Mary back in bad books

[drezzle]

The Mercury:  http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2009/05/10/72195_todays-news.html

Sites royal-watcher gossip websites as news!

[Alexandra123]

With all due respect to the Danish Royal Family and its admirers, I believe the author of the book is right in at least one respect; Mary has achieved very little in these five years, and she had a better start than any of the current Crown Princesses. She seems to be a fine woman, but very insecure of herself and/or her position. Her husband has the least demanding schedule of all current Heirs, and it doesn't look as though he is looking forward to improving his record; sailing is a wonderful past-time but it would be equally wonderful to devote some more time to the country he is going to be King of.

I sometimes regret Joachim isn't the Heir to the Throne; he is responsible, charismatic, hard-working and generally more agreeable than his elder brother. His first wife was a true example for any Princess and his second wife appears to be a lovely Princess and wonderful step-mother, although it remains to be seen how well she represents her adopted country.

[drezzle]

With all due respect to the Danish Royal Family and its admirers, I believe the author of the book is right in at least one respect; Mary has achieved very little in these five years, and she had a better start than any of the current Crown Princesses. She seems to be a fine woman, but very insecure of herself and/or her position.

I agree, CP Mary does seem insecure about something...........but for doing very little?  She's had 2 children and adjusted to a major change in lifestyle -- I don't see where other crown princesses have done anything more, or had more handicaps?  From what I remember, Diana, after 5 years of marriage, had not accomplished much more either. 

Whatever, Mary does not have the intellect to become a world figure as Diana did.  Frederik might, but he's not motivated, although he seems to have his subjects great affection.  Maybe Prince Fred will get motivated when the homeless decide to invade his palace..............but wait, oops, Denmark doesn't have a homeless population.  Oh well, Danish citizens are well taken care of, so that means the monarchy is safe, which is more than I can say for a lot of the other constitutional monarchies. 

[porsche]

With all due respect to the Danish Royal Family and its admirers, I believe the author of the book is right in at least one respect; Mary has achieved very little in these five years, and she had a better start than any of the current Crown Princesses. She seems to be a fine woman, but very insecure of herself and/or her position. Her husband has the least demanding schedule of all current Heirs, and it doesn't look as though he is looking forward to improving his record; sailing is a wonderful past-time but it would be equally wonderful to devote some more time to the country he is going to be King of.

I sometimes regret Joachim isn't the Heir to the Throne; he is responsible, charismatic, hard-working and generally more agreeable than his elder brother. His first wife was a true example for any Princess and his second wife appears to be a lovely Princess and wonderful step-mother, although it remains to be seen how well she represents her adopted country.

Really I don't know, from one point of view, Mary looks like she is very nice person, from what I heard from Danish friends and business people, they told, she can't go along with her mother in law and now she fights with her new sister in law and she is apparently control freaky to be the most admired in kingdom, as she also pushed the name Isabella, when Queen and nation wanted Margaret,but...she works and she is good for Danish image.I don't know more, I stopped with suprise what she did like diva with Australia and Denmark at Summer Olympic Games and the press and I was quite confused with her and Federick's interview for US magazine when they said twice ,my mother English Queen' etc.On other hand, his younger brother has the copy of his sister in law, Mary - Marie and very similar in face, hair,so I think, Fred passed good reference on Joachim.What I see as big problem for Mary, is her playing to be next Rania,but Rania works more for charity, while Mary is keen do every media coverage with clothes and style and it looks more like shobiz and confusing.But I am not expert on Danish const.monarchy, customs or I don't know how Danes see it.Sometimes she is critised for lack of work, sometimes she is called dashing.

[Countessa]

With all due respect to the Danish Royal Family and its admirers, I believe the author of the book is right in at least one respect; Mary has achieved very little in these five years, and she had a better start than any of the current Crown Princesses. She seems to be a fine woman, but very insecure of herself and/or her position. Her husband has the least demanding schedule of all current Heirs, and it doesn't look as though he is looking forward to improving his record; sailing is a wonderful past-time but it would be equally wonderful to devote some more time to the country he is going to be King of.

I sometimes regret Joachim isn't the Heir to the Throne; he is responsible, charismatic, hard-working and generally more agreeable than his elder brother. His first wife was a true example for any Princess and his second wife appears to be a lovely Princess and wonderful step-mother, although it remains to be seen how well she represents her adopted country.

I consider myself a true fan of the DRF and of Mary, but I agree with everything you have said. I do question Villemann's putting the blame on Mary for not making a King out of Frederik, though. It is Frederik's leisurely lifestyle that seems to have diminished Mary in some respects. Even though she works more than her husband, I think some of Frederik's laid back, heavy spending has rubbed off on her. Mary provides no diciplined structure for Fred but he provides none for her either. And for the past 3 or 4 years they have over spent Danish taxpayer money on extravagance.

