Queen Margrethe received new ambassadors from Switzerland, Greece, the Netherlands, Ireland and Japan at Christian VII's Mansion in Amalienborg today
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6BI46OA0A8/
https://www.instagram.com/p/B6BI46OA0A8/
The yearly TV-reviews of the DRF are coming up. And here is an anecdote told by minister in the previous government, Jacob Ellemann, who was riding a carriage together with QMII in Norther Zealand, near Fredensborg BTW. Here they had opened a new national park.
And in an attempt to say something, anything, the new minister Ellemann remarked how beautiful at had been to come ashore among beeches from Esrum Lake.
To that QMII remarked dryly: "They are oaks."
But goofing up that well ended up being a good icebreaker. Ellemann excused himself by saying that he as a new minister didn't know that much about trees in Denmark and they both agreed never to mention this again.
Ellemann BTW is more than likely to become Prime Minster at some point. So we will see him again.
https://www.bt.dk/politik/ellemann-...en-overfor-dronning-margrethe-hendes-svar-var
It sure is impressive interior!
Here are some more pics of Draper's Hall, London.
There are several similar halls/clubs all over UK.
https://headbox-media.imgix.net/upl...tail_Page_11_-LH_Big.jpg?auto=compress,format
https://cdn.venuescanner.com/photos/erUBr/a0255da7995080f22335498bdc482b68.jpg
With Venus in the ceiling:
https://omg.imgix.net/media/com_jbu...es/1287/drapers-hall-wedding-venue-london.jpg
https://thisisfunky.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Courtyard.jpg
We may have to start a new thread about QMII in general or a general biography thread, because a lot of anecdotes about her are going to trickle in from now until her birthday.
Here is a wonderful account by her very close friend Brigitta Hillingsø.
As you may recall the Hillingsø family are also close friends of M&F.
https://www.bt.dk/royale/dronningen...-moede-jeg-vidste-ikke-hvordan-man-haandterer
Their friendship started almost 70 years ago when they were both ten years old.
King Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid brought little Margrethe along to visit the Hillingsø home, the estate Juelsberg on the island of Funen.
Here it is: http://www.danskeherregaarde.dk/uploads/juelsberg_1986.jpg
It isn't exactly a cottage!
Birgitta Hillingsø (BH) did not look forward to the visit!
"Firstly she was a princess and secondly she was from Copenhagen. I wasn't happy about the situation. That's for sure. And I didn't quite know how to handle such a thing."
BH took Margrethe out to the greenhouse where she kept a large collection of toads.
"I showed her the largest and fattest of all my toads. And she was allowed to touch it and hold it.
If she hadn't liked the toads then I don't know what would have happened."
Even though BH is not the oldest of QMII's friends, she was the one who was selected to go to high school at Amalienborg with Margrethe. The two of them studied alone there. So BH moved in at Amalienborg.
"They treated me as a part of the family and you quickly got used to the King being there. He was very large, but he was also very, very kind. I was never afraid of him."
At some point the two girls finished a subject they weren't keen on and Margrethe celebrated by standing on her hands, when their teacher left the classroom for a while.
But then he came back...
"And what did he see? He saw the Princess with her skirt handing over her head, you could see her girdle, her stockings and everything.
She quickly got down again and quickly got out the door. But my, how we laughed."
BH says about QMII:
"She is funny and clever. Really funny. You don't think so when you see her, but she has a huge glimmer in the eye. She has a sense of humor.
She a natural person. I don't think she has changed. I think she has done a job well done."
BH clearly remember how nervous QMII was when she was to give her first New Year speech and even though QMII by now has a lot of experience in that respect, BH can tell:
"I do think you can tell that she is a bit nervous, when she is sitting there."
BH is the mother of M&F's very close friend, Ellen Hillingsø.
Pictures by the Palace
https://scontent.fath3-3.fna.fbcdn....=7134957ecc5c900fdab0a3a8c3964040&oe=5ED7AD96
https://scontent.fath3-3.fna.fbcdn....=0e9488a1ff1e8c9dd5fb8376f41522b4&oe=5E93036A
https://scontent.fath3-3.fna.fbcdn....=1ee44e0f124406ac1517843b9684226b&oe=5EA6FCDC
https://www.instagram.com/p/B7OMbdxgi74/
Gallery
https://www.gettyimages.es/search/2...s=all&uiloc=view_all_more_from_this_event_adp
That are only the chairs in the room close to the Altar. The bencehs in the Main room are facing to the Altar.Does anyone know the reason the cathedral has those strange benches where people face each other?
