Mary (born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson; 5 February 1972) is

Queen of Denmark The monarchy of Denmark is a constitutional institution and a historic office of the Kingdom of Denmark. The Kingdom includes Denmark proper and the autonomous territories of the Faroe Islands and Greenland. The Kingdom of Denmark was alr ...

as the wife of King Frederik X. In 2000, Mary met Frederik (then

Crown Prince of Denmark Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, (Frederik André Henrik Christian; born 26 May 1968) is the heir apparent to the Danish throne. He is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik. Early life Crown Prince Freder ...

) while attending the

2000 Summer Olympics The 2000 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXVII Olympiad and also known as Sydney 2000 (Dharug: ''Gadigal 2000''), the Millennium Olympic Games or the Games of the New Millennium, was an international multi-sport event held from 1 ...

Sydney Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mountain ...

. They married on 14 May 2004 at

Copenhagen Cathedral The Church of Our Lady ( da, Vor Frue Kirke) is the cathedral of Copenhagen. It is situated on the Frue Plads public square in central Copenhagen, next to the historic main building of the University of Copenhagen. The present-day version of the ...

. They have four children:

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...

Isabella Isabella may refer to: People and fictional characters * Isabella (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters * Isabella (surname), including a list of people Places United States * Isabella, Alabama, an unincorpora ...

Vincent Vincent ( la, Vincentius) is a male given name derived from the Roman name Vincentius, which is derived from the Latin word (''to conquer''). People with the given name Artists *Vincent Apap (1909–2003), Maltese sculptor *Vincent van Gogh ...

and Josephine. Since her marriage, she has carried out engagements on behalf of the Danish monarchy, and she serves as patron of over 30 charitable organisations, including the

United Nations Population Fund The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), formerly the United Nations Fund for Population Activities, is a UN agency aimed at improving reproductive and maternal health worldwide. Its work includes developing national healthcare strategies ...

, the European regional office of the

World Health Organization The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level of h ...

, the

Danish Refugee Council Danish Refugee Council (DRC) ( da, Dansk Flygtningehjælp) is a private Danish humanitarian nonprofit organization, founded in 1956. It serves as an umbrella organization for 33 member organizations. Formed after the Second World War in response ...

and

Julemærkefonden Julemærkefonden (literally "The Christmas Seal Foundation") is a Danish charity that operates four so-called Christmas seal homes for children with social challenges. It issues an annual Christmas seal to finance its activities. History The fo ...

. She founded her award-winning social organisation, the Mary Foundation, in 2007. In 2019, Mary was made a ''rigsforstander'', which allows her to act as regent when the monarch is abroad. She became the first Australian-born queen of a European country upon

the abdication ''The Abdication'' is a 1974 British historical drama film directed by Anthony Harvey and starring Peter Finch and Liv Ullmann. The film's score was composed by Nino Rota. It tells a fictionalized version of the rumored love affair between C ...

of her mother-in-law,

Queen Margrethe II Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent femal ...

, on 14 January 2024.

Early life

Mary Elizabeth Donaldson was born 5 February 1972 at

Queen Alexandra Hospital The Queen Alexandra Hospital (commonly known as QA Hospital, QAH or simply QA) is a large NHS hospital in Portsmouth, Hampshire. Located in Cosham, it is run by Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust and has a Ministry of Defence Hospital U ...

Battery Point Battery Point is a suburb of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is immediately south of the central business district. It is in the local government area of City of Hobart. Battery Point is named after the battery of guns which were est ...

, a suburb of

Hobart Hobart ( ; Nuennonne/Palawa kani: ''nipaluna'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian island state of Tasmania. Home to almost half of all Tasmanians, it is the least-populated Australian state capital city, and second-small ...

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

. She is youngest of four children to

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

parents, Henrietta (née Horne), an executive assistant to the vice-chancellor of the

University of Tasmania The University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public research university, primarily located in Tasmania, Australia. Founded in 1890, it is Australia's fourth oldest university. Christ College, one of the university's residential colleges, first pro ...

, and

John Dalgleish Donaldson John Dalgleish Donaldson (born 5 September 1941) is a Scottish- Australian professor and the father of Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, the wife of the heir apparent to the throne of Denmark, Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark. Family and mar ...

, an

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

and mathematics professor and member of the

Clan MacDonald Clan Donald, also known as Clan MacDonald ( gd, Clann Dòmhnaill; Mac Dòmhnaill ), is a Highland Scottish clan and one of the largest Scottish clans. The Lord Lyon King of Arms, the Scottish official with responsibility for regulating heraldry i ...