Many of the claims made in Villemann's 1015 Copenhagen K were disputed by royal watchers, but a regular poster - close to the author - on the Royal Dish website says the book has been written using clear sources.

This is interesting to me because of the new role the "new media" such as blogs and forums are playing in the public debate about just about everything (I read the "huffingtonpost" everyday). This very forum has also been mentioned in debates regarding Kate Middleton's work ethic or lack thereof.

Royal roast for Mary and Fred
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25454089-661,00.html
A DAMAGING new book has cast a shadow over this week's five-year wedding anniversary of Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Mary of Denmark.

The book claims the couple's fairytale romance is not all it appears and that Mary is struggling to cope with her husband's "playboy" ways.

"As the global financial crisis deepens and ordinary people lose their jobs, homes and pensions, it is harder to stand by and watch Frederik and Mary abuse their position," Villemann writes online.

It looks like this is going to get ugly. :cry:

[Satrine]

It's sad as I like the couple and when they are doing public events they seem loving and attentive to one another. It does not looked forced like Charles and Diana's public events when the marriage was just in shams. I just never get that feeling about Mary and Fred. They hold hands and whisper to each other and they look each other in the eyes with love and admiration.

[Countessa]

I think M&F seem very comfortable with each other. No forced affection. I'll be looking to see how they weather the storm of the 2nd Trine book.

[lovisa]

Maybe their marriage isn't a fairy-tale and it's probably not perfect - but what marriage is?!?
She is the girl he fell in love with and chose to spend the rest of his life with even though she's not entirely perfect. No one is.
There's nothing you can actually pinpoint that she's done wrong and she is very popular among the Danes. She's also a wonderful mother to Isabella and Christian.
I wouldn't let my mother in-law tell me what to name my child, it's their daughter - their decision.
And there's no evidence of Frederik being unfaithful, to me he seems to really love her.
Just let them be!

[Countessa]

Trine Villemann accuses the CP couple of being "greedy, arrogant, and lazy" and says she will not sit by while they abuse their position.

She says Mary is essentially obsessed with wearing designer clothes and that while the Crown Princess does charity work, she is not deeply involved enough in them to have an impact or make a difference.

Ms. Villemann says that Fred is lazy and all he wants to do is sail. She suggests he does not have the will nor the desire to be King so maybe his younger brother Joachim should be King because he is more articulate, works harder and would be a better representative of Denmark. She also insinuates that the Crown Prince drinks too much and that he is a "playboy" at heart.

She is demanding that there be more transparency by the DRF regarding how they spend the taxpayers money. She is appalled by the fact that the CP couple has exceeded their budget again this year by hundreds of thousands of dollars.

For now, a majority of the Danish people approve of the couple and the job they are doing but that could change very quickly if Fred continues to work 6 days a month, and Mary is seen as spending too much money on designer clothes and other luxuries while Danes are losing their jobs, homes and pensions.

Trine is getting a lot of attention in Denmark (video in Danish)
http://ekstrabladet.dk/flash/kongelige/danskekongelige/article1166271.ece

Trine complains that Fred can't string a coherent sentence together while Joachim is always articulate even after being up all night for the birth of his son w/Marie (video in Danish)
http://video-dyn.tv2.dk/index.php/id-22280781.html

Fairytale 'facade' lives on
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/glance/813661/fairytale-facade-lives-on

Princess Mary and Prince Frederik have released photographs of themselves in a tender embrace, days after a new book claims their marriage is strained by the prince's "playboy" ways.

[Alexandra123]

Although I am dearly fond of the Danish Royal Family, I am forced to agree with most, if not all of Trine Villemann's points (given in Counessa's post).

Mary looks very elegant most of the times, however her engagements, even charity works, do look like photo opportunities to me. Most of the other Princesses are deeply involved with at least one important issue, but the same cannot be said about Mary' she supports many wonderful causes, but only lightly.

Frederik is a charming man, however you cannot go away from the fact that he is the least-working of not only Europe's heirs, but also most of the other people who are further down in the line of the succession. Alexandra, Joachim's former wife, probably has more engagements than the Heir to the Throne. I know nothing of his alleged drinking problems or 'playboy' nature but he is a very poor speaker, which is a very bad thing for a future Monarch. I understand he is probably nervous during interviews (although you'd think that being basically born to cameras would ease the nervousness), however saying 'I am the son of Queen of England' shows just a bit more than nerves.

It is also a very sad fact that Frederik and Mary have exceeded the budget yet again; it was understandable during their first and even second year of marriage, however there is no adequate reason why that should be a pattern 5 years after the marriage.

