OK. But, eh. The points Ditte makes are either about royal media attention (which she knows good and well from being in publishing/journalism is a market response) or take on a class-conscious tone under a light veil of feminism (pff, it's easy when you have a gaggle of nannies and don't actually work). To those points: duh, milquetoast, and so she fails on both counts. And her solution is even sillier: get rid of them. Hm, just like that? Give up one thousand years of monarchal rule, without a democratic election, and take on the even more expensive mantle of a President as Head of State, what, by the end of 2012? Or next week? Just because it's more equitable? Sorry, that's a sophmoric response. Get rid of them for better reasons than that.
Is it kind of insulting and kind of grotesque that there are women in the greater population who have to buy the same shoes as Princess Mary? Yes. But they would buy the same shoes as the First Children or other celebrities kids if there were no royals. Those women just exist and can be ignored even with an eyeroll, if you can't help it.
Ditte Giese's 27 January Politiken Blog
The Princess Takes a Couple of Days Off
Mary and Marie are extremely poor women to emulate
"Here's where Mary buys shoes for the kids," I heard recently a woman whisper to her other mother friend, as they passed Copenhagen's perhaps most expensive store with footwear for children.
Her friend nodded appreciatively, parked her cream-colored Emmaljunga Big Star Supreme of a pram-tub and slipped inside the Østerbro shop. Because obviously her little Sophie-Emily had to have genuine princess shoes.
We live in a princess time. Daily we are bombarded with media's incessant reporting on the omnivorous royalist-minions. Who is now pregnant? Who shall bring forth? Who has already a few weeks lost pregnancy weight? Who is supermor? Who has the most beautiful prom dress? Who is an adorable little princess? Who came a little close to the balcony edge? And so on.
This is especially the female members of the royal house that attracts attention. Constantly they are weighed and measured, evaluated and admired. We must however, dates back to the 1950s to find so old-fashioned one on women. Because when it comes to the royal women, it is about to give birth to children, look smart and otherwise keep your mouth shut as much as possible.
With the Queen as an exception because she is both 'an artistic soul' and not good at giving birth. But when did we last hear one of the princesses say something clever? The answer is never. And the worst thing is that it apparently is how we like it.
On the other hand 'Good Morning Denmark' made long television spots with tips and Mary style, while women's magazines have guides for how to make them look like the Crown Princess (it has something to do with a clutch-bag and a bouclé jacket, I can reveal) or lose weight quickly, like Mary.
And Marie, who otherwise has both studied economics and worked with IT and media, she could not have anything clever to say about the economic crisis? Future media image?
No, because she is busy trying to keep quiet and keep free, like the other royals, who year after year gets an apanage and uses life for shopping, travel and their own children.
They are some enormously bad women to mirror themselves in, because it has a notch to do with reality. Out here on the other hand, people count down to the children money, struggling with closing and warranty waiting lists and recycles New Year's dress. But all the little girls turn up in princess dresses, tulle and tiara for the carnival. Sleeping Beauty in the Disney princess bedding and dream about a prince who can offer them half the kingdom. It does not hang together.
Once called the 'years that went into the royal house', now called the 'every day of the year in the Crown'. There are anniversaries, birthdays, holidays, New Year's courts, dieting, official international and domestic visits, ministerial reshuffle and queens below. Plus the loss.
No sooner had the little kingdom been ready to cheer and for so long for Queen Margrethe's 40th anniversary as ruler of all that is entailed by Copenhagen coach driving, televised red carpet and details about the table settings, before Princess Marie of Møgeltønder once again secured the succession with a new little princess.
But when is it enough? How much should we hear about a select group of privileged people's mundane life?
There are children born all the time. Why are the top news in TV 2 News that Prince Joachim has been a girl, then a whole bunch of so-called 'people onto the streets' subservient to say congratulations, cheers and so long?
And on the radio they guessed at what the girl will be named while Princess Marie is praised by doctors and midwives for her great talent for giving birth. Soon we will undoubtedly have a full day of television from the baptism of Prince Joachim's fourth child with four long royal names. Just as we have seen with all Crown Prince Frederik's four children.
It's wonderful to have children, and even mighty fashionable to have many of them. It signals disposable income and love. And it is also wonderfully easy to have many children when you do not really work and have a nanny to get up at night. When you do not even wash the this week's pile of stained, cloth nappies or vacuum up the biscuit crumbs around the clock.
It's also easy to get back into shape after a pregnancy when you have your own gym, a stylist and a personal trainer. Yet we continue to bow in prostrate admiration.
Maybe it's about time someone shouts: They don't have any clothes on!
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