That are only the chairs in the room close to the Altar. The bencehs in the Main room are facing to the Altar.
But i habe often noticed at Services in westminster Abbey whgere there are no benches who are alwys there that the charis for big oiccasions are placed towards the Aisle.
Stefan, it's not the chairs near the altar where the Queen is sitting that I mean. It's the benches where there are two seats together which means that, not only are people facing each other, but some would be sitting with their backs to the altar. You can see them in this photo.
https://scontent.fath3-3.fna.fbcdn.n...6b&oe=5EA6FCDC
You are thinking about a bench like this, right? https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/s.../07/20150720184743_0.jpg/20150720184743_0.jpg
I did a little research.
They came about after the Reformation in 1536.
Until then there were usually no benches or seats in the church except for the most highranking worshipers, and they often had a gallery of their own, above the common riff-raff.
So people were standing at the Catholic services, conducted in Latin, so few understood much. And combined with a society where people for health reasons were tipsy most of the day and a society where violence and loud behavior was much more common (there is a good reason why the room right at the entrance is called the arms-house here in DK - people literally stored their personal weapons there. Swords, daggers, long knives even axes and spears and later on primitive pistols) attending a service could be a very unruly experience!
Imagine a village church where the clerics are going through the rituals, with a congregation who were chatting, arguing, sleeping, flirting, praying, making deals, children wailing their heads off and often brawling as well and you get the picture. In this unruly lot a couple of sometimes monks, but mainly lay-clerical assistants tried to keep some order whacking the most unruly and waking up those who were sleeping.
The image of a medieval congregation sitting quietly listening to the priest is a myth. The priest had problems being heard! Anyway few understood what he was talking about and pretty much ignored him. After all it was showing up that mattered, right?
If you wanted to pray in peace in the church, you didn't go there on Sundays! Or during the multitude of holidays either. You went to a monastery or a cloister or to the church outside normal hours.
It was only late in the medieval period that some semblance of order started to be imposed, as Christianity got more and more hold of society and people.
After all it took at least 200 years from DK being officially Christian in 900's until it actually became Christian in earnest!
There were some seating arrangements in many medieval churches though - for those who paid the church for a seat, that is.
Reformation came and now the service was conducted in Danish, so people could actually follow what happened and understand the sermons. Combined with the revolution of the printing press meaning that even fairly ordinary people learned to read and got hold of religious pamphlets and sometimes even their own bibles(!) meant an increased interest in religion and religious matters. And that meant a more active, personal involvement for the worshipers.
But Protestantism was also more strict! Not only were you expected to attend service, preferably every time, you were also expected to pay attention and be seen to pay attention - or else...!
Combined with an increased religious awareness during the 1500's and certainly in the 1600's that meant a lot more people went to church even for ordinary services.
So seating arrangements were introduced.
Initially the highest ranking sat up front on chairs. No more sitting in the gallery. Before God we are all - almost - equal.
Those better off sat behind in often elaborately carved benches - even though such ornamentation was frowned upon by many Protestants. And the poor stood in the back. The further back, the lower your status.
Over time benches were introduced all over the churches. It was a good way to keep the congregation focused and in order. The problem was that those standing in the back often couldn't hear a bleep anyway due to the general albeit somewhat muted chatter and wailing children. So benches came in handy.
And since everyone was required to attend service the churches were pretty full. - You could be fined, whipped or accused of being a papist or a witch in the worst cases, depending on the period if you didn't attend service as often as possible.
So double-benches were introduced. I.e. benches facing in both direction. So it was pretty cramped! Simply because basically the whole parish was stuffed inside the church, especially on Sundays.
Of course double-benches were not for those better off. Those who had a higher status sat on single-benches facing the altar.
And in a society where no one were equal, there was a very specific seating-order. Even on bench.
The best place was nearest to the aisle. The oldest sat before the younger. The married before the unmarried.
Originally men always sat to the south side of the church - the "sword-side".
While women sat to the north side - the "spinning-wheel-side".
Some churches had a special area for riff-raffs, they were officially called riff-raffs = "rakkere" in Danish. They were the sick, the poorest, the prostitutes, those with particularly low-status jobs and so on.
It wasn't only to make things more comfortable for the congregation that benches were introduced. After all you don't go to church to be comfortable. It was a question of keeping people in order and making sure they listening to the public announcements that were also made by the priest. Whenever a new tax was imposed or a new law implemented, you heard it from the priest.
