AP News Footage of Denmark's Princess Marie Switching On Christmas Display for Paris Department Store in 2017

Prince Joachim and Alexandra Shocked and Saddened By Queen Margrethe's Decision

Prince Joachim and his former wife, Alexandra, countess of Frederiksborg, shared their reactions to the news that Queen Margrethe was renouncing the royal titles of her grandchildren born to Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and Alexandra. Both were saddened and shocked when announcement came from the Kongehuset stating that Prince Joachim's children would lose their royal titles on January 1, 2023. 

According to the Ekstra Bladet and retold by People magazine, Prince Joachim said that he was presented with a plan in May, but it was not suppose to happen until they each turned twenty-five. He said that he was only given five days notice of the announcement, and was not prepared to accept the news. He also worried about what was he going to tell the children, especially Princess Athena who cannot comprehend a royal birthright being taken away from her. Also, Ekstra Bladet journalist Caroline Bildstrup spoke briefly to Prince Joachim as he exited his car in Paris and posted his response on Twitter. 

Even readers to the Twitter feed of Ekstra Bladet weighed on the Queen Margrethe's decision with one named Mae Poulter@fertilista stating, Hmmm....enten så er kommunikationen i den familie ikke-eksisterende, eller også bliver de offentligt straffet for noget bag gardinet...Der må være mere til historien, med denne reaktion. Uanset hvad man synes om kongehuset og en bagatel som en titel.(Hmmm....either the communication in that family is non-existent, or they are being publicly punished for something behind the scenes...There must be more to the story, with this reaction. Whatever one thinks of the royal house and a trifle as a title.)

BREAKING NEWS: Joachim and Marie Have a Princess

Princess Marie gave birth to a girl at 8:27 am (local time) today at the Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen, Denmark. The little princess weighed 2930 grams (6.45 lbs) and her length was 49 cm (19.29 in.).

With this latest birth announcement from her younger son Prince Joachim, Queen Margrethe II has now eight grandchildren.

Photo: Niels Mielvang, Scanpix

Princess Marie To Have Second Child

Prince Joachim and Prince Marie of Denmark announced today that a second baby is on the way. The little one is due in late January 2012.

BREAKING NEWS: Christening of Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine

Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda, twin grandchildren of Queen Margrethe II, were christened in Holmens Kirke at 3:30 pm (local time) today. Bishop Erik Norman Svendsen presided over the ceremony. Afterwards, a reception was held in Frederik VIII’s Palace.

Royal godparents for Vincent are the Prince of Asturias and Prince Gustav zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. Princess Josephine’s royal godparents are Princess Marie and Prince Charles de Bourbon des Deux-Siciles.

Photo: Steen Brogaard

ROYAL TOUR: “The Wild Swans” Exhibit in Washington, DC

“The Wild Swans” Exhibit
June 4, 2010 to July 3, 2010
Cafritz Gallery at White-Meyer House
1624 Crescent Place NW, Washington, DC 20009
Gallery hours: Wednesday – Sunday 2:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Admission: Free

Here is a wonderful opportunity to see some original artwork by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark. She is the one that designed the elaborate costumes and created the stunning decoupage sets for the JJ Film adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s tale “The Wild Swans.” The exhibit is now on display in Washington, DC. After July 3rd, her designs will be going to Beijing, China.

Prince Frederik Accepted Into the IOC

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark had his Olympic wish fulfilled yesterday when the International Olympic Committee elected him into their membership. He will serve an eight year term. The prince expressed his gratitude and said, “it has been a great experience for me to witness that the Olympic Movement is alive and kicking. I am also honored that the IOC today chose to elect me as a new member of the Olympic Movement.”

Copenhagen served as host for the 2009 XIII Olympic Congress and 121st IOC Session.

Photo: ©IOC/Richard Juilliart

Queen Margrethe Writes Screenplay, Designs Costumes and Creates Sets for Film

Yesterday, JJ Films released the adaptation of the Hans Christian Andersen tale, “The Wild Swans” (De vilde svaner) in Denmark. Queen Margrethe II lent her artistic talent by designing the costumes, writing the screenplay and creating the sets by using the art of decoupage. Green screen technology integrated the queen’s artwork and costumes with stunning effect.

