Princess Mary of Denmark is reflecting on her life ahead of her 50th birthday and remembering some of the wisdom her late mother, Henrietta Donaldson, imparted before her death from a heart condition in 1997.
The royal spoke with Eurowoman Magazine ahead of her milestone birthday on February 5, revealing that her mother’s advice that “you can only be yourself” is something that has stuck with her for decades through all of her most difficult moments. “She was absolutely right about that. I have reminded myself of those words when I have occasionally [felt like I was going to] lose myself,” she said. “My life has offered great changes, joys and sorrows. There are several landmark events: The grief of losing my mother. The joy of then becoming a mother. My time at university. To meet Frederik. To get married to the Crown Prince and become the Crown Princess for Denmark and the Danish people that I love so much. And maybe to be 50—who knows?” Mary is mother to four children with her husband Crown Prince Frederik.
She added that she has no fears about turning 50 and, in fact, it makes her feel like more of a “whole person.” With age, she’s also gained a new perspective on life and now feels confident about being able to “rest more” into herself and “dare more.” She explained that in this next chapter of her life, she plans to continue supporting under-represented and vulnerable communities and speaking out on topics like violence, loneliness, and grief. “Everyone has the right to belong,” she said.
Prior to this interview, Mary had only spoken about losing her mother when she was just 25 a handful of times publicly, including during a visit to Children, Youth and Mourning, a support group for young people going through grief. “It happened too early,” the royal said of her mother’s death. “It’s so hard to see when it is so close and so personal, but as you get older, you learn to appreciate the time you had together as a gift. And the loss offers something that you wouldn’t have otherwise. It makes a strong person. I would love to have more time with my mother. She is part of me.”
— Who Torched the Pornhub Palace?
— Eight N95 and KN95 Face Masks to Shop Now
— Inside Jerry Falwell Jr.’s Unlikely Rise and Precipitous Fall at Liberty University
— Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson Have Settled the Debt
— What to Do With Britney Spears’s Rage?
— Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster Open Up About The Music Man’s Return
— Cover Story: Priyanka Chopra Jonas on Her Excitement for the Future
— Eve Babitz Bares It All
— Kendall Jenner Asked for Approval Before Wearing a Barely There Dress to a Wedding
— Prince Andrew Will “Disappear From Sight” After Being Stripped of Royal Titles
— From the Archive: André Leon Talley on Love and the Importance of Gloves, Darling
— Sign up for “The Buyline” to receive a curated list of fashion, books, and beauty buys in one weekly newsletter.
