TheFitzyreport

This week the American Scandinavian Foundation has been celebrating a very successful 100 year history with the royal families of all 5 Nordic nations. After our trip to Copenhagen and the Faroe Islands last year, I have become a regular at Scandinavia House, having a particular admiration for Denmark and it’s friendly and progressive people. ( not to mention it’s Australian Princess! ) I was lucky enough to attend a small event prior to the Centennial Ball, where I spoke to the Head of Communications from the Royal Danish Court about Denmark and the royal visit to Australia next month. She very kindly offered to introduce me to Princess Mary and what a fabulous opportunity it was. In fact that’s exactly what I said to her. She was delightful, graciously accepting my comment that she had set the campaign for a Republic in Australia back decades. We talked about being Australians abroad and secret women’s business, and I do admit to being somewhat star-stuck. I was even lucky enough to be granted permission for a photograph of the 2 of us together. Sorry! Personal use only! You’ll have to call into Mum and Dad’s if you want to see it….  However what I can show you is a list of the formal titles of the Scandinavian Royals, plus appropriate protocols should you be in Tasmania in November….

As part of the New York Film Festival I went to the Apple Store near the Lincoln Center last week to see Antonio Banderas talk about his new film with Pedro Almodovar called ‘The Skin I live in’. He always looks very debonair in his movies, so it was interesting to see him in real life and to see how passionate he was about his work. He was also quite witty – right after he was introduced and sat down, there was a momentary pause in which a little dog at the back suddenly started yapping. Antonio immediately put on a voice he uses for another famous film and hissed “Ah! an enemy of Puss in Boots!” He went on to say that in recording voice for that film he speaks in English, South American Spanish, Spanish and then Italian. And he’s working on the French….

We saw “The Skin I live In” on the weekend and it was suspenseful, superbly shot, yet quirky in that Almodovar way.  I wasn’t expecting the end – how could it end – but Mr Banderas did warn us….