Princess Benedikte and Family, Current Events 1: March 2003 - September 2005

[Topsy-Turvy]

Originally posted by Starr@May 16th, 2004 - 12:34 pm
Good close up of Benedikte's necklace, very nice. Did you notice Gustav and Natalie expressions in some of the pictures, they don't look like they are enjoying themselves.

I believe that all of the Berleburg-children are quite shy, and if you look at HH Prince Richard you can see where they got the trade from. He has always looked as if he wanted to be somewhere else when the media is around. (Which I can totally understand )

 

[Starr]

Though it does seem Alexandra enjoys these functions more than her brother and sister. Perhaps she's more like her mother.

 

[Topsy-Turvy]

Originally posted by Starr@May 19th, 2004 - 7:54 am
Though it does seem Alexandra enjoys these functions more than her brother and sister. Perhaps she's more like her mother.

Maybe you're right, though Princess Natalie is very much like Princess Benedikte, atleast when it comes to their mutual love of horses.

 

[hailey]

Originally posted by Starr@May 16th, 2004 - 11:34 am
Good close up of Benedikte's necklace, very nice. Did you notice Gustav and Natalie expressions in some of the pictures, they don't look like they are enjoying themselves.

Hi...

This has been a very nice thread on Benedikte's family. I have some questions that perhaps someone can answer.

1. Is Alexandra and her family living in Paris?? And did they live in Copenhagen before if they are living there now? Isn't her husband also from Germany?

2. Is Prince Gustav at home at Berleburg or is he still in London....was he working at a bank or something?

3. Princess Nathalie---Is she in Denmark or where does she live??

Many thanks for any reply....

Aloysia

 

[Starr]

I think Alexandra and her family live in Paris, Gustav used to work at a bank in London, but went back to Germany to help run the estate while his father was undergoing treatment for cancer. Nathalie, has Danish citizenship, like her sister and I think she may live in Denmark training for the Olympics. I believe she is going to try to make the Danish Olympic Equestrian team for Athens. From what I have seen she seems to be a gifted horsewoman, so good luck to her.

 

[hailey]

Originally posted by Starr@May 29th, 2004 - 7:44 am
I think Alexandra and her family live in Paris, Gustav used to work at a bank in London, but went back to Germany to help run the estate while his father was undergoing treatment for cancer. Nathalie, has Danish citizenship, like her sister and I think she may live in Denmark training for the Olympics. I believe she is going to try to make the Danish Olympic Equestrian team for Athens. From what I have seen she seems to be a gifted horsewoman, so good luck to her.

Hi Star...

Many thanks for your reply.

I find this family so appealing in everything they do....they seem to be such good, solid citizens.

Does any of the family have a webpage??

This is only my second post but have been enjoying this site for a long while. It has sooooooo muucchhhhhhh information!!

Cheers, Aloysia

 

[Jasl]

How old is Gustav now? And how old was he when he was engaged to Elvire (sic?)?

 

[Chatleen]

Originally posted by Jasl@May 29th, 2004 - 8:43 pm
How old is Gustav now? And how old was he when he was engaged to Elvire (sic?)?

Prince Gustav is 35 by now. I got my information from this webpage:

http://www.kongehuset.dk/artikel.php?dogtag=k_en_fam_ben

 

[carlota]

benedikte was today in spain to conmemorate the aniversary of the death of hans christian andersen.

 

[Jasl]

I think Billed Bladet had an interview with Princess Benedikte recently. Here's the article, which can also be found at the Billed Bladet website.

Interview med prinsesse Benedikte: Jeg er glad når jeg hjælper - 17.06.04
– Man skal selvfølgelig have overskud for at kunne hjælpe...
Jeg vil gerne fortælle mine børne-børn, at der er andre børn ude i verden...