The screenplay relates the story of the heroine, Princess Elisa. Her destiny is to rescue her brothers from the curse of being swans by making clothing out of nettles.

Margrethe makes an appearance as an extra in one of the scenes.

The film project took five years to complete.


Special note: Dedicated to my sister, also named Elisa.

Princess Marie Bares a Son

Princess Marie of Denmark gave birth to a son at 4:57 this morning in the Rigshospitalet. The little prince weighed 3032 grams (6.7 lbs.) and measured at 49 cm (19.3 in.). According to the statement from the Kongehuset, mother and son are doing well. He is the first child for Princess Marie, the third son for Prince Joachim and the fifth grandchild for Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark.

Photo: Steen Brogaard

Denmark's Crown Prince Wins a Race in Key West

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark expressed his happiness with a win on Thursday for the Nanoq team in the 2009 Acura Key West Farr 40 sailing event. The Nanoq won race seven. The prince said, “it was great sailing today and it felt good to win a race. That is always difficult in this class because it is so competitive with so many good sailing teams. We have learned a lot and improved quite a bit by coming to this regatta. This result is nice, but we still have a long way to go.”

Prince Frederik’s Farr 40 boat win in race seven was mentioned in the Friday issue of Race Week News. According to a report by Bill Wagner and Rebecca Burg, “there was much rejoicing aboard Nanoq as the Danish entry pulled into its berth at the Schooner Wharf, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark hoisted a beer with crew members to celebrate winning a race in Farr 40 class for the first time in three appearances at Acura Key West.”

“Prince Frederik got a great start, got lifted by a favorable shift and both upwind legs, rounded the second windward mark in first and held the lead on the finishing run. His best previous finish was a fourth last year.”

The Nanoq finished ninth overall in the Farr 40 sailing races which ended Friday.

Photo: REUTERS

Prince Frederik Experiences Three Days of Soldiering In Afghanistan

Danish troops in Afghanistan received a visit from Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Defense Minister Søren Gade this week. The prince gained first-hand experience of the living and working conditions for the soldiers in Afghanistan with a three-day stay in the area including base operations in Armadillo and Camp Bastion as well as the district center of Gereshk.

Photo: Forsvarsministeriet

Prince Frederik Attends “Launch Event” for 2009 IOC Session and Olympic Congress

The 2009 XIII Olympic Congress and 121st IOC Session logo was unveiled on Monday at the premier “Launch Event” which was attended by Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. In his remarks at the “Launch Event,” the prince invited all students from the Danish music conservatories to compose the Opening Ceremony overture for the Copenhagen Olympic Congress.

The 121st IOC Session and XIII Olympic Congress will convene next October in Copenhagen, Denmark. Queen Margrethe II will attend the opening ceremony for the 121st IOC Session at the Copenhagen Opera House on October 1st. It is anticipated that members from the Spanish and Japanese royal houses will be attendance for the announcement of the 2016 Olympics Games host site on October 2nd. The cities of Tokyo and Madrid are on the short election list of possible sites.

The main theme for next year’s Olympic Congress is The Olympic Movement in Society. The XIII Olympic Congress will be held from October 3rd to October 5th. The 121st IOC Session will begin October 1st and 2nd; resuming on October 7th and finally wrapping up on October 9th.

Crown Prince Frederik’s remarks from the “Launch Event” on October 6, 2008 can be read here.

The presentation video of the 2009 XIII Olympic Congress and 121st IOC Session can be seen here.

For more information on the 2009 XIII Olympic Congress and 121st IOC Session, visit the official website.

Denmark’s Crown Prince Meets with Bulgarian President

Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov met with Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark for about an hour this morning. The visit by the prince is to strengthen friendly ties between the two countries on a political, economic and cultural basis.

