Archduchess Zelia
Heir Apparent
- Joined
- Jun 12, 2009
- Messages
- 3,637
- City
- Copenhagen
- Country
- Denmark
The issue will be when Christian is reaching mid 30s and still not the heir...will he still not be a full time "working royal" (I hate that term). I think this is a mistake and is delaying Christian becoming more comfortable with doing engagements, etc.
IMO, he should have been more visible starting this summer. IMO, they should have done a summer cruise as the Crown Prince Family. IMO, he should start accompanying his parents on certain engagements (Isabella too for that matter). IMO, he should start giving short speeches here and there (...)
Maybe they think he has 10-20 years to learn all this stuff before he become the Crown Prince so what's a few more years to hang out. Hopefully he won't fall too behind the other royals his age in the same position. Look at Ingrid Alexandra...she seems way more ready...but then again the Norwegian Royal family seem to operate a little differently (just look at how King Harald is more open to sharing duties openly and including Haakon in way more things on an official (as in included in the calendar) level/capacity.
Heck - Estell in Sweden has already seemingly been more involved in some engagements.
I can only read your objection to their postponement of Christian's apanage due to his schooling as a suggestion that he should become a working royal upon turning 18? That's just preposterous. Not even Frederik – who was the heir apparent – was thrown headfirst into life as a working royal at 18.
Or are you suggesting he will... cease doing public appearances completely upon turning 18?
Christian undertook his first official engagement at the age of 3 – and has done several since then. He'd accompanied his parents on 2 overseas tours before the age of 13. He's extremely comfortable doing official engagements. He took the lead in commenting when attending the memorial for the victims of the mall shooting last year, not Frederik. During the two tours, he was completely at ease carrying out engagements alongside his parents. During Royal Run this year, you could read his comments and mistake them for comments made by his mother. Why would any of that change?
I also read that then at 18 he is not becoming a member of the council of state like his father? Does that mean he cannot serve as rigforstander (even if they'd want to appoint him). I think Christian is already behind other royals of his age as the second to the throne. Again, maybe it is just assumed that he won't become heir until his mid 30s anyway so why get ahead of themselves. Unless it gets to the point where the stirrings start of skipping over Frederik to Christian if people start to consider Frederik is past his prime. I guess they'd have to figure out appanage at that time.
Which peers of his generation is Christian "behind" exactly?
Elisabeth is 4 years older than him and is neither a "working royal" yet (nor should she be! She's focusing on her education) and neither did she immediately start doing official engagements upon turning 18. If I'm not mistaken, it wasn't until last year she carried out her first solo engagement.
Amalia declined her apanage upon doing a gap year after completing her secondary education – a gap year where, going by your logic, she should've been out performing official engagements – and it is her example the DRF (and NRF) is following. IIRC she didn't hold her first public speech till she turned 18 and how many solo engagements has she undertaken exactly?
I won't even begin to compare him to Leonor as the monarchy's somewhat fragile situation in Spain most certainly has sped up her introduction to being a working royal.
– I mean, if anything, Christian and Ingrid are ahead of their peers Amalia declined her apanage so long as she doesn't "do anything for it in return" as heir to the throne. Christian and Ingrid declined theirs as second in line. Or, one could chide the abdicating grandparents for putting their grandchildren in a situation where some people hold unrealistic expectations for their work ethic while studying.
Since I am allegedly being overly-dramatic in my opinions, I'm out. I'm going back to lurking. Where points are not missed and words misconstrued. I know I am in the minority in quite a few POVs so I should have stuck to keeping my thoughts to myself.
I have seen no one miss your point which routinely seems to be that QMII should abdicate. I have seen plenty of people argue why that isn't really a relevant point though.
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