by Scott Mehl © Unofficial Royalty 2014
photo: Wikipedia
Queen Mary of Denmark, the wife of King Frederik X of Denmark, was born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson was born on February 5, 1972, in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. She is the youngest of four children of Professor John Donaldson and Henrietta Horne. Mary’s mother passed away in 1997 and her father was remarried to British novelist Susan Horwood (aka Susan Moody).
Mary began her education in Houston, Texas, where the family was living at the time. The family returned to Tasmania and Mary continued her schooling there. Following the completion of her secondary education, she enrolled in the University of Tasmania and received a degree in Commerce and Law. She also received graduate certifications in Advertising and Marketing and worked in those fields in Australia and Scotland.
In September 2000, during the Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia, Mary met the future King Frederik X of Denmark, then the Crown Prince of Denmark, on an evening out with some mutual friends. The two quickly began a relationship and Frederik made several private trips to Australia. As her relationship with Frederik became more serious, Mary left Australia, first working in Paris, France as an English tutor before moving to Denmark and working for Microsoft. Their engagement was announced in October 2003, after Frederik’s mother Queen Margrethe II of Denmark had given her formal consent to the marriage. Mary and Frederik were married on May 14, 2004, at the Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Danish Royal Family on balcony of Christansborg Palace on the day of King Frederik X’ accession to the throne. Left to right: Princess Isabella, Crown Prince Christian, King Frederik X, Queen Mary, Princess Josephine, and Prince Vincent
Mary and Frederik reside at Amalienborg (Frederik VIII’s Palace) and the Chancellery House at Fredensborg Palace with their four children:
- Crown Prince Christian of Denmark (born 2005)
- Princess Isabella of Denmark (born 2007)
- Prince Vincent of Denmark (born 2011)
- Princess Josephine of Denmark (born 2011)
Along with what must surely have been a busy family life, as Crown Princess of Denmark, Mary served as Patron to a large number of Danish organizations. While these cover a large number of areas, many have to do with health and social care issues. Internationally, she worked with the World Health Organization and was patron of the United Nations Population Fund.
King Frederik X and Queen Mary on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace after Frederik’s accession to the thone of Denmark
In her New Year’s Speech on December 31, 2023, Mary’s mother-in-law Queen Margrethe II announced that she will step down as Queen of Denmark on January 14, 2024, the 52nd anniversary of her accession. On that day, Frederik and Mary became King Frederik X of Denmark and Queen Mary of Denmark. Mary is the first Australian-born person to be queen of a monarchy.
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