. Her paternal grandfather was Captain Peter Donaldson (1911–1978). She was named after her grandmothers, Mary Dalgleish and Elizabeth Gibson Melrose, and was born and raised in Hobart. She has two older sisters, Jane Stephens and Patricia Bailey, and an older brother, John Stuart Donaldson. Her mother died from complications following heart surgery on 20 November 1997, when Mary was 25. In 2001, her father married the British author and novelist

Susan Moody Susan Moody (born 1940 in Oxford) is the principal pen name of Susan Elizabeth Horwood, an English novelist best known for her suspense novels. After marrying Professor John Dalgleish Donaldson in Oxford, Oxfordshire, on 5 September 2001, sh ...

(née Horwood). During her childhood, Mary was involved in sports and other extracurricular activities both at school and elsewhere. She studied music, playing piano, flute, and clarinet, and played basketball and hockey.

Education

In 1974, Mary began schooling at Clear Lake City Elementary School in Houston, Texas, when her father, a professor of applied mathematics, worked at the

Johnson Space Center The Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC) is NASA's center for human spaceflight (originally named the Manned Spacecraft Center), where human spaceflight training, research, and flight control are conducted. It was renamed in honor of the late U ...

. She then moved to

Sandy Bay, Tasmania Sandy Bay is a suburb of the city of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia, located immediately south of the central business district, and adjoining the suburb of Battery Point. Sandy Bay is bounded on the east by the Derwent River, and has several beac ...

, from 1975 to 1977. Her primary education, from 1978 to 1983, was at Waimea Heights with her secondary schooling (1984–1987) being at

Taroona High School Taroona High School is a government co-educational comprehensive junior secondary school located in , a suburb of Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Established in 1958, the school caters for approximately 1,100 students from Years 7 to 10. The s ...

, and matriculation (1988–1989) at Hobart College. She studied at the

from 1990 to 1994, graduating with a combined

Bachelor of Commerce A Bachelor of Commerce (abbreviated BComm or BCom; also, ''baccalaureates commercii'') is an undergraduate degree in business, usually awarded in Canada, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Ireland, New Zealand, Ghana, South Africa, Myanmar, ...

and

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

degree on 27 May 1995. From 1994 to 1996, she attended a

graduate program Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachelor's) degree. The organization and struc ...

and qualified with certificates in advertising from the Advertising Federation of Australia (AFA) and direct marketing from the Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA). Her native language is English, and she studied French during her secondary education. In 2002, she briefly worked as an English tutor in Paris while dating

Crown Prince Frederik Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, (Frederik André Henrik Christian; born 26 May 1968) is the heir apparent to the Danish throne. He is the elder son of Queen Margrethe II and Henrik, Prince Consort of Denmark, Prince Henri ...

. After moving to Denmark and before her marriage, Mary studied Danish as a foreign language at Studieskolen in Copenhagen in 2003.

Career

Mary worked for Australian and global advertising agencies after graduating in 1995. Upon graduation she moved to

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

to work in advertising. She became a trainee in marketing and communications with the Melbourne office of

DDB Needham DDB Worldwide Communications Group LLC, known internationally as DDB, is a worldwide marketing communications network. It is owned by Omnicom Group, one of the world's largest advertising holding companies. The international advertising networks ...

, taking a position of

account executive Account executive is a role in sales, advertising, marketing, and finance involving intimate understanding of a client company's objectives and products and a professional capability to provide effective advice toward creation of successful promot ...

. In 1996, she was employed by Mojo Partners as an

account manager An account manager (AM) is a person who works for a company and is responsible for the management of sales and relationships with particular customers. An account manager maintains the company's existing relationships with a client or group of cl ...

. In 1998, six months after her mother's death, she resigned and travelled to America and Europe. In

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

, she worked for three months as an account manager with Rapp Collins Worldwide; then, in early 1999, she was appointed as an account director with the international advertising agency

Young & Rubicam VMLY&R is an American marketing and Marketing communications, communications company specializing in advertising, Digital media, digital and social media, sales promotion, direct marketing and brand identity consulting, formed from the merger of ...

in Sydney. In June 2000, Mary moved to a smaller Australian agency, Love Branding, working for a short time as its first account director. In the (Australian) spring of 2000, she became sales director and a member of the management team of Belle Property, a real estate firm. In the first half of 2002, Mary taught English at a business school in Paris, but upon moving to Denmark permanently, she was employed by

Microsoft Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...

Business Solutions (5 September 2002 – 24 September 2003) near

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan ar ...

as a project consultant for business development, communications and marketing.

Personal life

Courtship and engagement

Mary met Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark at the Slip Inn in 2000 during the

Summer Olympics The Summer Olympic Games (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques d'été), also known as the Games of the Olympiad, and often referred to as the Summer Olympics, is a major international multi-sport event normally held once every four years. The inau ...

in Sydney. Frederik was at the bar with his brother Prince Joachim, his cousin

Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark (Greek: Νικόλαος; born 1 October 1969) is the third child of Constantine II and Anne-Marie of Denmark, who were the last King and Queen of Greece, reigning from 1964 to 1973. Early life Nikolaos ...

