Crown Princess Mary as Patron of Copenhagen International Fashion Fair (2005-2013)

[Nordic]

I'm sure we will see other Lego shops opened by members of the DRF and thanks to your darling Joachim it will from now on always have a touch of nepotism to it.

4. Because of Joachim's affairs the accusation of nepotism is now more justified than it ever was before.

Maybe this is the reason why the court didn't mention anything about opening the LEGO store in NY in the official calendar.

 

[ricarda]

Maybe this is the reason why the court didn't mention anything about opening the LEGO store in NY in the official calendar.

I don't know who was responsible for this but IMO it was a bad decision.
Because this way Marie's being there looks indeed like a favour and not like a normal and normally announced royal duty.
(As Muhler said Lego is a very important company and actually Marie's first solo visit abroad in 2008 was to distribute Lego toys for charity in Morrocco. And that was announced.)

To me it has something dishonest, just like the announcement that Joachim sells Schackenborg because it is "incompatible with his royal duties".
I don't blame him for selling it, because I think he was very young when he got it and didn't really have a choice (like his brother).
But please no hypocritical announcements or non-announcements!

 

[Muhler]

I'm sure we will see other Lego shops opened by members of the DRF and thanks to your darling Joachim it will from now on always have a touch of nepotism to it.

Anyhow, this was originally about the article claiming that Mary's dropping of CIFF is a sign that the DRF will in the future be less involved with business and that Mary will focus on social issues. And I simply don't agree with that assessment.
1. Mary's focus was always on social issues. CIFF was the only business-related patronage (as the article itself states)
2. There was a concrete reason why she dropped CIFF. It was to distance herself from an unethical conduct, not to avoid the accusation of nepotism.
3. Frederik & Mary have done more business promotion tours in the last years than they ever did before. The involvement with business seems to increase actually, though not necessarily in the form of a patronage.
4. Because of Joachim's affairs the accusation of nepotism is now more justified than it ever was before.

My darling Joachim?!? You are an unbeliever, Ricarda. But in time you will see the light...

Anyway, to address your points:
1) Mary did get some critisizm initially for focusing too much on fashion and the fashion industy. - Back when she was still inexperienced, still didn't master the language and still wasn't fully versed in Danish politcs, commerce and social issues. She took on the more heavy social issues later on and today she's gone hardcore in that respect.
2) Absolutely. A quick and in my opinion wise decision.
3) They certainly have. So much that I'd say they are now the spearheads of the DRF in that respect. - Certainly in regards to creating awareness and publicity.
4) Wouldn't say that. The spectre of nepotism has been around for many years. Like the Regent Couple's close friendship with the late Mærsk McKinney Møller and especially PH's current friendship with the industrialist Fritz Schur.

I don't know who was responsible for this but IMO it was a bad decision.
Because this way Marie's being there looks indeed like a favour and not like a normal and normally announced royal duty.
(As Muhler said Lego is a very important company and actually Marie's first solo visit abroad in 2008 was to distribute Lego toys for charity in Morrocco. And that was announced.)

To me it has something dishonest, just like the announcement that Joachim sells Schackenborg because it is "incompatible with his royal duties".
I don't blame him for selling it, because I think he was very young when he got it and didn't really have a choice (like his brother).
But please no hypocritical announcements or non-announcements!

We can agree on that one.
We can perhaps hardly blame the DRF for not stating the real reason: A withdrawl for economic reasons, but it might have been more wise if the PR office had not tried to put a spin on that, because no one believed it.
The often almost pathetic attempts to create a positive spin on all issues regardless of anything by mainly politicians, is something royals should stay clear off IMO.

 

[JessRulz]

As Mary is no longer the patron of CIFF, this thread will be closed. Her attendance at the Designers Nest Awards can be posted in that specific patronage thread, while her attendance at CIFF can be posted in her current events thread.