Marie gives off a vibe of really enjoying her duties, the few she is granted to have. The second wife of the second son of the monarch would never be allowed to overshadow the crown princess, even if said crown princess were an ignoramus who is more interested in preening for the cameras and through them an Australian audience, than learning about the people and events she must visit. This is a taste of what she'd been up to on a week in Copenhagen: filling in for Crown Princess Mary of Denmark at Fashion Week; watching her husband as he participates in a racing event and supervising all three boys back in the wings; participating in the racing dinner at Tivoli; and attending a Prince concert.
Here is Marie at Malene Birger's fashion show. She was able to catch up with friends Christian Scherfig and his wife - and Marie's bridesmaid - Agnete Arnø, as well as actor Preben Kristensen, the partner of Crown Princess Mary's evil hairdressor Søren. Princess Marie was seated next to "Mary's friends" Julie Mølsgaard, Freddums' childhood friend Ellen Hillingsø, and Jean Ahlefeldt-Laurvig. Interesting shift of loyalties, but who is surprised given how happy Marie seems to be in their company. What a difference to Mary Donaldson's company!
Nikolai and Felix were able to hang out with their father and the rest of the Cortina racing team, including Oscar Davidsen Siesbye, Papa's best friend and son of Ida Davidsen whose eponymous restaurant he runs. They have thousands of smørrebrød (open-faced sandwiches) on their menu, including those named after Crown Prince Frederik and Princess Marie, but none named after Crown Princess Mary of Boganson. Hm. Marie and Joachim were also seen walking hand in hand to the restaurant Påfuglen at Tivoli owned by a friend of Joachim's where they enjoyed dinner with some others from the racing event.
Now that's a kiss! All the faking in the world by Madam la Boganista and her weakling American Express card account holder can't hold a candle to the real, Latin passion that is exhibited by Daisy's more romantic, passionate son and his sexy wife.
Lille prins Henrik is so cute! And here he is in the racing pits with Maman. Later on, Marie and Joachim attended a Prince concert with Oscar Siesbye's sister Mia Davidsen and her husband. "I'm a big Prince fan so I'm really happy to be at the concert since we've never seen him live before", Marie said as the four friends arrived a bit after Prince had already taken the stage, having had to walk through some mudpools caused by an afternoon rain. Can you imagine Mary walking in mud? Never! And she would have answered a similar how-do-you-feel question by smarmily and passive-agressively saying "what do you think?". Crown Princess Mary is such a bitch.
As a balance to all the Marie-love this week, BB's editors felt obligated to give Crown Princess Mary of Denmark the Week's Royal Dress nod. This Prada looks like Miuccia puked all over it and her assistant cut lace around the outlines of the vomit, then called Amalienborg. Mary: "Sold!"
Marie seemed to have a really fun time at Fashion Week where she filled in for Madame la Boganista who for the second year running sent her regrets. Regrets that Malene Birger didn't get the message that one Mary Donaldson needs a bigger gift bag, bitches. Fortunately, Marie is satisfied with filling in last minute, enjoying a glass of champers and catching up with lots of royal friends, including Fred's friend Ellen Hillingsø who sat at Marie's right. A very symbolic and territorial move from "Mary's friend"!
Some additional peeks at the Copenhagen Fashion Week looks, featuring Mary's "stylist" Anja. Also Rigmor Zobel was there looking very soft and feminine, like fluffy white cocaine!
While Derf and MoreMore took their oldest kids plus Alexandra Wittgenstein's two over to Legoland for the day, Prince Joachim took his oldest boys to an open air, living folk museum. At some point, you get too old for Legoland's kiddie rides and need a more interesting, stimulating park. Mary's head probably exploded when she was told this. Interesting? Educational? Children? Huh?
A note about how Christian will be starting school this year. 0 class. As in a big, fat zed. How wistful and lost in his own little world he is in this shot. Interesting choice of photie!
Take that, Mary! Frex Ex Maria Montell travelled to Africa to share with the children a portable way to clean and transport water. Fantastic initiative! This is a sorely needed market opening. Way to help, Maria. Garsh, all of Fred's exes are truly smart, beautiful and generous with their time, energy and spirit. "One of these things is not like the other!"
Royal Mailbag.
Royal Roundup. The king and queen of Sweden at a scouts outing. Little Savannah Phillips with her mum. Ernst-August of Hannover at the shore. Princess Märtha Louise turns 40 in September and Aha's lead singer will be there. Crown Princess Mette-Marit in tears speaking to the Red Cross in Oslo recently.
The gorgeous Spanish infantitas enjoy summer in Palma de Mallorca with their family. How wonderful it would be if they'd fall in love with the Schackenborg boys! A Danish consort in Spain and a Spanish chatelaine at Schackenborg! Perfecto! Chop, chop Alex - put those boys in Spanish class!
After the Boganson tribe and the yummy Schackenborg famille were able to escape the hell of being together at Graasten and run off to their separate corners, Daisy, Henrik and Benedikte stuck around to dedicate the newly constructed steps out to the lake near the Danish royal summer palace. Such a shame Frederik wasn't able to stick around. Daisy announced quite clearly that Fred would be gaining more control over Graasten after his marriage in 2004, but that hasn't really happened. Hm, maybe something to do with the life-sucking force he married?
Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and his wife Marie-Chantal née Miller open up the doors of their weekend getaway in West Sussex, 16th century Beale House, where they live with their five kids and four dogs. "My happiest moments are when all the kids have climbed up in bed and Pavlos treats us to breakfast!" OK, so she doesn't live in the world most of us do, but she seems to be ridiculously happy as a wife, mother and millionairess. Poor Fred doesn't have cousin Pavlos's good luck in the wife & family department.
The children are Maria-Olympia, 15; Constantine-Alexios, 12; Achileas-Andreas, 11; Odysseas-Kimon, 6; and Aristide-Stavros, 3. "The large kitchen is the heart of the house. Here is where the family and their Phillipino housekeeper tend to the pots. Saturdays are set aside time for the children's "cake and bake day." So there's plenty of life and happy days in the cozy room. And there are a ton of baked muffins and pastries that MC and Pavlos are subsequently offered with tea by the children. Then it is important to wash children's chocolate-smeared fingers before they throw themselves into the chalk-white sofas."
Oh dear. BB has to slip it in anywhere, won't they? "Marie-Chantal & Pavlos and Mary & Fred are good friends". It's really kind of embarrassing, isn't it? But then they go on to say that they only see each other at big family events like here at the wedding of Princess Nathalie. Exactly. Such tight, close friends.
Even though the couple loves to have their friends over for visits, they aren't big parties and MC doesn't drink so much. "I don't handle alcohol very well, so I content myself with one glass of wine or champagne." She goes on to say that "Pavlos is wonderful. He's a fantastic father and a terrific husband!" They've been married 16 years.
There is a new exhibit this summer at Sofiero, the Swedish royal family's former summer residence that is now a museum and garden open to the public. The exhibit is called "The Flower Queen" about Queen Ingrid, born a princess of Sweden. Ingrid spent her early years at this idyllic retreat near Helsingborg, across the strait from Helsinore, Denmark. These are photos of a young Ingrid with her mother, Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden, born Princess Margaret of Connaught who died when Ingrid was ten.
Funny story: friends recently returned from a visit to Sofiero in July and talked about how the tour guide made Ingrid out to be a real witch. Said she was very cold to her step-mother Queen Louise, born Louise Mountbatten, sister to Lord Louis Mountbatten, last Viceroy of India. Also mentioned how determined she was to get her daughter Margrethe on the throne of Denmark instead of the line going from her husband to his brother Prince Knud. Meow!
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