– Vi har alle pligt til at hjælpe, så godt vi kan på hver vores måde.
Prinsesse Benedikte er ikke i tvivl. Har man overskud, må man hjælpe dem, som ikke har. Derfor sagde hun også med glæde ja tak i 1995 til at være protektor for SOS-Børnebyerne. Og på lørdag er prinsessen på talerstolen ved en familiefest på Plænen i Tivoli i anledning af SOS-Børnebyernes 40-års jubilæum.
– Jeg er glad for at kunne hjælpe en så velfungerende organisation som SOS-Børnebyerne. Det gør jeg blandt andet, når jeg er ude til selskaber, og talen falder på organisationen eller på noget lignende. Hvis jeg kan fornemme, at jeg møder nogle mennesker, som er interesserede, så spørger jeg dem, om ikke de har lyst til at tegne et fadderskab. Og det behøver jo ikke kun at være i selskaber blandt mine private venner. Det kan være hvor som helst, forklarer prinsesse Bene-dikte.

N.B. And if there's a Danish translating thing I can get over the net, can you pls PM me? :flower:

 

[michelleq]

Can someone translate from Danish to English?

Thanx

 

[MarieLouise]

Originally posted by Jasl@Jun 19th, 2004 - 3:25 am
I think Billed Bladet had an interview with Princess Benedikte recently. Here's the article, which can also be found at the Billed Bladet website.

Interview med prinsesse Benedikte: Jeg er glad når jeg hjælper - 17.06.04
– Man skal selvfølgelig have overskud for at kunne hjælpe...
Jeg vil gerne fortælle mine børne-børn, at der er andre børn ude i verden...

– Vi har alle pligt til at hjælpe, så godt vi kan på hver vores måde.
Prinsesse Benedikte er ikke i tvivl. Har man overskud, må man hjælpe dem, som ikke har. Derfor sagde hun også med glæde ja tak i 1995 til at være protektor for SOS-Børnebyerne. Og på lørdag er prinsessen på talerstolen ved en familiefest på Plænen i Tivoli i anledning af SOS-Børnebyernes 40-års jubilæum.
– Jeg er glad for at kunne hjælpe en så velfungerende organisation som SOS-Børnebyerne. Det gør jeg blandt andet, når jeg er ude til selskaber, og talen falder på organisationen eller på noget lignende. Hvis jeg kan fornemme, at jeg møder nogle mennesker, som er interesserede, så spørger jeg dem, om ikke de har lyst til at tegne et fadderskab. Og det behøver jo ikke kun at være i selskaber blandt mine private venner. Det kan være hvor som helst, forklarer prinsesse Bene-dikte.

N.B. And if there's a Danish translating thing I can get over the net, can you pls PM me? :flower:

Ok I'll trye and translate this, here goes:

Interview with Princess Benedikte: I am happy, when I am helping

- Offcouse one needs strength to be able to help... I would like to tell my grandchildren, that their are other children in the world...

- We all have a duty to help as well as we can accomplish

Princess Benedikte is in no doubt. If you have the strengt, you need to hepl the ones who doesn't. That is why she happily agreed to become patroness for the SOS - Childrens cities. This saturday the princess will speak at a party for families on Plænen in Tivoli. The occation is the 40 year anniversary of the SOS childrens Cities.

- I am so happy to be able to help such a wll acting organisation. Among other things I do that at parties, if the converstion turns into organisation or something like it. If I sense that I have meet some people who are interessted I ask them if they wouldn't like to by a sponsorship. And it doesn't have only have to be at parties among my private friends. It could be enywhere, princess Benedikte explains.
-------------------------------
Hope I got it right... :flower:

 

[Jasl]

Thanks heaps MarieLouise!

And just a question, does your avatar read something like "queen come out or else we won't go home?". Because during the wedding telecast here in Australia, the commentators said that that's what the Danes say during QM's birthdays or any balcony occasion etc.

 

[Chatleen]

Originally posted by Jasl@Jun 21st, 2004 - 8:16 pm
And just a question, does your avatar read something like "queen come out or else we won't go home?". Because during the wedding telecast here in Australia, the commentators said that that's what the Danes say during QM's birthdays or any balcony occasion etc.

That's right In danish it is: "Dronning, dronning kom nu frem - ellers går vi aldrig hjem"

 

[Jasl]

That's it, I'm going to enrol myself in language classes now. I should probably learn German and French first so its easier for me to learn Danish (haha! big ambitions.. makes it sound like its something I can do in one month ).

