Queen Mary’s Patronages and Charities: January 2024 -

"Her Majesty the Queen presents the Rarity Award
The umbrella organization Rare Diagnoses will hold a joint event on Rare Day on 29 February 2024 at 17-18 in Industriens Hus. HM Queen Mary presents the Sjældne prize, which is awarded every 4 years.

Rare Day is an international awareness day for rare diseases and disabilities. In Denmark, it is celebrated with a big event every 4 years, when it is a leap year and thus also the real Rare Day on 29 February . In Rare Diagnoser, we are very much looking forward to HM Queen Mary's participation. We are happy and honored by HM The Queen's interest in children and adults living with rare diseases and disabilities."
https://sjaeldnediagnoser.dk/nyheder/hendes-majestaet-dronningen-overraekker-sjaeldne-prisen/

"Mary has been patron of the organization since 2005, where she has continuously participated in their events and focused on the Danes who live with challenges that few know about. And precisely diversity and vulnerability have become a greater and greater focus for Queen Mary in recent years. Not least in the work with the Mary Foundation, which "works for a society where everyone feels they belong."
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongeli...ser-hun-med-sin-foerste-officielle-opgave-som

Queen Mary attended the presentation of grants from The Crown Princess Mary Scholarship at the University of Copenhagen today, May 2:


** gettyimages: DNK: Queen Mary Of Denmark Attends Presentation Of Grants From The Crown Princess Mary Scholarship **

Love this! Such a great connection between the two countries and the universities. Great help for the students.

An announcement about Queen Mary's patronages has been made today:

The Queen assumes new patronages for the organisations Danish Hospital Clowns and WeShelter, which focuses on particularly disadvantaged and vulnerable groups, and for Independent Research Fund Denmark, which has the objective of developing and strengthening the quality of Danish research. In addition, The Queen continues her involvement in nature conservation as UNEP Patron of Biodiversity and The Danish Nature Fund.


From Queen Margrethe, The Queen assumes the patronages of The Royal Danish Academy of Music, The Danish Cancer Society and of Diakonissestiftelsen, a healthcare organisation established in 1863 by Queen Louise.


In addition, The Queen continues 16 of her previous patronages, including The Danish Mental Health Fund, The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) and WWF Denmark.

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On 20th June Queen Mary will open a new art-event in Aarhus.
It's called: Find the Elephant.
It's a cooperation between Aarhus municipality, the Psychiatry Foundation and Wild in Art.
It's consists of 30 decorated elephants (figures not live ones) placed in various location within the municipality and the purpose is to remind people of those who suffer from all sorts of mental illnesses.

That's a good initiative, I think.
In our village a man suffering from Paranoid Schizophrenia died some weeks ago. He wasn't violent but when he didn't take his medication he was an annoyance for his neighbors. He died, my wife believe, as a result of the medication. Because in severe cases the medication leaves the patient in almost a zombie-like state and combined with many years of inactivity, with the resulting obesity, chain smoking and junk-food... well, few get old that way. It didn't exactly help, I imagine, that he went from 0-500 when he didn't take his medication and had his episodes.
Statistically speaking those who suffer from illnesses like severe Paranoid Schizophrenia don't need a retirement fund, they die many years before the average.
That is the result of many years of political neglect. Savings on places at psychiatric wards, cuts on rooms at protected homes, savings on those who should look after the ill who live, usually alone, in their own homes, to check on them.
You probably know it well from your own countries.

Queen Mary attended the "Find the Elephant" event in Aarhus today, June 20:

A very good friend of mine quite a few years ago suffered from profound mental illness that no medications/treatments seemed to help, and he took his own life. Part of me has always felt that if he felt more comfortable talking to people about how he was struggling and what he was struggling with, he might have found a community of other like-minded people who could help support him in a way the rest of us couldn't because we didn't understand. So, kudos to Mary for wanting to bring this issue out into the open where people can't ignore it. Some people are good at hiding their pain, and if they don't feel like they can be open about their troubles, they'll keep internalizing it.

Very true. Im glad projects and difficult subjects are highlighted.
Article on today

polyesco said:

Very true. Im glad projects and difficult subjects are highlighted.
Article on today

Mary slog et slag for psykisk sygdom: Nu er elefanterne klar til at marchere

Det gode vejr kom med dronning Mary, der torsdag formiddag lagde vejen omkring Aarhus Ø for at løfte sløret for en af de farverige elefanter, der sammen med 29 andre kommer til at præge bybilledet de kommende uger for at sætte fokus på psykisk sygdom.

stiften.dk

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This is such a creative way to highlight such an important issue. The sculptures look beautiful as well. It is so important to remove the stigma surrounding mental health and speaking about it and not shaming people for having mental health issues or for needing to seek help.

Mary as Patron of The Christmas Seal Foundation (Julemærkefonden), will be presenting the Christmas stamp next month. This year, as per tradition, will honor King Frederik and Queen Mary.

"The Christmas mark 2024 will be a tribute to the Royal Couple and the Danish nation. In this way, the Royal House maintains a tradition that goes all the way back to 1907, where a new royal or regent couple adorns this year's Christmas badge.
Artist Niels Ditlev has designed the Christmas label. It is based on King Frederik 10's election language: "United, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark". Together with a portrait of the Royal Couple, the badge shows a large number of national symbols from both the past and the present. Symbols that connect us as a nation and are the framework for our community.
Royal tradition
"We are proud and happy that the King and Queen have chosen to maintain the tradition of having their picture taken on the Christmas label. It is a historic Christmas tag that appeals to both young and old. We are looking forward to showing the result to the whole of Denmark", says director of the Christmas Label Foundation, Søren Ravn Jensen.
The royal tradition of marking a change of throne goes all the way back to 1907. It is the fifth time that a new royal or regent couple has been celebrated on the mark. In 1907 it was King Frederik 8th and Queen Louise, in 1912 King Christian 10th and Queen Alexandrine, in 1947 King Frederik 9th and Queen Ingrid and most recently back in 1972, when HM Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik were pictured. "

Tradition is important, a semblance of normality in otherwise uncertain times