, as well as the then

Felipe, Prince of Asturias Felipe VI (;, * eu, Felipe VI.a, * ca, Felip VI, * gl, Filipe VI, . Felipe Juan Pablo Alfonso de Todos los Santos de Borbón y Grecia; born 30 January 1968) is King of Spain. He is the son of former King Juan Carlos I and Queen Sofía, and ...

and

Princess Märtha Louise of Norway Princess Märtha Louise of Norway (born 22 September 1971) is a member of the Norwegian royal family, a businesswoman and a self-described clairvoyant. The only daughter of King Harald V and Queen Sonja, she is fourth in the line of successi ...

. Felipe knew Mary's flatmate. Frederik was not identified by her friends as the Crown Prince of Denmark until after they met. They conducted a long-distance relationship and Frederik made several discreet visits to Australia. On 15 November 2001, the Danish weekly magazine ''

Billed Bladet ''Billed Bladet'' (Danish: The Picture Magazine) is a weekly entertainment and royal magazine published in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1938 it is one of the oldest magazines in the country. It was started as a conservative political magazine, ...

'' named Mary as Frederik's girlfriend. She moved from Australia to Denmark in December 2001, while she was working as an English tutor in Paris. On 24 September 2003, the Danish court announced that Queen

Margrethe II Margrethe II (; Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid, born 16 April 1940) is Queen of Denmark. Having reigned as Denmark's monarch for over 50 years, she is Europe's longest-serving current head of state and the world's only incumbent femal ...

intended to give her consent to the marriage at the

State Council State Council may refer to: Government * State Council of the Republic of Korea, the national cabinet of South Korea, headed by the President * State Council of the People's Republic of China, the national cabinet and chief administrative auth ...

meeting scheduled for 8 October 2003. Frederik had presented Mary with an engagement ring featuring an emerald-cut diamond and two emerald-cut ruby

baguettes A baguette (; ) is a long, thin type of bread of French origin that is commonly made from basic lean dough (the dough, though not the shape, is defined by French law). It is distinguishable by its length and crisp crust. A baguette has a dia ...

, which are similar to the colour of Denmark's flag. The couple became officially engaged on 8 October 2003.

Marriage and children

Kronprinsessan Mary av Danmark & Kronprins Frederik av Danmark

Mary and Frederik married on 14 May 2004 in

, in Copenhagen. The couple reportedly spent their honeymoon in Africa. The couple have four children: * Crown Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John, born 15 October 2005 at

Rigshospitalet Rigshospitalet (meaning ''The National'', ''State'' or ''Hospital of the Realm'', but not usually translated) is the largest public and teaching hospital in Copenhagen and the most highly specialised hospital in Denmark. The hospital's main buildi ...

in Copenhagen * Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe, born 21 April 2007 at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen * Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander, born 8 January 2011 at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen * Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda, born 8 January 2011 at Rigshospitalet in Copenhagen The Danish

Folketing The Folketing ( da, Folketinget, ; ), also known as the Parliament of Denmark or the Danish Parliament in English, is the unicameral national legislature (parliament) of the Kingdom of Denmark—Denmark proper together with the Faroe Islands ...

(parliament) passed a special law (Mary's Law) giving Mary Danish citizenship upon her marriage, a standard procedure for new foreign members of the royal family. She was previously a

dual citizen Dual or Duals may refer to: Paired/two things * Dual (mathematics), a notion of paired concepts that mirror one another ** Dual (category theory), a formalization of mathematical duality *** see more cases in :Duality theories * Dual (grammatical ...

of Australia and the United Kingdom. Formerly a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

, she converted to the

Evangelical Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

Church of Denmark The Evangelical-Lutheran Church in Denmark or National Church, sometimes called the Church of Denmark ( da, Folkekirken, literally: "The People's Church" or unofficially da, Den danske folkekirke, literally: "The Danish People's Church"; kl, ...

upon marriage. As a native English speaker, Mary's priority from the time of her engagement was to become fluent in

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

and acknowledged that this was a challenge for her in several interviews at the time of her engagement and marriage. Mary and her family reside at Frederik VIII's Palace, one of the four palaces that make up the

Amalienborg Palace Amalienborg () is the official residence for the Danish royal family, and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Queen Magrethe ll lives here in winter and autumn. It consists of four identical classical palace façades with rococo interiors arou ...

complex. Since May 2004 they have also resided at the Chancellery House, a building in the park at

Fredensborg Palace Fredensborg Palace ( da, Fredensborg Slot; ) is a palace located on the eastern shore of Lake Esrum (Danish, ''Esrum Sø'') in Fredensborg on the island of Zealand (''Sjælland'') in Denmark. It is the Danish Royal Family’s spring and autumn ...

