Frederik turns 40: orangerie party - extra labels

Christening of Palma Handwerk - extra labels

The King and I

31 January 2008

In the evening crown prince Frederik and crown princess Mary attended the Scandinavian premiere of the musical "The King and I" at Det Ny Teater in Copenhagen. Their presence hadn't been anounced beforehand.

Among the audience were also Tanja Doky and her husband Chris Minh Doky, and Mary's famous hairdresser Søren Hedegaard and his actor husband, Preben Kristensen.

After the performance Frederik and Mary talked to the actors.

Princess Isabella's christening - extra labels

Mary, kronprinsesse med stil

26 October 2006

On the day Mary's second pregnancy was anounced a new book was available in the shops.

"Mary, kronprinsesse med stil" was written by Jim Lyngvild and Jan Körner.

The picture book tells the somewhat romanticized tale of Mary's transformation from Australian working girl to Danish crown princess, focusing on her succesful makeover.

Apart from info on the designers of Mary's wardrobe there are short interviews with Mary's hairdresser Søren Hedegaard and her personal stylist Anja Camilla Alajdi - two of the most important people in shaping Mary's succesful image.

Søren Hedegaard says:

"The crown princess is incredibly beautiful and has great hair to work with. It is fairly thick and waves easily. With such basics it isn't difficult to make her shine.

Our cooperation is fundamentally the same as with any other customer, except that I work closely together with the crown princess's stylist, to match the makeup and hairdo with the clothes. Other than that, it's the situation which determines the hairdo. For example if there has to be jewellery in her hair, then I have a certain working method, or when the crown princess wears a hat. The next step is to make the hairdo complement the clothes. I make my suggestions and then the crown princess agrees or makes some alterations. Sometimes I sketch my idea on a piece of paper, but often time is short. On a day with official duties, there may be several events. Then it's always me who plans the hairdos. I make a sequence, beginning with an everyday hairdo and building up during the day and the evening - like for a gala dinner. The time to do the crown princess's hair varies a lot, but it can easily take 2 hours depending on the hairdo and the jewellery. For smaller arrangements I am not alwayq involved. I have taught the princess some little tricks for those occasions, which make it easy to reach a certain look quickly. 

Just like the crown princess's stylist I work a lot with fashion, so I know what's in. In this way, we both make sure, that the crown princess's style doesn't look too old fashioned or boring. I try to reflect her classic and simple clothing style in her hairdos, at the same time adding a touch of "now" and emphasizing her status of crown princess."

About Anja Camilla Alajdi's work with Mary:

" Mary's stylist has a morning meeting with Mary and her chambermaid at least once a week. They discuss the upcoming events. Combinations are created and planned for the whole week. Each season the stylist selects clothes that Mary can try on. What she likes stays and the other garments are returned to the shops. The styling for big events and foreign trips is planned many weeks in advance."

In 2008 the book was translated to English and published in Australia where it is called "Mary. Princess of style".

34th birthday

5 February 2006

On the Sunday Mary turned 34 she hosted a brunch for her closest Danish friends at Kancellihuset.

Invited were: Julie Mølsgaard, Caroline Heering, Rose Gad, Ellen Hillingsø (who brought along her daughter Anna Castenskiold), Jean Mensah, Rikke Juel Brandt, Anja Camilla Alajdi and Søren Heedegaard. Frederik was present too.

The night before there had been a birthday party at Mary's home with her father John and stepmother Susan, queen Margrethe and prince Henrik.

Wedding of Søren Hedegaard & Preben Kristensen

23 May 2005

Mary's hairdresser Søren Hedegaard (then 50) and actor Preben Kristensen (then 52) got married in their own garden in Charlottenlund (Copenhagen). They'd been a couple for 20 years before getting married.

Mary & Frederik were among the guests at the wedding party that was also a birthday party.

Australia tour 2005

Mid November 2004 is was made public that Frederik & Mary would make an official visit to Australia in March 2005, followed by a private holiday.

They would be in Australia for 3 weeks.

Australian media had given a lot of publicity to the upcoming tour, in collaboration with the PR of Danish court. Various photo shoots and interviews had created a glamorous image of Mary combined with sugary stories of her new life as a European princess living in a palace.

