Queen Mary of Denmark, 51, has faced a rollercoaster of a year – from rumours about her marriage to her husband King Frederick to her mother-in-law Queen Margarethe's abdication and her own accession to the role of Queen. In recent days, she has been seen making a number of solo appearances without the King, prompting wild speculation that all is not right in their marriage. Yet the statuesque and glamorous brunette has proven herself to be composed, graceful and devoted to her family. So who is this impeccably turned-out woman who has been dubbed ‘Mary Queen of Scots’ owing to her Scottish ancestry?
The youngest of four children, Crown Prince Mary Elizabeth of Denmark was born in Hobart, Tasmania on 5 February 1972 (making her a decade older than the Princess of Wales). Her parents, John Dalgliesh and the late Henrietta Donaldson, were proud Scottish academics based in East Lothian before relocating to Tasmania in 1963. Mary has reportedly made her affinity to the land of her parents and grandparents abundantly clear – even her official coat of arms (created when she married Frederik in 2004) includes heraldic symbols of Scotland and the MacDonald clan.
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Additionally, her Scottish roots were emphasised by her father, dressed in Macdonald tartan, in his father-of-the-bride wedding speech. According to the Times, John Dalgiesh Donaldson claimed his own clan had once helped get rid of the Norse from the Hebrides. ‘In the 12th century, after much savage fighting, the marauding Vikings were driven out of Scotland by a band of men led by the grandfather of the first Donald, the founder of the clan MacDonald,’ he announced to the mix of lords, ladies and royals at the reception following the ceremony. ‘Donald’s great-grandfather would have wondered why he went to such trouble when, some eight centuries later, we take account of today’s union between the Viking Frederick and Mary of the MacDonald clan.’
It’s been widely and feverishly reported that Crown Prince Frederick met the then Mary Donaldson at a pub in Sydney during the 2000 Olympic Games. Mary was a city-based advertising executive and Frederik was the future King of Denmark, there to support the Danish sailing team. Sparks flew and after exchanging numbers – Frederik was reportedly saved in Mary’s phone as ‘Fred’ – a long-distance relationship began. In 2003 Frederik proposed with an emerald-cut diamond in a design that reportedly mirrored the Danish flag.
Queen Mary of Denmark struck an elegant figure as she arrived for the engagement at the National Museum of Denmark on April 9
Millions watched the couple get married in 2004 when Mary – now fluent in Danish – flit down the aisle in a classic ivory concoction by Danish designer Uffe Frank and a veil first worn by Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden, and then by her daughter Queen Ingrid of Denmark. Queen Mary was the first and only person not born into the family to wear the historic veil.
Two decades later their ascension to the throne captivated all the more attention. Audiences worldwide, from Copenhagen to Australia via Scotland, were on the edge of their seats during the ceremony. Tasmanian premier Jeremy Rockliff cited Mary’s ‘demonstrated humility, grace and kindness’ as her superpowers. ‘I look forward to watching the next generation, and Tasmania’s own-born Queen, lead Denmark’s future.’ Notably, Mary is the first Australian to ascend to the throne.
The widely popular Danish Queen produced a masterclass in chic at an exhibition opening celebrating her husband. Did she even upstage him?
Like Queen Margrethe, Mary is popular – in a poll taken in January 85 per cent of Danes expressed their approval. She’s considered a national asset who has been credited for taking the ‘business of becoming royalty’ – like the Princess of Wales – seriously.
Ahead of the 2011 wedding of Kate and William, Karl Lagerfeld said: ‘Kate is like a younger sister to Mary, who is both beautiful and elegant.’ The balance between ‘Scandinavian minimalism and Australian bohemianism’ in Mary’s wardrobe choices has been noted – and celebrated.