, during the summer months. Mary is a keen equestrian and has competed at several dressage events. Among others, Mary is the godmother of Princess Estelle of Sweden, who was also given the secondary name Mary in her honour, and her nephew,

Count Henrik of Monpezat Count Henrik of Monpezat (born Prince Henrik of Denmark; born 4 May 2009) is a member of the Danish royal family. He is the third and youngest son of Prince Joachim and the only son of his second wife, Princess Marie. Henrik is ninth in the l ...

(then Prince Henrik of Denmark).

Queen consort

Mary became queen consort upon the abdication of Queen Margrethe II and the subsequent accession of her husband. After he was proclaimed king from the balcony of

Christiansborg Palace Christiansborg Palace ( da, Christiansborg Slot; ) is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament ('), the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme ...

, Mary joined Frederik on the balcony to wave to the crowds. The next day, 15 January, the royal family attended a ceremony at the

to mark the change of throne, and on 21 January, they attended a service at

Aarhus Cathedral Aarhus Cathedral ( da, Århus Domkirke) is a cathedral in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the longest and tallest church in the country, at in length and in height. The construction of Aarhus Cathedral began in the 12th century and it is the main edific ...

. The King and Queen are scheduled to make their first state visits in May 2024 when they visit

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

and

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. In June, they will tour the autonomous territories of the Kingdom of Denmark, the

Faroe Islands The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark. They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...

and

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

Public life, charities and patronages

Following the wedding, the Crown Prince couple embarked upon a summer working-tour of mainland Denmark aboard the royal yacht ''Dannebrog'', then travelled to

and the

2004 Athens Olympics The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...

. In 2005, during the celebrations for the 200th anniversary of

Hans Christian Andersen Hans Christian Andersen ( , ; 2 April 1805 – 4 August 1875) was a Danish author. Although a prolific writer of plays, travelogues, novels, and poems, he is best remembered for his literary fairy tales. Andersen's fairy tales, consisti ...

, the royal family was involved in related events throughout the year. Frederik and Mary marked the anniversary in London, New York, and in Australia, where she was made Honorary Hans Christian Andersen Ambassador to Australia in the Utzon Room of the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

. After becoming Crown Princess, Mary made a number of international visits, and Frederik and Mary participated in the reburial ceremonies for Empress Maria Feodorovna in Denmark and

Saint Petersburg Saint Petersburg ( rus, links=no, Санкт-Петербург, a=Ru-Sankt Peterburg Leningrad Petrograd Piter.ogg, r=Sankt-Peterburg, p=ˈsankt pʲɪtʲɪrˈburk), formerly known as Petrograd (1914–1924) and later Leningrad (1924–1991), i ...

in 2005. In November 2009, Mary made a surprise visit to Danish soldiers in

Helmand Province Helmand (Pashto/Dari: ; ), also known as Hillmand, in ancient times, as Hermand and Hethumand, is one of the 34 provinces of Afghanistan Afghanistan is divided into 34 provinces (, '' wilåyat''). The provinces of Afghanistan are the primar ...

, Afghanistan. One of her stops was FOB Armadillo. During a

Council of State A Council of State is a governmental body in a country, or a subdivision of a country, with a function that varies by jurisdiction. It may be the formal name for the cabinet or it may refer to a non-executive advisory body associated with a head o ...

on 2 October 2019, the Queen's request to appoint Mary a ''rigsforstander'', a functioning regent when the monarch or the heir is out of the country, was approved by

the government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

. After having sworn to respect the

Danish constitution The Constitutional Act of the Realm of Denmark ( da, Danmarks Riges Grundlov), also known as the Constitutional Act of the Kingdom of Denmark, or simply the Constitution ( da, Grundloven, fo, Grundlógin, kl, Tunngaviusumik inatsit), is the c ...

, she became the first person not born into the royal family to assume the position of rigsforstander since

Queen Ingrid Ingrid of Sweden (born: Princess Ingrid Victoria Sofia Louise Margareta of Sweden; 28 March 1910 – 7 November 2000) was Queen of Denmark from 1947 until 1972 as the wife of King Frederick IX. Born into the House of Bernadotte, she was the daug ...

in 1972. Mary was voted Woman of the Year 2008 by the Danish magazine ''Alt for damerne'', donating her cash reward to charity. She was interviewed by ''

Parade Magazine ''Parade'' was an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 700 newspapers in the United States until 2022. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., ''Parade'' had a circulation of 32 million and a readership of 5 ...

