Print

The appointment of HSH Prince Phisatej Rajani to Honorary Hans Christian Andersen ambassador took place 4 March 2005 in the residence of Danish Ambassador to Thailand, H.E. Ulrik Helweg-Larsen. In his congratulary comments Ambassador H.E. Ulrik Helweg-Larsen said:.

"200 years ago, an amazing fairy-tale took its beginning in Denmark. In the small town of Odense in the province of Funen, a poor washwoman gave birth to a boy who would grow up and beat all odds. The boy, Hans Christian Andersen, became one of the foremost storytellers of the world and an inspiration for millions of readers of all ages. The tales of The Little Mermaid, the Emperor's New Clothes, and the story of The Ugly Duckling that mirrors his own life, are just some of the more well known among more than 150 fairy tales and a number of novels, theatre plays, poems, travel descriptions, etc. Hans Christian Andersen wrote to understand himself and the world he was living in. Through the stories - his own story and those he invented - he obtained a deeper understanding of the human condition. He wrote about fundamental things in life - about death, evil, poverty, ambiguous love and the fact of being different, being small or just being a child. Hans Christian Andersen touched a string in the core of human existence and is just as relevant today as a century ago.

This is why we want to celebrate the 200th birthday of Hans Christian Andersen. While Hans Christian Andersen never got to visit Thailand, his tales are well known here and several of them have been translated into Thai. We thus feel it very appropriate to also celebrate his birthday here in Thailand and a number of arrangements are under way.

Under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Margrethe of Denmark a select group of eminent personalities are appointed as Hans Christian Andersen Goodwill Ambassadors worldwide. Their role is important: They will contribute to a wider appreciation and awareness of Hans Christian Andersen and his work. To this group of distinguished personalities - including former president and poet Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic, football legend Pelé of Brazil, author Isabel Allende of Chile, HRH the Grand Duchess of Luxemburg and many others - we now add a new name: His Serene Highness Prince Bhisatej.

Hans Christian Andersen was no stranger to mingling with the Nobel men and women of his time but he was often in his fairy tales concerned with the faith of the most vulnerable in society. Likewise, His Serene Highness Prince Bhisatej has on numerous occasions - not least through his tireless work through more than three decades as Director and later Chairman of The Royal Project Foundation - shown his dedication to improving rural livelihoods and the conditions of the poor. Maybe one of the children he has helped over the years through the Royal Projects will have a stunning life just as the poor washwoman's boy from Funen and become the Hans Christian Andersen of Thailand."



H.S.H. Prince Bhisatej Rajani and Danish Ambassador to Thailand H.E. Ulrik Helweg-Larsen

Print

Back