Two Ships That Pass In the Night: The Mary and Fred Shows On Two Different Continents: Yrma to Davos, Derf to Hong Kong

Hilde Schwab: "Look, miss, I can't just give you cash, please stop bothering me!"

Mary: "Wow, someone's a bitch today, you don't have to be so rude."

Philippe: "Don't make eye contact. Look away. Pretend to be listening to the speaker."

 

 

Hey y'all, Madam MoreMore is in Switzerland today trying to rub shoulders with the world's bigwigs. She's scheduled to be at the big annual World Economic Conference in Davos from 20-24 January to pick up freebies, feel like a big shot and try to snag some endorsements (if La Comtesse de Freebies knows instinctively that she needs a revenue source after a divorce, then this is interesting news indeed). Mary is nothing if not a big time grifter. She wants the stuff AND the noteriety.

 

No wonder she asked Mathilde to be Izzy's godmother. She knew that hitching her wagon to the sweet, unassuming Duchess of Brabant's star would eventually yield gold, and indeed despite the cut-off age of forty, she finally got an invite to Davos, no doubt courtesy of her empty friendship with both Mette-Marit (Xian's godmother) and Mathilde (who is on the Schwab Foundation's board along with Quincy Jones and Muhammed Yunus, Maxima's micro-finance buddy). Both women exhibit a kindness and gratitude that is sorely lacking in Mary herself, but can be used against them so that Madam gets whatever she wants. And she wants money and celebrity. Poor Philippe - he can't even look at Mary! And neither can anyone else Mary's photographed talking to at Davos. Check out the article below - where people were just being polite, Mary - and Berlingske's writer - interpreted that as real interest.

 

But when it comes to the execution, naturally Mary is one big FAIL. GAH, could someone put her in anything other than the executive secretary's uniform of black clothes, fake Chanel jacket and that g-ddamn Marianne Dulong jewellery? Along with the dated hair cut, she just looks so junior league. How embarrassing. She was probably mistaken by the money and power classes as being someone's assistant. Bringing down Denmark's stock is one of the most unintended consequences there is. Thankfully, Helle Thorning-Schmidt and the Prince of Wales-approved Ida Auken, Environmental Minister, were there to help raise Denmark's profile amongst the assembled guests. When the Danes are constantly confused with the Dutch, you need some amazing women to turn that impression around.

 

Photo Gallery: Berlingske

 

Article: Berlingske

 

Buzzing With Ideas

 

For Crown Princess Mary, participation in the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum has been a great learning experience, which has given her new ideas for her work in developing the Mary Fund. So says Crown Princess Mary after the last intense days at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum in Davos. She has participated in numerous sessions, heard about the major trends in the world, economically and politically, and especially met young international leaders.

 

Crown Princess arrived at the annual meeting in the Swiss mountain village of Davos, after she had been previously invited into the world-renowned think tank network, Young Global Leaders. Being with the young global talent has made an impression. "I have met so many dynamic and smart people who come from all backgrounds and from all parts of the world. These are people who have sparked things and made a difference."

 

Some of the young leaders of Young Global Leaders have made meteoric careers in giant companies, others have shown tremendous capabilities in research, and others have rendered humanitarian work, which has helped vulnerable people.

 

United openness

 

The group of young leaders by the way got a meeting with the founder of the World Economic Forum, Professor Klaus Schwab which has been enriching. And along the way, the open and frank discussions came as a surprise to the Crown Princess. "All the meetings have been marked by great openness, and all have shown a willingness to share, which surprised me. This meant that contact was quickly made and an exchange of ideas."

 

For the same reason, the Crown Princess is extremely positive about what she experienced at the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, which on the surface is known as the meeting place for the world's power elite. The annual meeting puts political leaders and business executives from the world's largest companies each year in a congree during the last week of January. And so it is again this year, where 50 heads of state and government have visited and where no fewer than 1,500 senior executives from the business community have turned up. In City Hall, the temperature of the state of the world is taken, speeches are given and in some cases projects are undertaken between themselves all supervised by a massive media presence, which in a few hectic days makes Davos the world's navel.

 

Idealistic view

 

The World Economic Forum has also an idealistic and humanitarian basis, which is formulated in the organisation's slogan that reads: "Committed to Improving the State of the World". In short, it's about making the world a better place.

 

Exactly how was the starting point, as Klaus Schwab founded the organisation more than 40 years ago with the hope that dialogue and conversation would be a way to overcome tensions and confrontations in a turbulent planet. And the same principles apply today, even if the organisation has in the meantime risen to perhaps the most powerful thinktank in the world.

 

The idea of ​​the Network of Young Global Leaders is just that they need to engage and relate to some of their contemporaries' most pressing challenges. And that basic idea was what Klaus Schwab talked about when he spoke of the Crown Princess and the group of young leaders.

 

One of the ideas behind the annual meeting is to bring decision makers from different fields, and therefore politicians and business people are not the only ones who have been invited. The same leaders from humanitarian organisations, religious communities and NGOs.

 

This particular joint meeting which can sometimes result in the formation of partnerships - for example between companies and humanitarian organisations to help in a particular area - appeal strongly to the Crown Princess. The Mary Fund rests on exactly the same logic.

 

In recent years, the Crown Princess helped to form more successful partnerships between its own fund, Danish companies and organisations such as Save the Children. In Davos, she discovered to her delight that many were concerned about the purpose of the Mary Fund. "It made an impression on many that we are working to combat loneliness," she says. "Maybe they wondered about that at first but then realised the importance."

 

Great interest

 

On the whole, the Crown Princess saw a great response when she talked about the fund. "When I stood up and talked about the Mary Fund, I met a great interest. There were several people who asked if the Mary Fund shouldn't work internationally," said the Crown Princess with a smile.
Whether it actually is a possibility she will not quite answer. Here and now she is proud and pleased that several of the Mary Fund's projects have come out throughout the commonwealth. Whether there will also be trips abroad remains to be seen.

 

First, she will return home and reflect. "I have so many ideas in my head. Now I need to get them sorted out and thought through." That she had a new inspiration in the meeting with the talented young global leaders is evident and it is hardly the last time that Crown Princess will set sail for Davos.

 

 

What body language! Just smile tensely and look past Mary and hopefully it will be over soon.

 

 

 

Day Two:

Meanwhile, Derfie has decided to come out of hiding and take off to Hong Kong for a week "sailing in dragon class competitions" called the Prince Henrik Silver Trophy. No doubt the palace has already sent advance instructions to the hotel to arrange for "nice, rovery Asian radies" to be on standby for "massage" and "other calming treatments". Kind of yucky and kind of sad that Derf has to go halfway around the world to get loved up. He'll be gone 23-29 January, missing Mary's return home on the 24th. Don't expect many tears until he gets back and is reunited with his beloved (children) and gets the Donaldson punishment treatment (5:17 & 6:11)!

 

Photos: Urs Jaudas, Mirko Ries