After the meeting, Frederik lunched with Bulgarian Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev. As the diplomatic greetings progressed into the afternoon, the prince was ceremoniously welcomed by the National Guard of Honor. Thereafter, he met with the Bulgarian Speaker of the National Assembly Georgi Pirinski and toured St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral. The evening ended with a glittering flourish when he partook of an official dinner hosted by the Bulgarian president and his wife.

Tomorrow, Frederik will tour the National Museum of History in Sofia, the old town of Plovdiv and the workshop of Svetlin Russev. Before wrapping up his visit on Wednesday, the prince will tour the Secondary School of Applied Arts in Troyan, the Troyan Monastery and the National Handicrafts Exhibition of Arts in the village of Oreshak.

Photos: PRESIDENT.BG, REUTERS

Prince Frederik To Visit Bulgaria

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark will visit Bulgaria tomorrow at the invitation of Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov. The prince’s agenda will include tours of St. Alexander Nevski Cathedral and the National Museum of History in Sofia. He will also visit the old town of Plovdiv and the Troyan Monastery. Frederik will wrap up his diplomatic mission on September 17th.

Third Visit to Mongolia for Prince Frederik

After spending time at the Beijing Olympics last week, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark began his third visit to Mongolia yesterday. He will open a seminar on “Mongolian-Danish Energy Solutions” as well as meet with Mongolian President Nambaryn Enkhbayar and Prime Minister Sanj Bayar. The two countries established diplomatic relations forty years ago this month and have marked the momentous occasion with letters of congratulations between their foreign affairs ministers.

Prince Frederik’s two previous visits to Mongolia occurred in 1986 and 1990.

Per Stig Møller’s (Minister for Foreign Affairs of Mongolia) letter of congratulations for forty years of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and Denmark can be read here.

For more information on Danish business in Mongolia, visit the official website.

Denmark’s Queen Takes a Breather from Royal Life

Whilst her royal counterparts, King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, enjoyed the excitement and glamour of the Beijing Olympics, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark opted for a more sedate holiday at the family’s home in France the Château de Cayx. During her annual interview on the estate, she gushed about her rare opportunity to shop in the local marketplace and said, “the market has the most delicious things to buy.” In the meantime, Prince Henrik is taking the time to relax and recuperate from a recent shoulder surgery.

The BBC video clip, A home fit for a Queen, can be viewed here.

A Glimpse into Svalbard with the Royal Trio

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway, Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark completed their tour of Svalbard yesterday. A short video clip from B.T. TV which features some candid moments with the royal trio in Svalbard can be seen here.

Photo: REUTERS

Jes Dorph Interviews Prince Frederik

Before embarking on his trip to Svalbard on Saturday, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark granted an interview to Danish journalist Jes Dorph-Petersen whilst on board the Dannebrog last Monday. Besides addressing his interest in the International Olympic Committee, the prince speaks about the significant changes in his life going from bachelor action prince to family man and marking the major milestone of turning forty.

The exclusive Jes Dorph interview with Prince Frederik will air on Danish TV2 tonight at 8pm (local time).

Prince Joachim Celebrates His Thirty-Ninth Birthday

Whilst his brother, Crown Prince Frederik, celebrated his 40th birthday milestone with a balcony appearance in Amalienborg, dinner aboard the Danneborg and a party at Fredensborg, Prince Joachim of Denmark quietly marked his thirty-ninth birthday today with his wife of two weeks, Princess Marie.

Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian was born June 7, 1969. He is the second son of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark. He has two sons from his first marriage to Alexandra Christina Manley, eight-year-old Prince Nikolai and five-year- old Prince Felix. His second marriage to Marie Cavallier took place on May 24, 2008.

Royal Heirs To Visit Svalbard

Crown Prince Haakon of Norway along with Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden will visit the archipelago of Svalbard in two weeks. The royal heirs are patrons of the International Polar Year in their respective countries. The trio will board the Swedish research vessel Oden at Longyearbyen on June 21st. Included on the tour will be a visit to New Ålesund on June 26th.

For more information on the International Polar Year, visit the official website.