'' (US), on television programs of

Andrew Denton Andrew Christopher Denton (born 4 May 1960) is an Australian television producer, comedian, Gold Logie-nominated television presenter and former radio host, and was the host of the ABC's weekly television interview program ''Enough Rope'' and ...

(Australia),ENOUGH ROPE with Andrew Denton – episode 66: Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (28/02/2005)
Abc.net.au (28 February 2005). Retrieved on 2011-11-30. and by ''

USA Today ''USA Today'' (stylized in all uppercase) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth on September 15, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headquarters in Tysons, Virgini ...

'' (US). She serves on the board of directors of The Royal Danish Collection.

Patronages and interests

Since 2004, Mary has steadily worked to establish her relationships with various organisations, their issues, missions, programmes and staff. Her patronages range across areas of culture, the fashion industry, humanitarian aid, support for research and science, social and health patronages and sport. The organisations of which she is patron have reported positive outcomes through their relationships with her and there are various reports in the Danish media and on some of the organisations' websites about her being quite involved in her working relationship with them. She is currently involved in supporting anti-obesity programs through the

, Regional Office for Europe. In the context of immigrant issues in Denmark, Mary has visited the disadvantaged migrant areas of Vollsmose (2006), Gellerup (2007), and Viborg (2010), and has participated in integration projects including the teaching of the Danish language to refugees. As patron of the Danish

Refugee A refugee, conventionally speaking, is a displaced person who has crossed national borders and who cannot or is unwilling to return home due to well-founded fear of persecution.

Council, Mary visited Uganda (2008) and East Africa (2011) and supports fundraising for the region. Mary has played an active role in promoting an anti-bullying program based on an Australian model through the auspices of Denmark's

Save the Children The Save the Children Fund, commonly known as Save the Children, is an international non-governmental organization established in the United Kingdom in 1919 to improve the lives of children through better education, health care, and economic ...

. She is also involved in a campaign to raise awareness and safe practices among Danes about skin cancer through The Danish Cancer Society. Mary is also an Honorary Life Governor of the

Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute The Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute (VCCRI) is an Australian non-profit medical research facility that is dedicated to finding cures for cardiovascular disease. With headquarters located in Darlinghurst, New South Wales, the research hub ...

based at the Garvan Institute/

St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney is a leading tertiary referral hospital and research facility located in Darlinghurst, Sydney. Though funded and integrated into the New South Wales state public health system, it is operated by St Vincent's Heal ...

, a member of the International Committee of Women Leaders for Mental Health and a member of various sporting clubs (riding, golf and yachting). In June 2010, it was announced that Mary had become Patron of UNFPA, the

, "to support the agency's work to promote maternal health and safer motherhood in more than 150 developing nations". Mary lends her support to a number of other "one-off" Danish causes, industry events, and international conferences. In 2011, the Westmead Cancer Centre at

Westmead Hospital Westmead Hospital is a major tertiary hospital in Sydney, Australia. Opened on 10 November 1978, the 975-bed hospital forms part of the Western Sydney Local Health District, and is a teaching hospital of Sydney Medical School at the University o ...

in Sydney was renamed the Crown Princess Mary Cancer Care Centre Westmead. Mary is an active patron of Denmark's third-highest-earning export industry, the fashion industry, and is Patron of the Copenhagen Fashion Summit.

The Mary Foundation

On 11 September 2007, Mary announced the establishment of the at an inaugural meeting at

. The foundation's aim is to improve lives compromised by environment, heredity, illness, or other circumstances that can isolate or exclude people socially. The initial funds of DKK 1.1 million were collected in Denmark and Greenland and donated to Frederik and Mary as a wedding gift in 2004. Mary is Chairwoman of eight trusts. In 2014, she received a

Bambi Award The Bambi, often called the Bambi Award and stylised as BAMBI, is a German award presented annually by Hubert Burda Media to recognize excellence in international media and television to personalities in the media, arts, culture, sports, and ot ...

for her work with the foundation.

LGBT rights

In 2016, on the

International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Lesbophobia and Transphobia is observed on May 17 and aims to coordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBT rights violations and stimulate interest in LGBT rights work worldwide. By ...

, Mary gave a speech on LGBT rights at a forum in Copenhagen hosted by the Danish government. She called for an end to discrimination, oppression, and violence against people on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. In January 2018, Mary delivered her speech on LGBTQ+ equality at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. On 25 April 2018, she was invited to present the honorary award to

LGBT Danmark LGBT Danmark – Landsforeningen for bøsser, lesbiske, biseksuelle og transpersoner ( da, LGBT Denmark – The Danish National Organisation for Gay Men, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgender persons) is a lobby for gays, lesbians, bisexuals and t ...

at the Danish Rainbow Awards – AXGIL 2018. She thus became the first ever member of the royal family to attend the Danish Rainbow Awards. She also attended the awards ceremony in 2019 and 2020. In 2020, Mary spoke at

Copenhagen Pride Copenhagen Pride is Denmark's largest annual Human Rights festival, focused on LGBT issues. It involves the entire capital Copenhagen and is held in August. A colourful and festive occasion, it combines political issues with concerts, films and a ...