Throughout the visit they were accompanied by:

- Mary's lady-in-waiting countess Victoria Bernstorff-Gyldensteen
- Mary's stylist Anja Camilla Alajdi
- Mary's hairdresser Søren Hedegaard
- Mary's chamber maid Tina Jorgensen
- chief of court Per Thornit
- Frederik's man servant Søren Hogild
- court's spokeswoman Lis M. Frederiksen

Mary was in the first stage of her pregnancy with Christian. The news hadn't been made public yet.

On the cover of Australian Vogue

December 2004

The Australian December issue of fashion bible Vogue featured Mary on the cover and in a 14 page exclusive.

(dress by Hugo Boss)

It was an unexpected move, and unprecedented at Danish court. The well calculated project had full cooperation of court and of Mary's stylist Anja Camilla Alajdi. Preparation started 11 months beforehand, in November 2003.

In September 2004 the Vogue team flew to Denmark with a large array of designer clothes that Mary & Anja chose from. Editor-in-chief Kirstie Clements interviewed the new princess. The shoot took 3 days and was executed by New York-based photographer Regan Cameron at Amalienborg palace and Fredensborg palace. Mary's hair and make-up were arranged by her own hair and make-up artist, Søren Hedegaard.

(top, skirt and jacket by Chanel, leather boots by Hermès)

(dress and cape by Louis Vuitton)

 

(blue dress by Prada)

  

 

(black gown by and fur cape by Malene Birger, shoes by Miu Miu)
(white gown by Jean Paul Gauthier)

Most of these clothes were later seen again on Mary. It's not clear whether she bought them or received them from Vogue as part of the deal.


According to Clements: "We asked if the prince would come and he really changed the whole mood of the shoot. There was just such magic when they got together and she became really relaxed. We got this beautiful photo of the two of them together and after that everything was brilliant. They are . . . in love!"

Mary told the magazine: "Growing up, you always feel that you have to do something in order to deserve people's admiration and support. I don't really feel I've done so much. All I've done is say yes and love the person that I love", and "I've never really thought that much about fashion, I'm still developing my style."

She also said: "I have to believe that I wouldn't be here if I couldn't do this. But I'm a thinker, I won't say 'Yes' to one thing unless I know how it fits into the overall puzzle. There is a lot to weigh up, but my biggest hope is to be able to make a difference somewhere. It's a privilege to have this opportunity."

Asked about the biggest pressure in her new role, Mary said it was becoming a public person: "I've never been a person who craved the spotlight."

Anja Camilla Alajdi

One of Mary's most important counsellors is her personal stylist: Anja Camilla Alajdi.

Mary started working with Alajdi at the very start of her time in Denmark - around 2002. When she became engaged to crown prince Frederik their collaboration intensified and it has never ceased.

Apart from advising on fashion choices for all of Mary's activities and arranging fittings with designers, Alajdi accompanies Mary to fashion shows and on shopping trips in Denmark and abroad. She has introduced Mary to other specialists in skin care, fashion, hair and make-up.
Alajdi also works closely on Mary's image in PR campaigns. She has succesfully guided Mary Donaldson from an average and quite unremarkable looking middle class woman to the stylish and well groomed crown princess of Denmark.

Being a member of Copenhagen's society, Anja Camilla quickly became one of Mary's friends.

  

In 2008, with Preben Kristensen

and with Søren Hedegaard

Anja Camilla Alajdi was born in 1972. She's the daughter of a Danish mother and a Morrocan father.

From her marriage to Ulf-Steen Neitzel she has two children: Karla (°1999) and Otto (°2003).

She's in a relationship with Steen Arnstrøm, a former bodyguard of crown prince Frederik.

Anja has worked as a stylist for the TV show "Linie 3". There she met actor Preben Kristensen, who introduced her to his partner, Mary's hairdresser Søren Hedegaard. It was Hedegaard who recommended Alajdi to Mary. When Mary became crown princess Alajdi's work increased and she gave up her job in Danish television.

Anja has also worked for women's magazine Alt for Damerne.

In 2007 Alajdi became a business partner in Marianne Dulong, thus partly owning the jewellery brand that largely provides the crown princess of jewellery.

At Preben Kristensen's birthday party

15 March 2003

At Preben Kristensen's 50th birthday party at Skovridderkroen in Charlottenlund.

Preben Kristensen is a Danish actor. He had roles in a.o. Forbrydelsen 2 and Borgen 3. He's the husband of Søren Hedegaard, Mary's hairdresser and make-up stylist.