New Delhi: Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen has refused some unsolicited “helpful” feedback about her nose from a plastic surgeon who slid into her inbox with the advice.
Frederiksen, who had just returned from war–torn Ukraine, where she was exposed to drone threats and air-raid sirens, received an unusual message in her inbox from a surgeon offering to “fix that little spot on your nose”.
The 48-year-old, who has been prime minister since 2019, is no stranger to comments about her appearance. Women in public life are often subjected to scrutiny over their looks, but Frederiksen’s response suggested she had had enough.
“Oh no,” she wrote back. “I’m happy with my body and don’t really need a male plastic surgeon to have opinions about it.”
In an Instagram post on Monday, in which she included a screenshot of the exchange, Frederiksen also described a broader pattern of comments about her appearance that she has received over the years, particularly as she approaches 50.
“I’ve lost count of how many messages I’ve received over the years about my appearance,” the 48-year-old wrote. “Especially that I have ugly teeth and thin hair. That I have an ugly ‘wart’ on my nose and well-meaning advice to get some Botox.”
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Scrutiny beyond politics
Frederiksen is serving her third term as prime minister, making her one of Europe’s longest-serving heads of government. She has recently been in the news for pushing back against US President Donald Trump’s interest in Greenland and for continuing Denmark’s support for Ukraine amid Russia’s war.
However, her political stature has not shielded her from scrutiny of her appearance.
“If you’re going to write to me (and you’re more than welcome to), I hope you’ll use your time to talk about something more meaningful. Not my nose,” she wrote.
As she navigates pressure from Washington over Greenland and a war swelling at her country’s border, such comments have only left her “indignant”, she wrote.
(Edited by Maryam Hassan)