's virtual pride festival. In October 2019, it was announced that Mary would serve as patron of WorldPride Copenhagen 2021, making her the first ever royal to serve as patron for a major LGBT event. She carried out numerous engagements in connection with the event and also gave the closing speech of the week-long celebrations on 21 August 2021.

Public image and style

Mary has been named one of the world's most fashionable people in ''Vanity Fair'' annual International Best-Dressed List and has posed and given interviews for magazines including ''

Vogue Australia ''Vogue'' ''Australia'' is the Australian edition of ''Vogue'' magazine. ''Vogue Australia'' became the 4th edition of Vogue in 1959 after ''Vogue'', ''British Vogue'' and ''Vogue Paris''. Prior to becoming a stand-alone issue, the Australian edit ...

'' (where she used pieces of foreign designers, such as Hugo Boss, Prada, Louis Vuitton or Gaultier, and Danish designers, like Malene Birger and Georg Jensen), ''Dansk'' (Danish Magazine, dedicated to Danish fashion) and German ''Vogue'' (where she was photographed between pieces of Danish modern art in Amalienborg Palace). Mary also posed for other magazines during her life as a royal, such as ''The Australian Women's Weekly'' (to which she spoke on several occasions about her life as a royal and her family), and ''Parade''. In 2010 her elegance was praised by designer

Tommy Hilfiger Thomas Jacob Hilfiger ( /hɪlˈfɪgər/; born March 24, 1951) is an American fashion designer and the founder of Tommy Hilfiger Corporation. After starting his career by co-founding a chain of jeans/fashion stores called People's Place in upst ...

, who remarked "I've seen pictures of her and she dresses really well. Mary has a very sophisticated, European style that is also worthy of a princess".

50th birthday celebrations

Numerous official events were planned for the week of Mary's 50th birthday on 5 February 2022. Several of these, including a gala dinner at

Rosenborg Castle Rosenborg Castle ( da, Rosenborg Slot) is a renaissance architecture, renaissance castle located in Copenhagen, Denmark. The castle was originally built as a country summerhouse in 1606 and is an example of Christian IV of Denmark, Christian IV's ...

, were cancelled due to the ongoing

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

, but several hundred Danes showed up at Amalienborg's courtyard at noon on Mary's birthday. Rather than stepping out onto

Frederik VIII's Palace Amalienborg () is the official residence for the Danish royal family, and is located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Queen Magrethe ll lives here in winter and autumn. It consists of four identical classical palace façades with rococo interiors aroun ...

's balcony as is customary for birthday celebrations in the Danish royal family, Mary and her three oldest children came out onto the courtyard to thank the people who had shown up. The day after her birthday, the Crown Prince family attended a televised concert held in her honour named ''Mary 50 – we’re celebrating Denmark's Crown Princess'' hosted by

TV2 Channel 2 or TV 2 may refer to: Television networks, channels and stations *Channel 2 (Iran), operated by Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting *Channel 2 (Israel), a commercial television station *, entertainment and music television in Latvia * ...

. For Mary's 50th birthday, several places in Denmark were named in her honour: The

University of Copenhagen The University of Copenhagen ( da, Københavns Universitet, KU) is a prestigious public university, public research university in Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1479, the University of Copenhagen is the second-oldest university in ...

created a knowledge centre named the ''Crown Princess Mary Centre'' in which Mary will be part of the Advisory Committee;

, the Copenhagen University Hospital, named their new department for children, teenagers, expecting mothers and their families ''Mary Elizabeth's Hospital'' in honour of Mary's extensive work with the well-being of children and youths, maternal health and the hospital's network for children with cancer; and

Copenhagen Zoo Copenhagen Zoo ( da, København Zoo) is a zoological garden in Copenhagen, Denmark. Founded in 1859, it is one of the oldest zoos in Europe and is a member of EAZA. It comprises and is located in the municipality of Frederiksberg, sandwiched betw ...

named the Australia-themed section of their garden ''Mary's Australian Garden''.

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

Upon marriage to Frederik on 14 May 2004, Mary assumed the title "Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Denmark". When Margrethe II created the title Count of Monpezat for her male-line descendants on 29 April 2008, Mary became known as "Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat". Since the accession of her husband, Mary has been styled "Her Majesty The Queen, Countess of Monpezat".

