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Mary attended the World Championships in Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage and Vaulting in Herning again yesterday, August 8:
** tt.se gallery **
** tt.se gallery **
A nice visit and a nice message.
Bigger photos on the DRF facebook page
The Crown Prince Couple competed against each other as a prelude to the final race day at the Sail Grand Prix in Nordhavn
"Earlier today we had the opportunity to compete against each other in a trial sailing with the Danish and Australian teams respectively in the competition ���� ���� It was a close race, where Team Australia won"
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChfPq30Dgw6/?hl=el
Video
https://www.instagram.com/p/ChfGYGojsXb/?hl=el
I was trying to think of other foreign royal brides (married to the heir or Sovereign) whose country of origins continues to play a role in their official life (I assume in all cases it will continue to play a role in their private lives) - as for Mary it clearly does at times (for example, she will visit the Australian team when at the Olympics).
It seems that the only comparable royal bride would be Princess Charlene whose connection to South Africa is also very visible in her official agenda.
For example, queen Máxima or the heriditary duchess of Luxembourg don't seem to have such an official agenda related to their home countries (which in the case of Máxima is probably related to her father's history as well).
IMO it's very deliberate that Mary continues to be so closely affiliated with Australia.
Partly because it's more or less an unwritten rule that the heir marry a foreigner, so we are used to having a foreign born consort who maintains an affiliation with her home country.
But I think the main reason is much more practical: Denmark has never let go of the main reason why kings married foreigners: To strengthen international relations.
Beforehand it was a question of alliances, today it's more a question of diplomacy, commerce and closer foreign relations.
F met M at a time when DK was starting in earnest to enter the Australian market. Having a foot there in the shape of Mary with a good story gave DK a slight edge in relation to our competitors. When you are a small country every little thing helps.
And in contrast to some other royal families the DRF has for generations been used to help and support Danish trade. Almost aggressively so in fact.
We are basically a country of door to door-salesmen and we will use every means at our disposal to get through your door and get you to buy our products. Foreigners in our royal family is an additional piece in that approach.
A third reason is also very practical. A foreign spouse means her family is mainly abroad somewhere. They may make a spectacle of themselves, but it's mainly somewhere else. Out of sight, out of mind. And the Jante Law/Tall Poppy Syndrome doesn't really apply to a foreign spouse so there is much less envy. Keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of Mary-detractors are foreigners - who in most cases don't even know the basics about DK and Danish culture, let alone mindset.
And of course she should be allowed to visit her family and old country from time to time. That's seen as a normal thing to do.
So Mary is not only allowed to maintain a close affiliation with Australia, but encouraged and it would be seen as very odd if she didn't.
I will go as far to state that it's expected of her and an important part of her job.
The same thing with our Marie for that matter. Even though she has fully embraced DK and Danish culture on a personal level, she is still very much our French connection and is expected to help cementing that connection at every opportunity.
There is little doubt in my mind that had Alexandra still been a member of the DRF, she and Joachim would constantly be shipped to East Asia to represent Danish interests there.
So to sum up: Mary maintains a strong affiliation with Australia, because that's considered an important part of her job.
And because it's seen as a normal thing, because of the strong tradition of DRF members marrying foreigners.
Should Christian marry someone from say Nigeria, she would be very much used to further Danish relations and commerce with African countries south of Sahara.
I was trying to think of other foreign royal brides (married to the heir or Sovereign) whose country of origin continues to play a role in their official life (I assume in all cases it will continue to play a role in their private lives) - as for Mary it clearly does at times (for example, she will visit the Australian team when at the Olympics).
It seems that the only comparable royal bride would be Princess Charlene whose connection to South Africa is also very visible in her official agenda.
IMO it's very deliberate that Mary continues to be so closely affiliated with Australia.
Partly because it's more or less an unwritten rule that the heir marry a foreigner, so we are used to having a foreign born consort who maintains an affiliation with her home country.
But I think the main reason is much more practical: Denmark has never let go of the main reason why kings married foreigners: To strengthen international relations.
Beforehand it was a question of alliances, today it's more a question of diplomacy, commerce and closer foreign relations.
