "homeless", I believe, so that house is probably not in jeopardy and never will be.

So, what role does Martin play in all of this? What does he bring to this marriage? It's hard to say how he figures in the equation except as an "escort" for a very savvy lady and a "father figure" for the boys. Joachim is very gracious about it all, obviously for the sake of the children.

Is this the general feeling in Denmark, or does anyone else share these thoughts?

 

[grevinnan]

I've read that the house in Copenhagen was bought before the divorce was announced, that Joachim had to sell the little inn by Schackenborg to raise funds for that property (I believe the queen also took part in the purchase). By using that as the collateral for the Turkey residence, a default there would then encumber the Copenhagen house, right?

Neither the queen nor Joachim would permit the princes to be "homeless", I believe, so that house is probably not in jeopardy and never will be.

So, what role does Martin play in all of this? What does he bring to this marriage? It's hard to say how he figures in the equation except as an "escort" for a very savvy lady and a "father figure" for the boys. Joachim is very gracious about it all, obviously for the sake of the children.

Is this the general feeling in Denmark, or does anyone else share these thoughts?

It is not unusual that one partner has more resources than the other. Martin is a successful professional in his own right. He is also the childrens step-dad, which means he is the dad in the house when they are with their mom. Why is Joachim "gracious" about Alexandra's marriage? What did Marie bring to their marriage that would make her more of an equal partner than Martin?

 

[rylt11]

Having your former wife, royal or not, living in the house you bought with her "boyfriend" and having your children living there as well seeing all of this is not the ideal situation. Far better for Alexandra and Martin to have married and then he move in. Is that too old-fashioned for some?

In my opinion, Joachim was gracious to give Alexandra the opportunity to settle her life more formally (i.e., get married) before moving ahead with his own plans. Let us not forget that his in-laws were living on his property this whole time. Not in the same house, but on his grounds.

While he and Marie had "vacations" together here and there, and she made more trips to Denmark as their relationship became more serious, she did not actually go to Denmark to live under his roof until the marriage.

I've read that Alexandra lived at Amalienborg for a while before the wedding and also that Mary was in Copenhagen for a while before she was actually married to Frederick. I wonder how that relationship was between Mary and Alexandra, seeing that A was already planning to discontinue the marriage and M was getting ready to tie the knot. Advice from Alexandra might have been awkward to say the least...

 

[principessa]

Alexandra at the cover of Billedbladet:

http://www.billedbladet.dk/~/media/BilledBladet/Bladforsider/2009/BB49.ashx?as=true&w=445

 

[alex001]

There's some info about the interview here and here.

It says that (according to Se og Hor) in the interview with Billed Bladet Alexandra's had plenty of job offers but she has turned them down because she wants to focus on her patronages and not "ordinary everyday work". She also has said no to more children, saying at 45 there won't be anymore, but she is happy anyway as she has a "wonderful husband and the world's most beautiful children"
She does not "regret anything in a turbulent life that led her from an anonymous existence in Hong Kong to a princess and then a countess".

There's a very short article here about Alexandra attending a children's climate change summit in Copenhagen. She made a speech which was, according to the article, well-recieved, in which she said that "It is my world, it is your world, but more importantly it is our world".

 

[Odette]

With regard to some questions raised above I highly doubt that either Ioaquim or the Queen will bail Alexandra out if she defaults on the mortgage she took on the Copenhagen house. The princes have plenty of palaces to live in and they do not run the risk of becoming homeless.
Another issue which may or may not be yellow press inventions is Alexandra's standing compared to Mary and Marie. Alexandra moved on and she is no longer a member of the royal family. The two sons are her only connection with the DRF. She was treated quite well by the royal family, so well in fact that the Queen had to amend Mary's prenumptial agreement since Alexandra's settlement cost much more than what they expected. (Perhaps divorce was not something they expected when they were drawing A& J prenumptial agreement.)

 

[Terri Terri]

Honestly, I believe that CP Mary as the mother of the future king will be treated far better than Countess Alexandra in the event of a divorce (God forbid). Alexandra was the mother of the 3rd and 4th in line to the Danish throne at the time of the separation and divorce. CP Mary is currently the mother of the 2nd and 3rd in line to the throne, one of whom is the heir apparent and future king after CP Frederik. Anyway...this is not the thread to discuss this matter.

I do think that Countess Alexandra's media standing today is vastly different compared to when she was a Princess of Denmark. When CP Mary first married, she was constantly compared to Alexandra...that no longer happens. Look at CP Mary today...she just visited the Danish troops in Afghanistan!!! - there were some who thought that CP Mary would never outshine or attain the same kind of respect of the ex-Princess Alexandra? Boy...were those opinions wrong!
There is a shift going on in the royal family now. The Queen and Prince Henrik are passing more duties to the younger generation, especially the Crown Prince Couple.

Countess Alexandra is on the fringes...almost like any other celebrity in Denmark now...seen mostly at social events. As the years go by, Alexandra's past as a princess of Denmark will just be a footnote in history denoted by the fact that her sons are princes. And even then, the focus will be on Prince Christian, Princess Isabella and any other children that the crown prince couple may have.

 

[rylt11]

The point about the princes having a roof over their heads was in reference to the unlikely event that their mother and stepfather defaulted on the mortgage of the house in Turkey.

Yes, indeed, there are many palaces in which they could live, but I doubt if either Alexandra or Martin would be included in such an arrangement. That is the reason why I don't believe that she (Alexandra) will ever lose the house in Copenhagen and that Joaquim and / or his mother would bail her out...Using the Copenhagen house as collateral was a very good way to ensure that it remains her home regardless of whatever might happen to the mortgage in Turkey.

It's like having your cake and eating it, too.

 

[dazzling]

The new thread can be found here