Princess Mary and Prince Frederik put on a show
Danish Royalty say hello to crowds ahead of a tour of the Sydney Opera House designed by Dane Jorn Utzon.
PT0M54S http://www.smh.com.au/action/externalEmbeddedPlayer?id=d-2w34g 620 349 October 24, 2013
- Autoplay OnOff
- Video feedback
- Video settings
If the crowds, policemen, roadblocks and posy-laden girls didn't give it away, the angle-grinders certainly did.
Moments before Crown Princess Mary, the future Queen consort of Denmark, arrived to cut the ribbon at the tiny Ole Lynggaard jewellery store in the city, a troupe of workmen clad in hi-viz trudged past security barriers to cut away the rubbish bins in front of the store - unsightly and unsafe as they were.
Pavements duly beautified, Hobart-born Crown Princess Mary's cavalcade pulled into sight, halting at the prime retail spot, opposite David Jones.
Princess Mary waves to the crowd outside the Ole Lynggaard store in Sydney. Photo: Daisy Dumas
She stopped to wave to the crowd of hundreds before receiving purple posies from India, 10, and Sofie, 9, daughters of staff members at the jewellery outlet, which originated in Copenhagen.
Her royal highness' sisters, Trish Bailey and Jane Stephens, watched on as Princess Mary met the Lynggaard family and guests at the champagne reception.
Earlier in the morning, she and husband Crown Prince Frederik launched "MADE by the Opera House" in conjunction with the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts, Architecture, Design and Conservation, at the Opera House.
Prince Frederik opened his speech with a dedication to the courage and work of firefighters and all involved in the bushfires.
"My thoughts go to the firefighters still fighting bravely," he said. "Coming from a country that is very unfamiliar with bushfires, it makes an even deeper impression. And my deepest respect goes to those heroes ... and, of course, to those affected."
He said he was always delighted to be back in Sydney with his wife.
Five students from Sydney universities received awards to mark the Opera House's 40th year – sponsored exchanges at arts courses in Copenhagen – watched by dignitaries including the Australian ambassador to Denmark, and Denmark's Ambassador to Australia.
The chief executive of the Opera House, Louise Herron, impressed with her smattering of Danish.
John Symond, the Aussie Home Loans chief who is also the newly minted chair of the Opera House, was there, alongside the Danish Minister for Culture, Marianne Jelved, NSW Minister for the Arts George Souris and Lord Mayor Clover Moore.
Ms Herron said it was thanks to the "very, very bold vision by Joe Cahill" that the Opera House was born. It was then, of course, up to the daring imagination of Dane Jorn Utzon to turn the dream into a monument to a modern Australia.
As the patrons of the 40th anniversary, their highnesses will on Friday night attend the official opening of Danish Design at the House, with a red-carpet reception giving Princess Mary her first opportunity to wear an evening gown on the five-day tour.
Princess Mary kicked off the tour on Thursday by choosing a dress by Danish designer Signe Bogelund Jensen, a favourite of her highness', as she and her husband toured the Opera House and visited Government House.
No comments:
Post a Comment