 

[Chatleen]

Originally posted by Jasl@Jun 21st, 2004 - 9:12 pm
That's it, I'm going to enrol myself in language classes now. I should probably learn German and French first so its easier for me to learn Danish (haha! big ambitions.. makes it sound like its something I can do in one month ).

Yeap - I guess some people would love it, if you reported on the www, that you were able to read, write and the most difficult part: speak danish in a couple of months

 

[MarieLouise]

Originally posted by Jasl@Jun 21st, 2004 - 7:16 pm
Thanks heaps MarieLouise!

And just a question, does your avatar read something like "queen come out or else we won't go home?". Because during the wedding telecast here in Australia, the commentators said that that's what the Danes say during QM's birthdays or any balcony occasion etc.

Jasl.

If you have been using that online translator, you'r dooing quite well!

You got it right!

 

[Jasl]

No I can't trust that thing!! (though it has its uses!)

But "dronning" means queen, and "hjem" is home, and "kom" is come, and I heard the phrase "Queen queen, come out, or else we won't go home" (or something like that) from the Danish broadcasters here in Australia during the wedding telecast.

Any news on Greenland?

 

[michelleq]

Princess Benedikte's Children

I read that at the time of Princess Benedikte's wedding, it was stated that her children would not be known as Prince/Princess' of Denmark. Can the Queen or King (Frederick) elevate them to Prince/Princess' of Denmark? Also can they be elevated to HRH from HSH since they would be Prince/Princess' of Denmark? Has it been noted anywhere that this causes any problems? I welcome all answers and/or corrections.

 

[norwegianne]

http://www.geocities.com/dagtho/dk-suc-law.html

The only time that consent to the marriage of a dynast has been given only under certain specific conditions was June 3rd 1967, when HM King Frederik IX gave consent “in the Council of State” to the marriage of his daughter, HRH Princess Benedikte to HSH Prince Richard zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg. The consent was given subject to a number of conditions agreed to in writing by Princess Benedikte:

That Princess Benedikte would take up permanent residence in Denmark should she become the closest heir to the throne

That Prince Richard, in accordance with his statement of intent, under the same circumstances would take up permanent residence and apply for naturalization as a Danish subject

That any child born in the marriage, and any descendant of such, in order to maintain succession rights to the throne:

take up permanent residence in Denmark
at the time where he (or she) should become the closest heir to the throne,
and no later than when he (or she) reaches the age of mandatory schooling according to the Danish educational laws

apply for naturalization as a Danish subject upon reaching adulthood.

The Succession Rights of Princess Benedikte's Children

The question of the succession rights of the children of Princess Benedikte was raised in 1997, when the Princesses Alexandra and Nathalie applied for naturalization as Danish subjects and the Naturalization Committee of the Folketing asked the Ministry of Justice for an opinion as to the succession rights of the princesses.

Minister of Justice Frank Jensen in a letter dated November 12th 1997 forwarded the answer prepared as a note from the Law Department of the Ministry of Justice. It was the conclusion of the Ministry of Justice that the consent given to the marriage had been conditional, that this was a legal procedure and that the princesses "could not be seen as having succession rights to the throne, since they, given what has been informed, have not taken up permanent residence in Denmark upon reaching the age of mandatory schooling." (Notits: 4; my translation).

The Ministry of Justice did not explicitly state if any other conditions could be seen as also possibly excluding the princesses, but it would seem that they could possibly also be seen as being excluded from succession due to not having applied for naturalization as Danish subjects upon reaching adulthood.

I don't know if this was what you were looking for, but it's what I found from a link in a previous post.

I think that after the Ministry of Justice's decision it would be hard to create them Prince/Princess of Denmark without a valid reason.

 

[michelleq]

It is almost. It clears up many things in my mind. My next question is, since the princess' have become citizens, and I believe that they do represent Denmark at various functions, as well as the prince, can't they become HRH of Denmark based on their service to Denmark? Also, why is it that none of the Berleburg children have Sashes of Denmark? I also find that odd, esp. since Queen Anne Marie's children have them.

Reading another Message Board, someone made the comment that Princess Benedikte would not welcome a "Mary" (middle class commoner) into her family. I found that somewhat odd. What type of personality does she have? Is she stuck on her "Royalty"? What about her children, Gustav, Alexandra, Nathalie and her husband, Richard, are they snobbish?

