Princess Mary + Prince Frederik
Boarding school apologizes for extreme pressure over the past few weeks
Princess Mary and Prince Frederik
© Dana Press
It was a difficult decision that Princess Mary and Prince Frederik had to make in the last few days: their son Prince Christian has to leave the Herlufsholm boarding school, before massive pressure was exerted on the crown prince couple. The school apologizes for that.
Princess Mary, 50, and Prince Frederik, 54, have long held back with an official statement or even a decision as to what their children’s school future will look like after the bullying scandal at Herlufsholm boarding school. Until now. The crown prince couple published their decision on Sunday, June 26, 2022. “It has been a difficult process for us as a family, but considering the bigger picture and our special position as Crown Prince and Crown Princess, we have decided that Prince Christian will retire at Herlufsholm, and that Princess Isabella will not go to ninth grade at the school after the summer holidays will go,” say Mary and Frederik. They want to decide “during the summer” which educational institution their children will attend.
Herlufsholm regrets pressure on Princess Mary and Prince Frederik
Massive pressure had previously been exerted on Prince Frederik and Princess Mary, with many Danes demanding a clear stance from the couple. There was even talk of the supposedly biggest crisis that the couple now has to deal with. The boarding school apologizes for the turbulent past few weeks with an official letter. The school regrets the pressure that the crown prince and crown princess have been under in connection with the extreme media coverage of the school since May, said acting headmaster Martin Arvedlund in a written statement to the “Ritzau” news agency.
Princess Mary braved the bad weather for the Royal Run
170 images
Arvedlund now hopes “calm will return to the school, for all students and staff so that we can devote our time and energy to pursuing the many initiatives we have launched to improve the welfare of our students.” A further step, following the announcement of a package of measures and the resignation of the board and its chairman Torben von Lowzow, is that Jon Stokholm was appointed as the new chairman at an extraordinary meeting on June 27th.
New chairman after scandal revelations
Jon Stokholm told TV 2 that he took on the role of CEO because he believes Herlufsholm is an important social institution of historical importance. However, he did not see the documentary in which former students talked about a culture characterized by violence, gross bullying and sexual abuse. However, he wanted to make up for it, he assured. According to him, the origin of the boarding school’s problems must be sought in the school’s values, he explained in an interview with “Ritzau”. “The values are very individualistic. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but it probably emphasizes the individual at the expense of the community,” says Stokholm. “Such a culture creates problems for the weak. The strong will make it.”
Stokholm also emphasized that he himself had no connection to Herlufsholm and that he considered it “completely understandable” that the Crown Prince and Princess had withdrawn their children from school.
Sources used: teda.dk, herlufsholm.dk