The birth announcement on the Danish royal website.
Last week, a good friend of Daisy, Countess Irene Wedell, lost her battle with cancer. Irene was the widow of the largest private landowner in Denmark, and control of the two family estates and businesses continues in the hands of her son Bendt Wedell-Wedellsborg and his wife Pernille. The couple have two young sons. Daisy attended the funeral of Irene on Friday, July 23. Neither Frederik nor Mary accompanied Daisy and Henrik despite the fact that the crown princely couple is good friends - at least according to the media - with Count Bendt and his wife.
Today came the news that Countess Ruth of Rosenborg died today in Denmark. She was 85. Countess Ruth was the widow of Count Flemming of Rosenborg, né Prins af Denmark. Count Flemming lost his royal title and status when he married Danish commoner Ruth Nielsen. The couple were fixtures on the Danish and later Norwegian royal scenes, becoming very close to King Harald and present for the weddings and christenings of His Majesty's children and grandchildren.
Ruth had four children and several grandchildren. Earlier this year Ruth's son Axel celebrated his 60th birthday with a birthday party that included Daisy, Mary's first Lady-in-Waiting and her husband, and was featured in Billed Bladet #4 (28 January 2010).
Side note on Countess Ruth: she is the grandmother of THIS beauty, who should marry Derf after the divorce, if Katja doesn't want him. I mean, c'mon! Danish, gorgeous, classy, sophisticated but not high maintenance. Noice! Hester, open the vault, we may need the Photoshop rubies for this missy!
Mary will only go to the funeral if she's properly healed from whatever it is that's been keeping her away from the cameras. We all know that it's pretty hard to keep Mary away from the media.
ReplyDelete-Pixiecat
I wonder why the announcement of the birth of Nathalie's baby had to appear on the website of the Danish monarchy. Nathalie is not a member of the Royal House and she is not even in the line of succession. Very odd.
ReplyDeleteAs for the upper-crust funeral, it is clear to me that Mary doesn't fit in, and I would even venture to say that all those landowners and titled people look down upon her ordinary origins. And I'm not counting her pseudo-aristocratic friends, who are more b-list celebs, in my opinion.
She didn't bother with Irene Wedell's funeral, and her son and wife are "close friends" of Mary's and super duper rich. I guess they have normal value systems or some such rubbish that Mary finds repulsive. Or Mary is pulling a childish snub because she isn't godparent to their two kids.
ReplyDeleteI think Countess Ruth's funeral will bring out the big guns, including the Norwegian royal family in near entirety, as the Norways seemed to be more friendly and accommodating than the Denmarks. Surprise.
Or maybe Mary is hyper conscious of how when in black she is looking more and more like a Greek widow, complete with round shoulders!
Yes, the guest list will be a sight to see. Alex may even go, who knows?! High royal turnout which of course is not flattering to Our Mary!
I can't wait to see who the godparents are for little Konstantin. Naming him after his great uncle would bode well for the Greek side of the family. Daisy has been signalling by this past week being seen only with sister Anne-Marie - they went to an art exhibit (non-officially) together and formally 'opened' Graasten the other day together. Nikolaos as godparent could be a nice 'wedding present.' Or maybe young Theodora and Philippos who don't have godchildren except for their brother's kids.
ReplyDeleteIt's all very fun speculation!!
Gwen, I think since Benedikte is still in the line of succession and has a private secretary who is paid by the court, Nathalie's birth announcement was done as a curtesy as a member of the greater royal family. Daisy is big on royal formality, as you well know, and must think of such things as a gift to her family. Once Freddles takes over, I'm sure announcements will be limited to his and Joachim's families, or just his if Mary has anything to do with it!
ReplyDeleteThey'll probably just be limited to Fred's family once he takes over. I can't imagine Mary tolerating the sharing of the spotlight with extended family members. And does anyone else wonder if these Grasten photo shoots with the extended family will continue under King Frederik?
ReplyDeletePixiekittiest, interesting scenario, the Graasten shoots after Daisy kicks it. The Benedikte/AM sides will drop off with occasional visits from cousins Alexia, Pavlos, Gustav (especially if Mary continues to see benefit in being friends with Carina - that is if Carina still sees a benefit to being with Gustav), etc. one at a time each consecutive summer. The only 'regulars' would logically be the Schackenborgs, but Frex doesn't exactly have the best relationship with his brother, although this was not always the case.
ReplyDeletePerhaps Fred In Charge is enough of a nightmare without mummy around that Derf will do something in the meantime - send Mary back to Oz and get Katja going as first lady of the land. Then we KNOW that the Schackenborgs will be warmly welcomed! And there will be fewer nannies, too! ('specially if the tater tots would go with MoreMore.)