Queen Mary slips quietly into Australia for family holiday

The Danish royal has been spotted in Australia, blending seamlessly into the weekend crowd as she checked out stalls at the famous Salamanca Market in Hobart.

Queen Mary of Denmark, formerly Mary Donaldson of Tasmania, has slipped quietly into Australia to enjoy a private holiday with friends and family.

Photos of Mary at the Salamanca Market in Hobart emerged on Saturday.

Casually dressed in a slouchy blue jacket, green pants and sneakers, and carrying a crossbody bag, Mary blended seamlessly into the weekend crowd checking out stalls at the famous market.

Her husband, King Frederik was not captured in the snapshots, which first appeared on the Pulse Tasmania website.

Queen Mary of Denmark has been spotted at Salamanca Market during a trip to Tasmania while taking some time off from her royal duties. Picture: Pulse Tasmania

Danish media have previously reported that the Queen and King are “abroad” on a private break with their three youngest children, Princess Isabella and Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, however it has not been reported where they are holidaying.

It would appear by the emergence of the Salamanca Market photos that at least one of their destinations has been Australia, specifically Tasmania.

Queen Mary browsing the stalls at the Salamanca Market. Picture: Pulse Tasmania

The Danish royal has quietly slipped into Australia, with the palace confirming she is ‘abroad’. Picture: Pulse Tasmania

Mary grew up in Hobart and she still has members of her family living there.

The King and Queen’s eldest son, Crown Prince Christian, 19, is acting as regent from February 7 to February 16, while his father is out of Denmark.

The King’s next public engagement appears to be in Denmark early this week.

Mary does not have a public engagement listed by the Royal Palace until February 24 when she and the King will attend a church service in Copenhagen to mark the anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine.

On February 28 the royal couple will host an arts and culture gala at Christiansborg Palace.

Mary was last in Australia in October 2024.

She became Queen of Denmark following the abdication of Queen Margrethe II and the crowning of her husband as King Frederik X on January 14, 2024.