Princess Mary’s coronation: What we know

On January 14, history will be made as Australian-born Princess Mary becomes Queen of Denmark. Here is everything we know about the coronation day.

On January 14, history will be made as Australian-born Princess Mary becomes Queen - making her the first Aussie monarch - alongside her husband Prince Frederik, who will become King.

That’s a long way indeed from “real-estate agent Mary Donaldson”.

Here is everything you need to know about the historic coronation that will take place on January 14.

WHY IS PRINCESS MARY BECOMING QUEEN?

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II has announced her abdication after 52 years on the throne in her new year’s address to the nation.

After the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, Queen Margrethe II became the longest-serving monarch in Europe and in July 2023, she became the longest-sitting monarch in Denmark’s history.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced her abdication in her traditional New Year's address. Picture: Keld Navntoft / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP

The 83-year-old announced she would step down on 14 January this year, which is the 52nd anniversary of her accession. She became queen on 14 January 1972, after the death of her father, King Frederk IX.

The Queen began thinking of abdication after having back surgery earlier in 2023.

“The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future - whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation,” she said in her speech.

She will be leaving the throne to her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik.

WHAT DOES THE DANISH ROYAL FAMILY LOOK LIKE?

Princess Mary and Prince Frederik met in the year 2000 at the Slip Inn pub in Sydney. They married in 2004 and have four children: Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 16, Prince Vincent, and Princess Josephine, both almost 13.

Prince Frederik’s younger brother is Prince Joachim, sixth in line to the throne after Prince Frederik and his four children.

Prince Frederik and Princess Mary with their children Christian, Isabella, Vincent and Josephine. Picture: Supplied

Prince Joachim married businesswoman Alexandra Christina Manley and the couple had two sons, Count Nikolai, 24, and Count Felix, 21.

Prince Joachim and Alexandra divorced in 2005 and he went on to marry Marie Cavallier in 2008 and the couple have two children, Count Henrik, 14, and Countess Athena, 11.

Last year on 1 January 2023, Queen Margrethe II stripped Prince Joachim’s children - her grandchildren - of their prince/princess titles.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN ON CORONATION DAY?

On January 14, Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik will arrive at Christiansborg Palace, the historic building that has an 800 year-long history as Denmark’s centre of power.

The royal pair will take part in a brief proclamation ceremony where they will accept their new roles.

They will be joined by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen for the event.

The coronation will likely take just five minutes, which was the length of Queen Margrethe’s ceremony when she was crowned on the balcony at Christiansborg in January 14, 1972.

Unlike the British monarchy, whose coronations involve a lot of pomp and ceremony, the Danish coronations are much more low-key. Denmark did away with elaborate coronations in the 1800s in favour of a simple proclamation.

Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik will have a low-key coronation compared to the British monarchy. Picture: Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP

The royal couple will then head to Amalienborg, the Danish royal family’s official residence, where the new King Frederik and Queen Mary will appear on the royal balcony with their four children.

During the coronation of Queen Margrethe II in 1972, then Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag proclaimed three times: “King Frederik IX is dead. Long live Her Majesty Queen Margrethe II.”

The thousands-strong crowd gathered below the balcony responded with a nine-hurrah salute and the Queen went on to give a speech.

“My beloved father, our King, is dead, and a great sorrow has befallen us all. But the greatest grief is for my mother,” Queen Margrethe II said. Due to the period of mourning, she wore all black on her coronation day.

Her royal motto was: “God’s help, the love of The People, Denmark’s strength”.

The Queen’s husband, Prince Henrik, did not ascend the throne like his wife and remained a Prince - a source of tension.

Due to the differing circumstances, a number of these traditions from the coronation of Queen Margrethe II will obviously not happen on Prince Frederik and Princess Mary’s coronation day.

The day will likely be less sombre and more celebratory, and will end with a lavish ball and banquet attended by royalty the world over.