I do think Joachim is a better representative of his people and would probably be more fit to be King. He is not only hard-working but possesses a generally amiable and agreeable character. However, the Monarchy, any Monarchy, is not a popularity contest; Frederik is the Heir and unless he wants to wake up one day with the realisation that he has single-handedly shaken the very foundation of the Danish Monarchy (which now seems so secure due to Queen Margrethe), both he and his wife better do something with the justified criticism that is aimed at them.

In my opinion, Danish people still approve of Frederik and Mary because they are young, handsome, elegant with two adorable children. However, sooner or later that alone will not be enough to sustain their image.

[drezzle]

There has been an internet group, including Trine Villemann, that have been viciously opposed to Mary as soon as anyone knew she might be Frederik's girlfriend, so I take some of the current complaints with a grain of salt.

I'm not sure what other princesses are involved in what important issue, compared to Mary.  Maybe you are right, but I just can't recall Princesses Letizia, Victoria, Maxima, Mathilde or Mette-Marit as being associated with any particular issue.  Also it can be said that all their engagements, even charity works, are also used as photo ops.  I do remember Princess Laurentian being mostly associated with illiteracy, but then she might not have many other engagements.

As for Frederik not being a good speaker, that is true, but then it was also true of George VI.  Maybe Fred will improve, but the important thing to remember is that Frederik is still popular with the Danish people, for his warmth and down to earth attitude, whereas Joachim has never been as well liked -- many, if not most seeing him as cold and arrogant. 

[Alexandra123]

Some of the Georges couldn't speak English at all, so compared to them, Frederik is a great orator. However, the times have changed and he needs to show a little more effort. He is popular now, but is it going to last, if he continues devoting most of his time to activities that have no connection with his immediate duties?


Mathilde has always taken an extremely active role in charities and patronages that are connected with disabled people, children and children's rights. If I am not mistaken, a Fund exists named after her (Princess Mathilde Fund), which seeks out and promotes projects that can potentially be useful for vulnerable people (children, disabled, elderly, minorities). She has been widely recognized for her works in those fields. Mathilde is also a UNICEF special representative for the campaign of support of children affected (directly or indirectly) by HIV or AIDS.

Mette-Marit is heavily involved in areas that deal with mental health issues (such as Norwegian council for Mental Health), HIV or AIDS (she is UNAIDS special representative) and teenage crime. She is also involved in protecting the rights of homosexuals, an unprecedented move by any Crown Princess (or Princess) because of the controversies that surround the issue. The majority of her engagements can hardly be regarded as 'photo opportunities' because they deal with serious (and therefore boring, from the point of view of the press) issues..

Maxima works on issues of the multi-ethnic Netherlands, promoting peaceful coexistence, understanding and tolerance. She is also heavily involved with the Microcredit program (as a matter of fact, I believe she was the first major Royal to be actively involved with the program before it received the Nobel Prize). Like her sister-in-law Mabel, she has clear understanding of finances and often uses it on behalf of he deprived and those in need.

Victoria takes keen interest in activities of the disabled. She is patron of Children's Diabetes Fund, works with several organizations dealing with dyslexia and similar issues.

Letizia is the only one whose activities can be compared with Mary's. However, Spanish Royal Family is far more conservative and which is more, by the time Letizia joined the Royal Family, there were already three 'leading' ladies of he Family (Sofia, Elena and Cristina), so it was harder for her to fit in. Mary, on the other hand, had only one 'rival' - Alexandra. Joachim and Alexandra's subsequent divorce left her as the only leading lady, not counting Queen Margrethe, who is the Reigning Monarch and therefore has to deal with completely different issues.


I have checked and verified all of the above and am sure that all the information provided is accurate.
I am most definitely not opposed to Mary, Frederik or any other member of the Danish Royal Family; on the contrary, I am extremely fond of them. However, they had better dealt with the valid criticism before it is too late.

[drezzle]

Did you get this information from the official website of the royal house?

[Alexandra123]

The information comes from the official websites and Wikipedia. I suppose there must have been an easier way of finding the necessary information, however I am not very good at finding things on Internet. :blush:

I did look at the Danish Royal Family websites as well and searched on the Internet, however there was no issue Mary was closely associated with. She supports all the right charities (children, homeless, art, vulnerable) but isn't actively involved with any of them, to the best of my knowledge.