Military ranks

;

Danish Home Guard The Danish Home Guard ( da, Hjemmeværnet) (HJV) is the fourth service of the Danish military. It was formerly concerned only with the defence of Danish territory, but since 2008, it has also supported the Danish military efforts in Afghanistan a ...

* 2008:

Officer cadet Officer Cadet is a rank held by military cadets during their training to become commissioned officers. In the United Kingdom, the rank is also used by members of University Royal Naval Units, University Officer Training Corps and University Air ...

* 2009:

Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...

* 2009:

Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

* 18 September 2015:

First Lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

* 31 March 2019:

Captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

* 4 May 2023: Honorary Major

Honours

National honours

=Orders and appointments

= *

9 May 2004: Knight with Collar of the

Order of the Elephant The Order of the Elephant ( da, Elefantordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry and is Denmark's highest-ranked honour. It has origins in the 15th century, but has officially existed since 1693, and since the establishment of constitutional ...

(R.E.)

=Medals and decorations

Foreign honours

*: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown *: Grand Cross of the

Order of the Southern Cross Emperor Pedro I of Brazil founded the National Order of the Southern Cross ( pt, Ordem Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul) as a Brazilian order of chivalry on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate the independence of Brazil (7 September 1822) ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

*: Grand Officer of the Order of the Balkan Mountains *: Grand Cross of the

Order of the White Rose of Finland The Order of the White Rose of Finland ( fi, Suomen Valkoisen Ruusun ritarikunta; sv, Finlands Vita Ros’ orden) is one of three official orders in Finland, along with the Order of the Cross of Liberty, and the Order of the Lion of Finland. ...

*: Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit *: Grand Cross of the

Order of Beneficence The Order of Beneficence ( el, Τάγμα της Ευποιΐας) is an order of Greece that was established in 1948. It is conferred by the Greek government as a moral reward for women especially, Greek and foreign, for the good services they ...

*: Grand Cross of the

Order of the Falcon The Order of the Falcon ( is, Hin íslenska fálkaorða) is the only order of chivalry in Iceland, founded by King Christian X of Denmark and Iceland on 3 July 1921. The award is awarded for merit for Iceland and humanity and has five degrees. N ...

*: Grand Cross of the

Order of the Aztec Eagle The Mexican Order of the Aztec Eagle ( es, Orden Mexicana del Águila Azteca) forms part of the Mexican Honours System and is the highest Mexican order awarded to foreigners in the country. History It was created by decree on December 29, 193 ...

*: **Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Lion of the Netherlands **Recipient of the King Willem-Alexander Inauguration Medal *: Dame Grand Cross of the

Order of Saint Olav The Royal Norwegian Order of Saint Olav ( no, Den Kongelige Norske Sankt Olavs Orden; or ''Sanct Olafs Orden'', the old Norwegian name) is a Norwegian order of chivalry instituted by King Oscar I on 21 August 1847. It is named after King Olav II ...

*: Dame Grand Cross of the

Order of Isabella the Catholic The Order of Isabella the Catholic ( es, Orden de Isabel la Católica) is a Spanish civil order and honor granted to persons and institutions in recognition of extraordinary services to the homeland or the promotion of international relations a ...

*: **Member Grand Cross of the

Royal Order of the Polar Star The Royal Order of the Polar Star (Swedish: ''Kungliga Nordstjärneorden'') is a Swedish order of chivalry created by King Frederick I on 23 February 1748, together with the Order of the Sword and the Order of the Seraphim. The Order of the ...

**Recipient of the 70th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf **Recipient of the Golden Jubilee Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf

Honorific eponyms

Structures

*: ''Crown Princess Mary Cancer Care Centre Westmead'',

, Sydney (2011) *: ''Crown Princess Mary's Bridge'',

Roskilde Fjord Roskilde Fjord is the fjord north of Roskilde, Denmark. It is a long branch of the Isefjord. Cities The cities Frederiksværk, Frederikssund, Jægerspris, Jyllinge and Roskilde (including Himmelev), (home to the famous Roskilde Festival), all h ...

(2019) *: ''Mary's Australian Garden'',

, Copenhagen (2022) *: ''The Crown Princess Mary Centre'',

, Copenhagen (2022) *: ''Mary Elizabeth's Hospital'',

, Copenhagen (2026)

Arms

With the marriage in 2004, Queen Mary was invested with the

, and her father

with the

Order of the Dannebrog The Order of the Dannebrog ( da, Dannebrogordenen) is a Danish order of chivalry instituted in 1671 by Christian V. Until 1808, membership in the order was limited to fifty members of noble or royal rank, who formed a single class known a ...

