News about Hans Christian Andersen

Alice in Wonderland, Noddy, Harry Potter, Tracy Beaker, they are the books we all grew up reading but Constance Craig Smith discovers what made their authors tick in Sam Leith's The Haunted Wood.

There's no pleasing some people. As scathing reviews for some of the world's most iconic and popular tourist attractions reveal. The world's tallest tower? 'Underwhelming views'. Sydney Harbour Bridge? 'Unimpressive'. Mount Rushmore? 'Obnoxious'. And don't even get these disgruntled travellers started on the Empire State Building, Stonehenge, Bondi Beach and Checkpoint Charlie.

Speaking to the Washington Post , the royal - who now works as defence industry attaché for his nation's embassy in the US capital - and his wife, opened up about the decision, which was previously described as coming 'out of the blue'. 'We weren't happy about the way it happened,' Marie, 48, admitted. 'But it's a family thing. It's complicated.' Pictured left: Prince Joachim, his wife Marie, and his four children. Right, Queen Margrethe. Inset, Joachim shares a hug with his brother Frederik.

Count Nikolai of Denmark has shared a sweet snapshot of his 'good memories' with his uncle. The royal, who was stripped of his 'Prince' title in 2022, was unable to attend yesterday's Copenhagen funeral, which saw his father rise the throne. Rather, he's been taking a break from his Sydney studies to relaxing in Bali with his girlfriend Benedikte Thoustrup. The model posted snapshots of himself as a child with his uncle in the palace's corridors, from the early naughties.

Prince Joachim is still a vital piece of the monarchy today, according to the new King and Queen of Denmark by including him in their first official engagement after taking the throne. It was a dramatic change for the brothers' union, which was shaken by Queen Margrethe's removal of their royal titles in September 2022 - a decision that Prince Joachim said had 'harmed' his family. However, there was no sign of tension between the two brothers today, as Joachim joined the royal couple at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen for their first official engagement as King and Queen.

The new king and queen of Denmark today attended parliament for their first official engagement in their new positions. Queen Mary, 51, a blue skirt suit and a dress hat, climbed the stairs to Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen in stilettos, as did husband Frederik, who was elegant in a suit. The royal couple were joined by their son, the newly appointed Crown Prince Christian 18, as well as Frederik's mother Queen Margrethe, who officially resigned on Sunday after a 52-year reign. Besides the royals' participation in the Danish parliament, Joachim, 54, who appeared with his wife Princess Marie and Prince Benedikte of Denmark, and Margreth's sister, Princess Benedikte of Denmark, welcomed their family outside the palace before attending speeches by politicians.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary, as well as their son Prince Christian, have arrived in Christiansborg Castle to begin their abdication.

After an exciting balcony appearance this afternoon, King Frederik shared a public kiss with his wife, the newly crowned Queen Mary of Denmark. The royal, 55, was clearly moved when was announced King by the Prime Minister at Christiansborg Castle today, and wiped away tears at the historic functions as throned crowds applauded him on. The father-of-four said in his address, as per a translation by royal blogger Gert's Royals, "I need all the help I can get." From my wife, and my family, to you, and everything in between is more than us. Knowing that I am not alone, I face the future. 'Bound, committed for the Kingdom of Denmark.'

Soldiers marching up and down the streets as eager crowds line up, donning plastic bags, the Danish flag, and various regalia to commemorate the low-key festival, according to a live broadcast from regional channel DR1. Security is also seen on the balcony of Christiansborg Castle, with just hours to go before Queen Margrethe II's abduction, which she announced on New Year's Eve. The horses have also been stabled in the royal stables of Christiansborg Palace this morning. And soldiers from the Danish Guard Hussar regiment appeared to be training for today's activities earlier today. Crown Princess Mary, Crown Prince Frederik, and Queen Margrethe are among the inaugural members of the Danish Parliament in October 2022.

After Queen Elizabeth II died in September 2022, Queen Margrethe 83, 83, reigned Denmark for more than a century and became Europe's longest reigning monarch. During her traditional New Year's Eve address, the monarch shared the news. Crown Prince Frederik and his Australian-born wife Mary, 51, will marry on Sunday at the chinese throne. This weekend, Danish royalists took to the streets of Copenhagen to wave red and white flags to honor their beloved Queen Margrethe. The public singing to Margrethe outside Amalienborg, Margrethe's winter home, was caught on X, formerly known as Twitter.

• While some of the misty-eyed'mountains' are calling a'school of thought', others may be more'skiing is the only sport in which you can break an arm and a leg.' Here's our list of getaways for both skiers and those who like to pootle about in the mountains. If you're one of the latter - or simply a skier/snowboarder who likes to branch out.

You've probably heard the tale of "The Little Mermaid" many times before. It begins with a mermaid longing to discover the human race — a longing that escalates as she falls in love with a prince. The mermaid then trades her voice with a sea witch for the chance to become human, and though the sea witch nearly destroys everything, she happily ever after. It's a classic, age-old fairy tale that was most recently revived in Disney's live-action remake of "The Little Mermaid" starring Halle Bailey. .. . or is it? In actuality, the "Little Mermaid" tale that most of us know and love is a rewrite of a much older, much bloodier fairy tale. Hans Christian Andersen, a Danish writer, wrote "The Little Mermaid" in 1837. It begins similarly to Disney's familiar version, starting with a mermaid yearning to be with a prince that she can't reach. In Andersen's version, the mermaid's trade with the sea witch requires more than her voice. Rather, the sea witch cuts out the mermaid's tongue and gives her a pair of legs, though she warns her that every step she takes will be like walking on knives. The sea witch gives the mermaid a traumatic ultimatum by reminding her that if the prince marries someone else, she'll die the morning after his wedding.