 

[Jasl]

I really don't believe that. Mary IMO is quite close to Princess Alexandra, and I don't think the two of them would be close if Alex's mum was so against a commoner marrying into her family (well her sister's family, but still family). Benedikte even cried during F & M's engagement, but some people will make you believe that it was because she was so upset! Nah I don't believe that - I think she was happy.

In any case, when Benedikte gave an interview for her birthday (60th?) she mentioned Mary quite a bit. If I remember correctly, she said that she likes Mary very much and even asked the press to give Mary some space.

Don't know if I can find the link to the interview.... perhaps someone else knows the link to it??

So nah, don't believe what some negative people say.... Benedikte seems like a very nice, hardworking and caring lady (apparently she's the "cry baby" of the family - because her emotions overwhelms her sometimes).

 

[michelleq]

Thank you. I always assumed that about her. I have mentioned on this board (Or it's precursor) that she struck me as being so down to earth; her and her family. She never struck me as snobbish. She is an outstanding, beautiful princess and human imho.

 

[Alexandria]

you believe that it was because she was so upset! Nah I don't believe that - I think she was happy.

In any case, when Benedikte gave an interview for her birthday (60th?) she mentioned Mary quite a bit. If I remember correctly, she said that she likes Mary very much and even asked the press to give Mary some space.

Don't know if I can find the link to the interview.... perhaps someone else knows the link to it??

I think that if you search this thread you'll find the link for the article Jasl is referring to; I believe it was a BT interview for Beneditke's 60th birthday, although she gave several at the time so I could be confused.

(See the middle of this page for several interviews Benedikte gave around the time of her birthday celebrations, although some are in Danish: http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=778&page=4&pp=20)

Around the time of the engagement I read the story about the tears, too. But it wasn't because she was happy, or not exactly. The story I heard about the reason for the tears was that Benedikte was sad that her mom Ingrid couldn't be there to celebrate the engagement and meet Mary herself -- surely a sign of approval on Benedikte's part if she longed for her beloved mother's presence on that special October day she could not disapprove of Mary.

I heard a second story for the tears, and that was related to Benedikte's husband, Richard, whose recovery from cancer was not progressing as speedily as it should've been and allegedly the emotions of the engagement and her husband's ailing health took its toll on Benedikte.

Whatever story you believe, none of them seem to point to disapproval of Mary.

 

[Chatleen]

I would say, that you have often seen Princess Benedikte with a few tears in her eyes during big family celebrations, including events taking place before Queen Ingrid passed away and Prince Richard had cancer.

But of course there can be various reasons for tears. At other celebrations, she might have been touched due to other causes, while she at the engagement and wedding of Frederik thought about her mother's absence.

About a week before the wedding the Danish television channel DR showed some small interviews with Prince Gustav of Berleburg, Princess Alexandra of Berleburg, Crown Prince Pavlos of Greece and Marie-Chantal.

I would say, that both Gustav and Alexandra seemed really fond of Mary. Alexandra told, how she had spent hours with Queen Ingrid right before her death. Amongst other things they had discussed how sure they both were, that Frederik eventually would find the right woman for him. Do you really think, she would tell this in public television, if she wasn't convinced, that Mary was the right woman for him?

 

[GrandDuchess]

Princess Nathalie zu Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleburg at the Appassionata Horse Gala show in Forum, Copenhagen. Pictures from IS:

 

[GrandDuchess]

A stylish Princess Benedikte attended the memorial service for Princess Alice, Duchess of Gloucester today in the St. Clement Danes church in London, England. Pictures from Getty:

 

[Josefine]

here are a few old photos

 

[betina]

It is almost. It clears up many things in my mind. My next question is, since the princess' have become citizens, and I believe that they do represent Denmark at various functions, as well as the prince, can't they become HRH of Denmark based on their service to Denmark? Also, why is it that none of the Berleburg children have Sashes of Denmark? I also find that odd, esp. since Queen Anne Marie's children have them.

All Benediktes children have the highest order. They are decorated with the order of the elephant

Best regards betina

 

[michelleq]

Thank you Betina! If you or anyone else have any photos of them wearing their Orders and/or Sashes, can they post it? It would be greatly appreciated.