Later on there was not that much use for double-benches as things gradually became more relaxed and attending a service became more voluntarily. So they are more for decoration now and a very convenient place for your coat, bag, bible, toddlers, baby-lifts and what not.
- It's a fascinating image, eh? I'm sure people more in the know can tell more.
You are thinking about a bench like this, right? https://www.kristeligt-dagblad.dk/s.../07/20150720184743_0.jpg/20150720184743_0.jpg
I did a little research.
They came about after the Reformation in 1536.
Until then there were usually no benches or seats in the church except for the most highranking worshipers, and they often had a gallery of their own, above the common riff-raff.
So people were standing at the Catholic services, conducted in Latin, so few understood much. And combined with a society where people for health reasons were tipsy most of the day and a society where violence and loud behavior was much more common (there is a good reason why the room right at the entrance is called the arms-house here in DK - people literally stored their personal weapons there. Swords, daggers, long knives even axes and spears and later on primitive pistols) attending a service could be a very unruly experience!
Imagine a village church where the clerics are going through the rituals, with a congregation who were chatting, arguing, sleeping, flirting, praying, making deals, children wailing their heads off and often brawling as well and you get the picture. In this unruly lot a couple of sometimes monks, but mainly lay-clerical assistants tried to keep some order whacking the most unruly and waking up those who were sleeping.
The image of a medieval congregation sitting quietly listening to the priest is a myth. The priest had problems being heard! Anyway few understood what he was talking about and pretty much ignored him. After all it was showing up that mattered, right?
If you wanted to pray in peace in the church, you didn't go there on Sundays! Or during the multitude of holidays either. You went to a monastery or a cloister or to the church outside normal hours.
It was only late in the medieval period that some semblance of order started to be imposed, as Christianity got more and more hold of society and people.
After all it took at least 200 years from DK being officially Christian in 900's until it actually became Christian in earnest!
There were some seating arrangements in many medieval churches though - for those who paid the church for a seat, that is.
Reformation came and now the service was conducted in Danish, so people could actually follow what happened and understand the sermons. Combined with the revolution of the printing press meaning that even fairly ordinary people learned to read and got hold of religious pamphlets and sometimes even their own bibles(!) meant an increased interest in religion and religious matters. And that meant a more active, personal involvement for the worshipers.
But Protestantism was also more strict! Not only were you expected to attend service, preferably every time, you were also expected to pay attention and be seen to pay attention - or else...!
Combined with an increased religious awareness during the 1500's and certainly in the 1600's that meant a lot more people went to church even for ordinary services.
So seating arrangements were introduced.
Initially the highest ranking sat up front on chairs. No more sitting in the gallery. Before God we are all - almost - equal.
Those better off sat behind in often elaborately carved benches - even though such ornamentation was frowned upon by many Protestants. And the poor stood in the back. The further back, the lower your status.
Over time benches were introduced all over the churches. It was a good way to keep the congregation focused and in order. The problem was that those standing in the back often couldn't hear a bleep anyway due to the general albeit somewhat muted chatter and wailing children. So benches came in handy.
And since everyone was required to attend service the churches were pretty full. - You could be fined, whipped or accused of being a papist or a witch in the worst cases, depending on the period if you didn't attend service as often as possible.
So double-benches were introduced. I.e. benches facing in both direction. So it was pretty cramped! Simply because basically the whole parish was stuffed inside the church, especially on Sundays.
Of course double-benches were not for those better off. Those who had a higher status sat on single-benches facing the altar.
And in a society where no one were equal, there was a very specific seating-order. Even on bench.
The best place was nearest to the aisle. The oldest sat before the younger. The married before the unmarried.
Originally men always sat to the south side of the church - the "sword-side".
While women sat to the north side - the "spinning-wheel-side".
Some churches had a special area for riff-raffs, they were officially called riff-raffs = "rakkere" in Danish. They were the sick, the poorest, the prostitutes, those with particularly low-status jobs and so on.
It wasn't only to make things more comfortable for the congregation that benches were introduced. After all you don't go to church to be comfortable. It was a question of keeping people in order and making sure they listening to the public announcements that were also made by the priest. Whenever a new tax was imposed or a new law implemented, you heard it from the priest.
Later on there was not that much use for double-benches as things gradually became more relaxed and attending a service became more voluntarily. So they are more for decoration now and a very convenient place for your coat, bag, bible, toddlers, baby-lifts and what not.
- It's a fascinating image, eh? I'm sure people more in the know can tell more.