[Satrine]

I am not Danish so it's easy for me to say Mary looks like she works hard, alot. Seems like she does do more than her husband and I hope their marriage is not a sham as they seem attentive and loving doing public visits, more so others. Budget would be a problem for any person of power funded by the tax payers during this time of economic loss. I remember the press saying the same things about Diana spending to much on her wardrobe. From what I gather most of what Mary wears is made by local designers, which helps keep jobs at home. Her clothes look very unique and stylish IMO and she does pair some things w/those Prada boots. Yet, on the other hand do they want her to dress frumpy? Mary and Fred are the few royals outside of England, that could rise to world known status. They have come to America several times and Mary is on VF best dressed list again. I have seen her wear outfits or parts of outfits more than once. Maybe she still has yet to find a charity that is close to her heart. That takes time, it took Diana time as well. She and Fred have only been married 5yrs w/young children so she might have to go through some trials and tribulations before she can find a charity that she can truly relate too. I can't even imagine what it would be like to marry a royal and deal w/all that comes with, leave you birth country to visit rarely and to learn to speak a difficult language fluently to give speeches amongst those who speak it as their native tongue. That is alot and raise two young children. I don't know what Fred does as  it seems that Mary is the one who is always doing something.

[Berlin]

Mary was never on the VF best dressed list.  She was on the readers' poll version, which is a separate thing from the official list.  But Mathilde was on the official list.  Also Mary and Fred are no where near rising to world known status.  They don't stand for anything that matters internationally or even nationally.  I also don't think Mary is doing enough to find a charity that is close to her heart.  But then again, doesn't she have her own foundation?  Also she wears alot of foreign clothing, much more than Danish. 

[Sidney]

I'm not sure what other princesses are involved in what important issue, compared to Mary.  Maybe you are right, but I just can't recall Princesses Letizia, Victoria, Maxima, Mathilde or Mette-Marit as being associated with any particular issue.

You're wrong. Letizia IS totally dedicated to a very important cause: herself, herself and... er.... Gosh, which was the other one? Oh, yes! HERSELF. How dare you insinuate that she doesn't get involved with important issues?

Also Mary and Fred are no where near rising to world known status. They don't stand for anything that matters internationally or even nationally. 

I agree with you, yet I think that this stament could apply to most of the royals of today. Here in Spain were are constantly bombed with monarchist propaganda like "Spain is known worldwide because of Felipe and Letizia", yet I don't believe a word of what they say because they are obviously lying. As for Fred and Mary... here in Spain nobody knows what they are up to, so I guess the same happens over there with our royals.

[Berlin]

Well the Prince of Asturias is quire renown and well respected even here in the States.  Letizia seems to connect with others around her unlike Mary.

So I was talking to people with SRF connections and no one likes her mainly because of her past.  Is it true that Letizia was hissed at while walking down the aisle? 

[Sidney]

No, it's not true. We are not that brute! However, she has been hissed at several times.

[Berlin]

In my previous post I meant the prince of Asturias award. 

[Hale]

Thank you to all posters for that information.  I usually only follow the BRF, but I did enjoy reading all your comments, and found them all to be educational.

[Sidney]

Oh, I got it wrong, then. At the "Príncipe de Asturias" award... I'm not sure. Maybe, but if it did happen, I didn't see it.
However, she has been booed several times. Here's a video.

http://mfile.akamai.com/22865/wmv/multiprensa.download.akamai.com/15381/2006/06/07/263.asx?obj=1

[Berlin]

I'm sorry again for the confusion.  I indeed was asking whether Letizia was hissed at while walking down the aisle at her wedding.  I was also saying that the Prince of Asturias awards is very prestigious worldwide.

[Countessa]

No, it's not true. We are not that brute! However, she has been hissed at several times.

I can believe this. Letizia seems to be a lightening rod of controversy even though I like her. Well, I used to like her before the parade of stripper shoes, padded bras and butt pads. Vanity is thy name. She seems to rub people the wrong way and she could really damage the monarchy if they are not careful. It's like she's not trusted to do many solo appearances.

Mary on the other hand is still adored in Denmark but there is a growing chorus of people who are critical of her spending and her "cool" style. But she does not come close to having to endure what Letizia does in Spain. Mary seems to have an endless clothes allowance and is allowed to do as she pleases. She has even joined the Danish National Guard. Most of her appearances are on her own and she is completely trusted (at the moment) to not damage the monarchy.

[Lillianna]

Well, I used to like her before the parade of stripper shoes, padded bras and butt pads.

You know, I wondered about that after seeing one of her rear views recently! I thought I was the only one who noticed that. Thank goodness! I thought I was seeing things, :).

I think Mary is "liked", but I would not go so far as to say "adored". And she is more liked because she is Fred's wife (despite all his faults, they really are fond of him), than for anything else. But the Danes are pragmatic people, so it's much more likely that they just shrug at these things.

Mary seems to have an endless clothes allowance and is allowed to do as she pleases.

I suspect this is the reason they are always going over budget...