How to watch Princess Mary’s coronation from Australia

Princess Mary will become the world’s first Australian queen on Sunday and it’s likely to be a lavish affair. Here’s where to watch the ceremony from Down Under.

Two decades after Australian born Mary Donaldson married Prince Frederik of Denmark, making her a princess, she’s set to ascend the throne and become queen.

The event comes two weeks after Queen Margrethe II announced her shock abdication on New Year’s Eve, bringing to an end her 52 years at the helm of Europe’s oldest surviving monarchy.

Mary and Frederik’s love story has been told and retold as a real-life fairytale.

Mary and Frederik met at the Slip Inn in Sydney in 2000.

Born in Tasmania, Mary, then a marketing executive, met Frederik at Sydney’s humble Slip Inn during the 2000 Olympics. At the time, she had no idea her future husband was a prince; he reportedly introduced himself as “Fred”.

The two began a transcontinental romance before Mary relocated to Denmark and married Frederik in 2004.

They have four children, the eldest of whom, Prince Christian, will become heir to the throne.

Sunday, January 14 will be a momentous day in both Denmark and Australia as the royal couple become king and queen. Here’s what to expect, when it will happen and how you can watch.

They married in 2004. Picture: Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images

Where can I watch Mary’s coronation?

Unlike the rolling TV coverage of major British royal events, like King Charles III’s coronation last year, there’s no planned live coverage of Mary and Frederik’s coronation for Australian audiences.

The pair will be crowned quite late at night in Australia — proceedings will begin at 11:35pm AEDT and continue until 3am or later.

That being said, news.com.au will have reporters documenting the event live, and will provide recaps of the best moments the next day, if you decide not to stay up.

Frederik and Mary with their children, Christian, Isabella, Josephine and Vincent. Picture: MEW / The National History Museum

What time is Mary’s coronation in Australia?

Coronation proceedings will begin at about 11:35pm AEDT on Sunday (1:35pm in Copenhagen), when Mary and Frederik will travel to Christiansborg Palace for the transfer of power from Queen Margrethe, who will sign her abdication papers.

They’ll then host a reception for “specially invited” guests before, at about 1am AEDT (3pm in Copenhagen), Denmark’s prime minister announces the royal couple and they appear on the palace balcony in front of the public.

The newly appointed King Frederik X is expected to address the crowd.

A canon will be fired to celebrate the occasion and the national flag will be lowered and raised again at the royal palaces.

Finally, at about 1:30am AEDT (3:30pm in Copenhagen), the new king and queen will return to Christiansborg Palace in a horse-drawn carriage and a transfer of the royal colours will take place.

Mary was an advertising executive before she met Frederik. Picture: Alex Coppel-Pool/Getty Images

What will happen at Mary’s coronation

Those expecting the same kind of pomp and circumstance as were on display at King Charles’s coronation last year should adjust their expectations — the Danish aren’t quite so extravagant.

Eyes will be peeled for appearances from other European royals and heads of state, and plenty of jewels and lavish fashion will be on display, but otherwise the ceremony is expected to be pared back.

In fact, some royal experts don’t consider Denmark’s change of power to be a formal coronation, but rather a simpler proclamation ceremony.

Queen Margrethe’s ascension to the throne was carried out in a similar fashion in 1972.

The royal family will also participate in a special session of parliament on Monday, January 15, and a celebratory church service at Aarhus Cathedral on January 21.