Although the majority of Disney's live-action remakes have flopped without a ripple (some not even in theaters), the Little Mermaid's lavish new twist on cartoon classic The Little Mermaid has already made a big splash. According to flippers, Disney's decision to cast mixed-race pop star Halle Bailey as their first white-skinned mermaid. For all the right reasons, the decision is more than justified. Bailey is unquestionably sensational as Ariel. A star is born. The tale is the same - a diluted retelling of Hans Christian Andersen's crueller fairy tale. Ariel forms a forbidden fascination with all things human in defiance of her father, King Triton (Javier Bardem). In a time-honoured tradition, this scales to new heights when she saves human Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) from a shipwreck and succumbs to a celebrity-crossed passion at first sight.

At her new live-action version of The Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey made an ethereal figure at its Mexico City premiere on Thursday night. The latest photograph, based on the 1989 Disney animated masterpiece that is in turn based on Hans Christian Andersen's book, is set to be published on May 26. The film held a star-studded premiere in Los Angeles on Monday, three days before its new glittering promotional function. At the Mexico City bash, Halle, 23, slid her enviably trim figure into a flowing white gown with a Grecian-style sash down one side. With the dashing Spanish film actress Javier Bardem, who plays her character's father King Triton, she cuddled up for the cameras.

While listening to BBC Radio 3, the screenwriter, singer, and composer died 'unexpectedly but peacefully' last month. The Royal Family were huge supporters of Hesketh-Harvey's work and, at a service in Covent Garden yesterday, his son Rollo read a letter sent from the monarch about who his father used to be. Dame Penelope Keith (left), model and make-up artist Jemma, Marchioness of Douro (middle), and Oscar winner Sir Tim Rice (right).

The colours of the Russian flag have vandalised a revered statue of Hans Christian Andersen's Little Mermaid, one of Copenhagen's biggest tourist attractions. On the rock on which she stands, the red, white, and blue Russian tricolor was painted. The Russian tricolor's red, blue, and blue stripes were applied on her rock near the water's edge, near to a public footpath. It was not known when the vandalism took place. No one has been charged with the crime. 'Investigations were carried out in the area in order to find traces,' police told AFP.'

A world of terror was the fairy tales I read as a child. Hans Christian Andersen and the Brothers Grimm collections are still on my shelves, as well as volumes of European and world folk tales and Greek myths. I was all inspired by Roald Dahl's story, which would eventually be lost by adults, wicked stepmothers, incarcerated, kissed horses, threatened with cannibalism, demanded marriages that people didn't know, and so on. How thrilling!

A boy was given a free haircut once upon a time in Kansas City, Missouri. It was the first in a line of events that would result in him becoming one of the world's most popular men, as well as fairy tales as Hans Christian Andersen. A free barbering service was provided in exchange for a limited number of artworks by a 12-year-old boy who had a natural gift for drawing cartoons. They were inevitably hung up all round the store and soon became a neighborhood attraction. This early recognition of his artistic talent ignited the boy's aspirations, and he became a full-fledged animator with his own production firm, Laugh-O-Gram Films in his early 20s.

The live-action version of Disney's "The Little Mermaid" is finally here, and although the bulk of the film is unknown, we already know how it will differ from the 1989 version in several ways. Halle Bailey, the lead in the film, is another in Disney's expanding series of remakes. In a 20 December interview with Entertainment Weekly, director Rob Marshall said that the latest film will give Ariel a little more agency than the original, although he doesn't see it as a major departure. "The character goes back to Hans Christian Andersen of another century, but it looks in some ways like a very modern woman, someone who sees her life differently than others around her," he said. However, "the fire is very important" to Ariel's latest film, he said, adding, "her passion is extremely important." "She feels displaced, and it's really an epic tale about discovering your authentic self," he told. But also there needs to be a lot of joy. It's a strange combination of youth and wisdom, as well as a slew of soul and heart. "She is so modern."

'We're going on a sleigh ride, Ho!Ho!Ho!Can you find the hidden gifts?Ready?Off we go!' The dogs are the latest in the Bunny series as they assist Father Christmas in giving gifts with ten gifts hid under lift-the-flaps. This is a Christmas gift due to its simple, repetitive rhymes, and colorful illustrations.

Queen Margarethe, 82, who was born on April 16, 1940, a week after Nazi Germany's takeover of Denmark, was a symbol of hope to many during the conflict (left). She rose to the throne in 1972, spent a long career as an artist and production designer, and has since gained a following in the United States with her simple-talking New Year addresses (bottom left, she is regarded as 'Aunt Daisy' by her fellow European royals). However, her 50 years on the throne have not been without controversy: husband Henrik refused to be buried alongside his wife, who branded him "a fool" (main) and she sparked eyebrows in recent days when she decided to rob her grandchildren of their titles (right inset, right).

Since taking on the iconic role of Ariel in a forthcoming live-action version of The Little Mermaid, Halle Bailey admits she felt 'pressured' to do the best possible job. The actress, 22, is a lifelong follower of Hans Christian Andersen's Danish fairy tale, and she didn't want to disappoint viewers with her portrayal of the redheaded mermaid.