While waiting for the big moment, let's have a look at Billed Bladet this week.
Unsurprisingly there is something about the christening. Nothing new though.
There is a well illustrated comparison of Kate Middleton and Mary. (Kate has got great legs incidentally...
).
A brief interview with Frederik, which I'll deal with tomorrow. I find it illuminating in regards to Frederik's personality.
And this story:
Summary of article in Billed Bladet #15, 2011.
Joachim og Marie fik en ny lade - Joachim and Marie got a new barn.
Written by Ken Richter.
A large but very old barn, practically a ruin stood next door to Schackenborg, on the lands of the estate. That barn is a protected building and Joachim really didn't have any use for it.
Anyway, the former steward of Schackenborg, Søren Frederiksen, vame up with the idea of applting for funds from realdania to restore the barn and turn it into a cultural centre.
The restoration started two years ago and costed 11.000.000 DKK.
The project also involved pupils from the school in Møgeltønder village, who each placed a tile in the floor.
When the new centre was inaugurated, Joachim said: "It's isn't my idea", to turn the barn into a cultural centre. Joachim added: "The barn was in such a poor condition that we didn't use it and I saw the first schetches for a restoration seven years ago and now it has become a locul cultural house and at the same time an unusual public house". (*)
And this note I'll translate in full:
Prinsen blev misbrugt - The Prince was misused/taken advantage of.
There are limits to what a prince must stand up to. Normally Prince Joachim is friendliness itself, but at the inauguration of the restored barn at Schackenborg Manor, it became too mcuh for the royal guest of honor, who very clearly felt misused. It was Anders Lund Madsen (**) from The New talkshow, who had send his reporter, Signe Molde, to Møgeltønder. Her Signe offered the Prince that she would read out aloud the poem about the Goldhorns.
- "If it's done correctly it takes 21 minuttes and my time is too precious for that", answered Prince Joachim friendly. Politely he did remain standing, while the journalist neverthelss continued reading.
- "If we are going through all of it, it'll be without my taking part", Prince Joachim had to repeat a couple of times before Signe Molde stopped the nervous reciting of the poem which Joachim informed that he perfectly well. The embarassing spectacle wasn't over, because the dispatched microphone holder also wanted to say goodbye to Prince Joachim with a hug. But as she tried to embrace Prince Joachim, he moved a couple of steps backward, while he with detremination in the voice and face said: "Thank you very much".
- I translated this segment because Ken Richter is the most matter of fact of the royal reporters on Billed Bladet. In his articles he describes what happens and he usually leaves out emotional fill. Not this time!
(*) Actually forsamlingshus. A house owened usually by the municipality of by an association, for public use by local inhabitants. I.e. for weddings, parties, ball,s bingo, evening classes and so on.
You'll find a "forsamlingshus" in practically every single village, including the one we live in. And very practically that's incidentally where we celebrated our copper anniversary a couple of years ago.
(**) Frederik has met him several times, as the mingle in the same cultural circle.