New Thomas Kluge Portrait of Danish Royal Family: "Celebrating" 150 Years Today of the Glucksborg Dynasty: Boganborg Kids Are Gargoyles, Schackenborg Gets Off Easy, All Are Oblivious to the Destruction of Civilisation Behind Them (and Because of Them?): Symbolism, Ho!

Presented without commentary, although it should be noted that even The Fug Girls couldn't let this one pass. Commemorative book can be purchased here: Saxo


The Laurits Tuxen painting that inspired the new portrait, that of the family of King Christian IX at Fredensborg, with all children and grandchildren:

Bien Jouée!: Princess Marie Speaks in Front of UNESCO Assembly in Paris While Rest of Family Attends Daisy's Annual Fredensborg Concert

Grander audience than Madam La Sauvatrice du Monde!

 

 

So, the Danish princess who is least likely to embarrass herself and most likely to rise to the occasion was sent to Paris with her patronage UNESCO to give a speech on global sustainability. Madam Mazza, who tried SO HARD to impress herself upon the New York celebrity stage recently by dressing "cool" (ahem) and being hip and off the cuff ("yeah!") and dragging poor pregnant Princess Madeleine around to be her celebrity/royal intro to meet assholes like Bono, instead of working hard with her patronages or MEMEMEMEME Foundation and learning about the rotten issues in the world and using her influence to make positive changes. Didn't work. Yeah.

 

But Marie seems to be in control of both her subject knowledge and - inadvertently, which makes it more charming - her brand. Sister is not back in Paris to rub her former countrymens' noses into her marital success on an ill-fated Regardez-Moi! Tour. She quietly returned to her birthplace as a professional from her new nation, speaking on a subject that needs gracious, royal attention. She put her hair up, put on a pretty pants/blazer combo (someone get her a clothing budget!) and calmly and seriously, got on with business, not with posing for cameras.

 

Meanwhile, Daisy's annual concert at Fredensborg in which she typically signals all sorts of familial imbalances, was held without Marie in attendance, though Joachim made a dashing appearance in a velvet evening jacket, a dandy like his father. Daisy was all sorts of discombobulated with her belle-fille bien aimée not present - and it showed. Mary took note of the absense, as well, swanning her way into the palace in her silly sparkly dirndal skirt and recent Aussie top. Separates just make you look like a secretary on a night out, Mary. Pick out something more sophisticated, already. Fred looked like his usual bedraggled and bedrugged self, barely putting up with Mary and the requirement to attend one of his mother's cultured functions. At least Joachim was there looking relaxed and alive, representing Schackenborg, the preferred branch of Daisy's family tree.

 

Video: YouTube

 

 

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Parliament Opening: Something Is Up: Has Mary Finally Played Her Last Hand?

"I think she'll be quite surprised with what we're cooking up, Mor!"

 

 

Something weird is in the air in Copenhagen for the opening of Parliament this year. Very weird indeed. Daisy looks to be in severe pain, perhaps because of her knees and arthritis, still? Derfie's resting face makes him look like he's seen a ghost - or has become one himself. How is it that an athletic man who trains to push himself in bike marathons and Ironman competitions still looks like death warmed over? Mary looks - dare we say!? - as if she KNOWS she's on her way out, fake smiles and scared resting faces, all. Perhaps that's wishful thinking and she just realises that she BOMBED in New York. (No Danish media outlets are posting ANY video of The Mess in Central Park!) Even gracious Henrik looks fed up with Madam. Joachim, Marie and Benedikte, being further away from the Boganborg mess, are able to keep up their game faces and smile through the disaster. But there is somthing rumbling underneath the surface, and it touches, but directly avoids the Schackenborgs. Even members of Parliament seem to take a special interest in the royal occupants of the balcony this year. And not just in the usual, 'who will fall asleep first?' way. Hmmm.

 

Have fun with the video of the royals' arrival, posted below. MoreMore is the only one in the family who neither gives nor receives the traditional (and quite French) double cheek kiss. It is NOT because of her hat. These royal ladies always cheek kiss with their grand, brimmed chapeaux. How bizarre that 10 years later, she remains either clueless enough to not pick up on it, or she remains as stubborn as can be about non-French traditions. Who cares where it came from, this is how this family greets each other - learn it! It shows respect! But Australians don't usually double cheek kiss, so there's Madam's rationale most likely. Australia over respect for others. Joizus, she's an ugly one! And not just because she's wearing that hideous witchy-poo hat with the magenta suit from the Luxembourg wedding (peplums are over, Mary) with the lace Nanny Bobo top from Charles' 60th birthday party.

 

Has anyone contacted Katja yet, to put out feelers on whether or not she would entertain a new round of courting from her Derfie so she can make him into a proper future King Frederik X? Courtesy would require contacting her with a sincere offer of familial inclusion, with guarantees of full integration à la Marius in Norway for her adorable Vitus. As an art restorer, she could have fun curating and leading the conservation efforts for all royal portraiture! To be fully accurate, if any Mary portraits remain, Katja could paint accurate presque-zizi's and moustaches and sweat stains and she and Fred could chuckle until they fall into each other's arms!

 

Video: TV2 

 

Longer Video: DR - wow, what a contrast between the three "lower ranking" royals (Joachim, Benedikte and Marie) who are very warm to each other and moderately tolerant of the proceedings, with the clown prince couple although Fred is adorable with Marie giving her a little arm rub when they embrace.

 

"Zoinks! I really blew it in NYC."

 

"That French one's nice, isn't she? What a good bet she turned out to be!"

Photos: Martin Høien, Billed Bladet; Søren Bidstrup, Scanpix; Bekia

Vietnamese State Visit, Day One: Schackenborgs Out Class, Out Love, Out Professional The Clown Prince Couple

"Don't worry, I damn sure make them Photoshop this crap!"

Well, Daisy knows that the show must go on, but things aren't quite right in the state of Denmark. There is clear tension between the Derfie-Doodles and the Schackenborgs, although Marie seems to try to make an effort at small talk with Mary both at the airport and at the gala dinner table. Mary, however, and true to her character, doesn't really reciprocate. In the footage from the dinner, it's clear that Mary feels lost and alone: she doesn't speak French, a common second language for Vietnamese people, one that Marie can easily use to converse with her seatmates, and look at her assume that she'll be sitting in Prince Henrik's place before getting pushed back down the line. What an entitled dope. And all she does is slap on that smarmy look on her face. Ugh.

Fred looks like death warmed over. It's so clear to everyone that he lives with a toxic woman (and is missing sportif duties - at least when children don't beat him in windsurfing). I am ALL about taking personal responsibility and knowing that change can only come from within, but dumb Fred is being poisoned by Virus Mary. He looks dead or worse, like he is the roadkill from Madam's 18 wheeler truck that has mowed him down, stripped him of all possessions and dignity, and left him to die on the side of the road to kingship. He actually seems to wish he were dead! Ugh, and just look at him, picking his nose "discreetly" at the table! While Joachim gallantly helped Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt with her chair. This is such a badly disjointed family. Thank goodness for the Schackenborgs and Princess Benedikte!


Video: DR

 

Mary escorted Vietnamese First Lady Mai Thi Hanh to the "Bumblebee" class at a local preschool.

 

 

 

 

In the evening was the State Dinner at Fredensborg.

 

Christian and Karin Friis Bach

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photos: Keld Navntoft, Jeppe Bjørn Veljø