Marie Cavallier, Princess of Denmark (Paris, 46 years old) freely toured the premises of the Danish Embassy in the French capital on Monday, December 12. From France, she promotes her adopted country along with her husband, Prince Joachim, Queen Margaret’s youngest son. It is an infrequent task among European royalty, because it meant the transfer of both in 2020 in a kind of commission of services.
She acts as Special Representative for Cultural Affairs. Her husband, a Brigadier General in the Army, is the Defense Attaché. In an interview with EL PAÍS, the first she has granted to a Spanish medium, the princess points out the value of being yourself, and she highlights the importance of good communication between parents and children. Background,
Sitting on a sofa in a small embassy room, Marie from Denmark describes being a princess as a mixture of “symbolism, privilege and service”, where “integrity is essential”. For her, the true privilege “is our duty to represent the royal family”, and she acknowledges that this “involves a great responsibility”. Joining the intimacy and demands of a monarchy without changing character is a challenge, and she maintains that she retains hers. “I think I’m still true to myself and try to do my best, honestly.” In 2020, shortly before her move to France, she declared to the Danish magazine Se og Hør that she was not always in her power—like princes—to make decisions.
The fate of the brothers of the heirs to the throne is also the subject of discussion in other European monarchies, and in their case it has ended up strengthening their nuclear family. It is made up of her husband and her two children, Enrique (13 years old) and Athena (10), and their older brothers, Nicolás (23) and Félix (20). The latter are still in Denmark, and were born from Prince Joaquín’s first marriage to Alexandra —formerly princess and now Countess of Frederiksborg—, from whom he separated in 2004. “For us, it is very important to be together and talk about everything, in confidence, as a family,” says Marie from Denmark. During meals, she adds, it’s the best time. “I always tell my husband that we are very lucky because the four brothers love each other so much despite the age difference.”
For Enrique and Athena, the change of life was complicated. French is the princess’s mother tongue, and the prince is bilingual. Her father, the late Prince Henry, was born in France. “The children were young when we came and didn’t speak it,” she admits. “I used to address them in French during their childhood, but they answered me in Danish. A year after the move, they began to open, although schools were later closed due to the pandemic. It was difficult because they couldn’t go to class or see their friends. Now they are very happy, and it seems that they had stored everything I told them in their brains, ”she says, between relieved and amused.
I always tell my husband that we are very lucky because the four brothers love each other despite the age difference.
Before her marriage, she studied Economics and Business Administration in the United States and in Switzerland. In her later jobs he specialized in marketing, finance and executive secretarial, and at the Danish embassy he collaborates with the team that enforces cultural diplomacy. He explains that they manage “the Denmark Brand, growing stronger”. And she emphasizes the following: “I feel very honored because the culture has a unity component, and I adore Denmark and I love living there.” Although she says that she often travels to Copenhagen, 1,200 kilometers away, her words take on a special meaning given the turbulence of recent months. Last September, Queen Margarita announced that four of her grandchildren would cease to be princes as of January 1, 2023, retaining only the distinction of counts and countess of Monpezat. Those affected are precisely Enrique, Athena, Nicolás and Félix. The decision was adopted “in line with the adjustments made in other royal houses”, according to the official statement, and so that they can organize their lives “without the limitations derived from the duties and considerations of their formal affiliation to the Danish royal house”. Only one of the eight grandchildren will receive a future state allowance: Christian, 17, the eldest son of Prince Frederick, the current heir, and his wife, Mary Donaldson.
The decision was a blow to the children. They retain their position in the line of succession, but they did not understand why they stopped being princes when their first cousins, the four children of Frederick and Princess Mary, maintained the treatment. At least for now. Although the decision is final, the sovereign herself acknowledged that she had underestimated the pain caused to her second son and her family, and she apologized. In those days, Prince Joachim told the Danish media that there was a “lack of communication”. Later, he visited his mother to smooth things over. For Princess Marie, who has four siblings from her parents’ other marriages, the family unit is a fundamental pillar of her life. She assures that she looks for her and encourages her: “I will always encourage [the four brothers] to have each other for the rest of their lives,” she says excitedly. “When we are in Denmark they do a lot of things together. Seeing them united is very important to us as parents.”
This hymn to harmony will have its reverse at Christmas. “Normally, we spend it in Denmark, but the six of us have decided to travel to a place that I prefer not to reveal.” For his part, Federico — who supported the withdrawal of titles from his four nephews — and Mary Donaldson, originally from Australia, will move there with their offspring. Without her children and grandchildren, Queen Margaret, 82, will spend the holidays with her sister, Princess Benedicta, and several of her friends. The Danish royal house has offered a double explanation for these absences. On the one hand, it recalls that “five years have passed since Crown Prince Federico and Princess Mary last visited Australia.” In an email, Official spokespersons add that Joaquín and Marie’s private trip “had been planned for a long time and had to be canceled several times due to covid.” So brothers-in-law and cousins do not plan to see each other on these dates. The new year will also be special for the couple. The princess indicates that “the period of collaboration at the embassy was for a three-year period and ends next summer.” In 2023, another destination awaits them, and she is cautious with her words: “It is still early to talk about our plans. We will do it as soon as we have a clearer idea of what will happen. and she is cautious with her words: “It is still early to talk about our plans. We will do it as soon as we have a clearer idea of what will happen. and she is cautious with her words: “It is still early to talk about our plans. We will do it as soon as we have a clearer idea of what will happen.
Cultural promotion has not diminished its support for one of its leading issues: the fight against food waste, through organizations such as Stop Spild Af Mad. “It’s an environmental problem that needs to be addressed early at school and at home, given its global repercussions,” she says. “It’s not that people want to throw away food. It’s more due to lack of information. We have to cook with respect, be creative with leftovers, and store things well. Responsible production and consumption are one of the 17 United Nations sustainable development goals. The UN estimates that 17% of the world’s food is wasted between retailers, services and the home. How do you manage at home? “I cook daily, and we have raised our children to understand that food ends up in the stomach and not in the trash.” Now, when he discards something they catch his attention. “No one is perfect,” she confesses, laughing.