Touching tribute behind Princess Mary’s coronation outfit

Crown Princess Mary has long reigned supreme with her perfect fashion sense — but what will she wear as she is crowned Queen? Here’s what we know.

Princess Mary’s “traditional” proclamation gown is on Sunday tipped to be accessorised with “earrings and a necklace selected for her by Queen Margrethe”.

In a nod to the outgoing monarch – Europe’s longest serving – the Aussie-born princess may also wear one of the 83-year-old’s crowns.

“Ever the fan of a headpiece, Mary sometimes opts for a headband in lieu of a traditional headpiece … (but on Coronation Day) we can expect to see an array of glittering pieces, and outside of the crown itself Mary will likely wear earrings and a necklace which has been selected for her by Queen Margrethe,” Vogue Australia’s Francesca Wallace said.

“We can expect Mary to dial up the glamour, but still approach the moment with ease and an apt subtly that she has so masterfully made her own.

“She’ll likely choose an elegant gown with a timeless silhouette, which will then be accompanied by official Danish crown jewels and pageantry – most likely a sash and brooches from the vault.”

Long a champion of rewearing and remodeling her stunning gowns – could Princess Mary don the gorgeous sparkling, sky-blue sky blue gown from Danish designer, Lasse Spangenberg from her 50th birthday official portrait. Picture: Hasse Nielsen

Royal Commentator Phil Dampier said because there hasn’t been a proclamation for more than 50 years, the style edict was not defined.

“The dress will be traditional, but no one has an idea of what it will look like yet,” he said.

While some have suggested Princess Mary may tip her crown to her home country, Ms Wallace believes her gown is likely to be from one of her favourite Danish designers, such as Lasse Spangenberg, Birgit Hallstein – or even her wedding dress designer Uffe Frank.

“She has been seen wearing Australian designers such as Scanlan Theodore and Carla Zampatti, but it is unlikely she will choose to wear an Australian designer for her coronation,” she said.

There’s also growing speculation Mary could recycle one of her favourite outfits for the simple ceremony at Christianborg Palace.

One of her signature approaches to style is repeat wearing – sometimes subtly changing necklines or simply mixing up accessories. At the Danish royals’ most recent celebratory event – where Queen Margrethe announced her abdication – Princess Mary turned to her own closet to select a regal burgundy velvet gown. It’s the fourth outing for the full-length gown by Birgit Hallstein – this time she wore a jewelled Order of the Elephant necklace and the heirloom Danish Ruby Parare tiara.

THEN: Princess Mary wears the Birgit Hallstein burgundy velvet gown for the first time at the traditional new year’s banquet for the government and top officials of the administration in Copenhagen in 2007. Picture: POLFOTO

NOW: Mary donned the same dress - with a remodeled neckline and different accessories - 17 years later as she and Frederik celebrated New Year’s this year. Picture: Getty Images

“It goes in tandem with her sustainability focus, of which the Princess has been vocal for some years,” Ms Wallace said.

“She’s the official face of Copenhagen Fashion Week, which is seen as the most sustainably minded of all fashion weeks.”

Ms Wallace said that Princess Mary’s style is a textbook lesson in royal dressing in the modern age.

“Taking cues from Kate Middleton, the undisputed queen – pun intended – of nailing the royal balance, Princess Mary has always favoured fashion-forward, yet still conservatively appropriate looks,” she said.

“For official events she tends to steer towards fit-and-flare silhouettes which pinch in at the waist, dressed up or down with royal jewels depending on the event.

“Notably, she isn’t afraid to shy away from a good sparkle embellishment on a gown, so that’s something we might expect for the proclamation.”

Originally published as Touching tribute behind Princess Mary’s coronation outfit