F met M at a time when DK was starting in earnest to enter the Australian market. Having a foot there in the shape of Mary with a good story gave DK a slight edge in relation to our competitors. When you are a small country every little thing helps.
And in contrast to some other royal families the DRF has for generations been used to help and support Danish trade. Almost aggressively so in fact.
We are basically a country of door to door-salesmen and we will use every means at our disposal to get through your door and get you to buy our products. Foreigners in our royal family is an additional piece in that approach.
A third reason is also very practical. A foreign spouse means her family is mainly abroad somewhere. They may make a spectacle of themselves, but it's mainly somewhere else. Out of sight, out of mind. And the Jante Law/Tall Poppy Syndrome doesn't really apply to a foreign spouse so there is much less envy. Keep in mind that the overwhelming majority of Mary-detractors are foreigners - who in most cases don't even know the basics about DK and Danish culture, let alone mindset.
And of course she should be allowed to visit her family and old country from time to time. That's seen as a normal thing to do.
So Mary is not only allowed to maintain a close affiliation with Australia, but encouraged and it would be seen as very odd if she didn't.
I will go as far to state that it's expected of her and an important part of her job.
The same thing with our Marie for that matter. Even though she has fully embraced DK and Danish culture on a personal level, she is still very much our French connection and is expected to help cementing that connection at every opportunity.
There is little doubt in my mind that had Alexandra still been a member of the DRF, she and Joachim would constantly be shipped to East Asia to represent Danish interests there.
So to sum up: Mary maintains a strong affiliation with Australia, because that's considered an important part of her job.
And because it's seen as a normal thing, because of the strong tradition of DRF members marrying foreigners.
Should Christian marry someone from say Nigeria, she would be very much used to further Danish relations and commerce with African countries south of Sahara.
It depends; were her trips to Germany linked to her background? Is she showing signs of a special interest in Germany (compared to other countries)? I mostly link her to Brazil but might not have the full picture.What about the Queen of Sweden: Have her working trips to Germany belonged to her official or unofficial agenda?
nice video! They had a great time.
Report from the dailymail
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowb...yal-Race-against-husband-Prince-Frederik.html
Frederik, Josephine and Vincent attended the Champions League match between FC Copenhagen and Manchester City this evening, October 11:
** BB article: Hemmelig hyggetur: Kronprins Frederik har Vincent og Josephine med i Parken **
It's always cute to see Frederik out and about with the "babies"
BB informs us that the CP family has moved out at Kancellihuset at Fredensborg and moved in at Amalienborg. (They still have their offices at Amalienborg, so they are there pretty much ever day.)
https://www.billedbladet.dk/kongeli...lien-er-flyttet-fra-fredensborg-her-bor-de-nu
It's a part of an old tradition that at least the Regent Couple move residence regularly.
M&F have in the past years begun to follow that tradition, so that they live at Fredenborg for periods during the summer-half (*) of the year. (Exceptions of course being while on vacation and the periods they spend at Trend during say the Autumn Holiday in week #52. (**) That's next week BTW.
(*) In DK we tend to divide the year into the winter-half and the summer-half of the year. Roughly 1st April to 1st October being the summer-half.
It is not equivalent to saying the summer-months or winter-months. Because in DK that's from 1st June to 1st September and 1st December to 1st March respectively.
Do you have a handy English expression for the summer-half and winter-half of the year?
(**) In DK we number the weeks in daily speak. If you ask me whether I'm available for say a wedding on 7th April. I'll look slightly confused. But is you add it' in week #7, then I know pretty much right away when it is.
So week #7 - That's the school winter holiday (for most schools that is).
And weeks 15-22 that's the confirmation weeks - useful to keep in mind if you have many nieces and nephews.
Weeks 27-31 - that where most have their summer holidays.
And week #42 is always the school autumn holiday.
- So while this seems very confusing to outsiders, it does make a lot of sense to us, and as such we constantly refer to week numbers, rather than rough days.
Unless you're saying week 52 is somehow not the last week of the year, I don't see how next week isn't week 42.