Denmark’s Crown Princess awarded with the 2018 Speaker’s Prize from the organisation Danske Talere.
All of Denmark listened in awe, as Crown Princess Mary spoke to her husband, with a twinkle in the eye, and at times sinking deeply before she spoke. For this speech, and the way she delivered it, she was awarded the 2018 Speaker’s Prize
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By Bente D. Knudsen Picture: Screen dump from DR1’s tv transmission of the 50th birthday celebration.
Making a speech in a foreign language, even if you now master it quite well, can be a challenge for most people. Top that with having to make a personal speech to your husband for his 50th birthday while not only all your guests, but a whole country listens in, and you might feel slightly terrified.
This was exactly how Crown Princess Mary felt, she explained today, when awarded the prize.
“When I was told that it was expected I make a speech at my husband’s birthday celebration I thought ‘of course’ and at the same time my thought was ‘panic’,” she said.
The organisation is a private NGO, whose purpose is to promote and protect great speeches and great speakers.
The 2018 Speaker’s prize was awarded to HRH Crown Princess Mary for her speech to her husband at the official dinner celebrating the Crown Prince Frederic’s 50th birthday in May this year.
You can read more about Australian born Danish Crown Princess Mary here: Australian born Crown Princess Mary – 46 years old and very dedicated to her causes
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The organisation’s chairman said at the award ceremony today that the prize was awarded for its ability to entertain the audience, and for its capability of putting in small humoristic twists, as well as giving a rare insight into the life of the Danish Crown Prince family.
Was this a royal speech?”, the chairman, Jesper Troels Jensen, asked rhetorically. “No, I don’t think so. This was a completely ordinary story from everyday life within a family.”
Also, the use of humour was singled out as a strong point in the speech. For instance, in her speech, the Crown Princess Mary teased her husband with his bad jokes.
“Those who have had the pleasure of dining out with you, know for instance, that every time a waiter asks: ‘Are you finished?’, then one can be absolutely certain that you will answer, ‘ No, I am Danish’. Every time and that you laugh. Every time,” Crown Prince Mary said in her speech. (Editor’s note: this is a really old Danish joke played of course on the Danish Nordic neighbour Finland).
She also pointed out that she had not thought her speech would get so much attention, which it did, not only from the organisation Danske Talere, but more so amongst the Danish public, the press and other experts on the royal house.
You can hear Crown Princess Mary’s speech to her husband – which was transmitted by Danish Television live on the 26 May 2018 here.
She speaks quite slowly – and there are Danish subtitles, so maybe a good occasion to practice your Danish?
You can read more about the Danish Royal Family in our article here:Why the Danes love their royal family