Perhaps we should have a general DRF anecdote thread?
It's Christmas soon, so all sorts of biographies are being published, also one from Helle Stangerup, an author, who went to school with QMII and who has been friends with the DRF. She has until now maintained a strickt no talk policy.
She has now published an autobiography, where she mentions a few anecdotes about the DRF and these anecdotes are basically mentioned here in this article it appears:
Dronningens veninde: Jeg faldt for prins Henrik først - Royale - BT.dk
Helle Stangerup was invited to a midsummer party ny Princess Margrethe's LiW, Wava Armfeldt. (*) Among the guests were, for unknown reasons, three foreign and unknown and unmarried gentlemen.
Stangerup checked them out:
- An English bankier, a bit dull, a handsome Swedish diplomat and an at least just as well turned out French diplomat.
To her it looked like an attempt from Wava Armfeldt to introduce Princess Margrethe to new faces, but there wasn't anything in the air as far as she could tell.
- The Englishman spend at lot of energy talking about finances and the gambling clubs in London (**) while both the Swede and Frenchman danced away on the dancefloor with everybody else but the guest of honor. "Actually I believe I was one of the favorites of the incredibly charming Frenchman, my French was by then still reasonable, perhaps that was the reason but afterwards it took a good deal of time to get him out of the head".
She sighs: "A few danced under the sparkling chandalier at Rosenfeldt (***) however never amounted to more, not even a postcard".
So when Ekstra Bladet wrote that Princess Margrethe had fallen in love with Count Henri de Laborde de Montezat, she didn't believe, until the engagement was announced by the court that same afternoon.
She determines dryly: "No wonder that postcard never came", and she concludes: "Private association with the DRF provides a wealth of experiences, but there is absolutely no inside knowledge going with that".
She recalls going to (high) school with the later QMII. Where the eir to the Throne was not afraid to stand up and say it when a pupil was treated unfairly, completely humilliation the principal in the process.
Both Princess Margrethe and Stangerup were bored stiff, during arithmetic and made paperclippings instead
Years later QMII said in a speech to Stangerup: "We felt very literate because we both had read Gone With the Wind".
She and QMII were taught Philosophy for a year at Fredensborg and the LiW, Wava pointed out to Stangerup: "Do not come one second late for a meal. Never put anything on the King's piano". There were two conversational tabus: Dogs and cardplay. (****)
Stangerup says about Frederik IX that he was an incredible warm person but also known for his violent temper.
There were usually servants around but sometimes the royals were able to improvise themselves out of a problem.
"At a minor occasion in the middle of a lancier, the zipper in the back of the Queen's (QMII) dress suddenly ripped open all the way down but no maid was summoned, nor was there a change of dress.
At Fredensborg there are darkblue tablecloths on the bridge tables and the Queen went straigt to the nearest, tore off the tablecloth, folded it into a triangular shawl and fastened the tips in front of her on the chest with her brooch. That covered the back and the dance could continue".
Alas, there were also problems and Stangerup had to choose when the DRF and Count Schack had a row.
Joachim was supposed to inherit Schackenborg Manor but the manor was in deep debt and pretty derelict too.
(Joachim and the DRF has used very considerable sums bringing that in order and Joachim is still working on renovating the manor. I believe the staircase is in bad shape).
You can read about the meeting between Count Henri and Princess Margrethe and how she fell helplessly in love here:
http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f61/danish-royal-family-books-8188.html#post1132604
(*) Who was very close to QMII and believe she died not that long ago.
(**) Them kind of topics can swoon any woman.
(***) A manor.
(****) It's wellknown that Queen Ingrid was not fond of cats and dogs.