. In accordance with the statutes of the Danish Royal Orders, both Mary and her father were granted personal

coats of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its wh ...

, displayed on a

stall plate Stall may refer to: Enclosures * Animal stall, an enclosure for an animal * Restroom stall, an enclosure providing privacy to the user of a single toilet in a public restroom * Market stall, a makeshift or mobile structures for selling market goo ...

in the Chapel of the Royal Orders at

Frederiksborg Castle Frederiksborg Castle ( da, Frederiksborg Slot) is a palatial complex in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century, replacing an older castle acquired by Frederick II ...

. The main field of Mary's coat of arms is Or-

coloured Coloureds ( af, Kleurlinge or , ) refers to members of multiracial ethnic communities in Southern Africa who may have ancestry from more than one of the various populations inhabiting the region, including African, European, and Asian. South ...

and shows a MacDonald

Gules In heraldry, gules () is the tincture with the colour red. It is one of the class of five dark tinctures called "colours", the others being azure (blue), sable (black), vert (green) and purpure (purple). In engraving, it is sometimes depict ...

eagle and a

Sable The sable (''Martes zibellina'') is a species of marten, a small omnivorous mammal primarily inhabiting the forest environments of Russia, from the Ural Mountains throughout Siberia, and northern Mongolia. Its habitat also borders eastern Kaza ...

-coloured boat both symbolising her Scottish ancestry. The

Chief Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

Azure Azure may refer to: Colour * Azure (color), a hue of blue ** Azure (heraldry) ** Shades of azure, shades and variations Arts and media * ''Azure'' (Art Farmer and Fritz Pauer album), 1987 * Azure (Gary Peacock and Marilyn Crispell album), 2013 ...

-coloured and shows two

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

Commonwealth Star The Commonwealth Star (also known as the Federation Star, the Seven Point Star, or the Star of Federation) is a seven-pointed star symbolising the Federation of Australia which came into force on 1 January 1901. Six points of the Star represent ...

s from the arms of Australia, and a gold

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

in between, depicting her personal symbol. The shield is surmounted by the

Royal Crown of Denmark Royal may refer to: People * Royal (name), a list of people with either the surname or given name * A member of a royal family Places United States * Royal, Arkansas, an unincorporated community * Royal, Illinois, a village * Royal, Iowa, a cit ...

, and surrounded by the

Collar Collar may refer to: Human neckwear *Clerical collar (informally ''dog collar''), a distinctive collar used by the clergy of some Christian religious denominations *Collar (clothing), the part of a garment that fastens around or frames the neck ...

of the

. The coat of arms of her father, Professor John Donaldson, is almost identical to that of the Crown Princess, but a gold

infinity symbol The infinity symbol (\infty) is a mathematical symbol representing the concept of infinity. This symbol is also called a lemniscate, after the lemniscate curves of a similar shape studied in algebraic geometry, or "lazy eight", in the terminol ...

symbolises his career as an Australian mathematician, instead of her gold Rose. Above his shield is instead placed a barred helmet topped with a gules

rampant lion The lion is a common charge in heraldry. It traditionally symbolises courage, nobility, royalty, strength, stateliness and valour, because historically the lion has been regarded as the "king of beasts". The lion also carries Judeo-Christia ...

, which is turned outward. The lion is derived from the arms of Scotland and also from the

arms Arms or ARMS may refer to: *Arm or arms, the upper limbs of the body Arm, Arms, or ARMS may also refer to: People * Ida A. T. Arms (1856–1931), American missionary-educator, temperance leader Coat of arms or weapons *Armaments or weapons **Fi ...

Tasmania ) , nickname = , image_map = Tasmania in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Tasmania in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdi ...

and

. Both armorial bearings were granted in 2006 and installed in the Chapel of the Royal Orders in 2007. File:Royal Monogram of Princess Mary of Denmark.svg, Royal monogram File:Dual Cypher of Frederik and Mary of Denmark.svg, Joint monogram of Frederik and Mary

References

External links

* , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Mary Of Denmark, Crown Princess 1972 births Australian expatriates in Denmark Australian LGBT rights activists Australian Lutherans Australian people of Scottish descent Converts to Lutheranism Countesses of Monpezat Crown Princesses of Denmark Danish LGBT rights activists Danish Lutherans Danish people of Australian descent Danish people of Scottish descent Danish princesses Danish royal consorts Former Presbyterians House of Monpezat Living people Naturalised citizens of Denmark People from Hobart Princesses by marriage University of Tasmania alumni Grand Crosses of the Order of Beneficence (Greece) Commanders Grand Cross of the Order of the Polar Star Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon Grand Crosses of the Order of the Crown (Belgium) Recipients of the Order of the Netherlands Lion Grand Cross of the Ordre national du Mérite Dames Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic