Denmark’s fashionable Aussie princess Mary fit to make a stylish queen

The Aussie-born princess of Denmark’s approach to style has come a long way, and when she takes on her new title and role there’s every chance Mary will shake things up again.

Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark and Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark in 2013. Picture: Getty Images

It’s not only the romance that stopped Australia in its tracks but a fashion journey for the ages.

Since Mary Donaldson became Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark in 2004 – after a fairytale romance with Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark, heir to the Danish throne – the former marketing executive has displayed elegant style that blends European grace and Australian unpretentiousness, with sprinklings of Danish eccentricity.

As she prepares for her coronation as queen consort on Sunday, weeks after the abdication of her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe II, some wonder if her fashion choices will change to fit her new role. But if there’s one expectation to cast aside, it’s that Mary will lean near international perceptions of Danish style – and all its Instagram-friendly connotations.

A search of the online hashtag #CopenhagenFashionWeek brings myriad images of the puffy neon dresses and exaggerated girlishness that have become shorthand for fashion in Denmark.

But Anders Christian Madsen, British Vogue’s fashion critic and a Dane, says Danish fashion and Danish dressing are different, and Mary embodies the latter.

“What I see when I’m in Copenhagen are women in their 40s and 50s whose style reflects a certain authority; a chilly palette, a lean silhouette, tailored separates, and not a hair out of place. That’s very Queen Mary for (daytime),” he says.

Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge and Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, attend Christian IX's Palace in 2022 at Copenhagen, Denmark. Picture: Getty Images

Indeed, Mary’s day attire is tailored perfectly and her hair is impeccably coiffured. A photo of the Crown Princess with Catherine, Princess of Wales (aka Kate Middleton) in 2022 felt like an unofficial competition to see who had the most effortless-looking brunette tresses.

In 2016, Princess Mary and Prince Frederik were photographed for Vogue Australia, and colour was mostly absent in her clothes. Instead, she was styled in outfits that were made timeless by their impeccable cut and finish. It was a turning point, and a far cry from paparazzi photos of Mary in the early 2000s – when even future royals weren’t safe from low-waist jeans, tank tops, baggy jeans and shawls.

Prince Frederik and Mary in their courting days at Tasmania Yacht Club. Picture: Getty Images

Arriving for a palace banquet in 2013. Picture: Getty Images

But for evening wear, Madsen says the soon-to-be queen consort often lands on beautiful attire that’s within her comfort zone, which in turn resonates with spectators.

“I think a lot of people who don’t often have to dress for white tie will look at her at a banquet and think, ‘I’d like to see myself in that gown’,” he says.

Perhaps this stems from Mary’s roots. Globally, Australian fashion carries connotations of wearable elegance and easy tailoring, defined by brands such as Zimmermann and Carla Zampatti. Many consider this as owing to Australia’s laid-back lifestyle, where Mary’s taste for understated glamour may have started.

“I don’t think (Mary) subscribes to Queen Elizabeth’s idea that one has to be seen to be believed,” Madsen says. “There was a brief moment a few years ago when she did ‘royal dressing’ – it was quite Jackie O and I liked it – but the look she settled on is more rooted in reality.”

Mary’s jewellery choices are also unorthodox. The Danish royal family owns several heirlooms such as the Pearl Poire Tiara – a nearly 200-year-old piece with 18 pear-shaped pearls often worn by Queen Margrethe – but also favours contemporary regalia. Danish jeweller Ole Lynggaard, known for its idiosyncratic designs, made Mary’s Midnight Tiara in 2009: a wreathlike diadem, with diamonds and lustrous moonstones showing an asymmetric beauty.

Her choices from Danish jewellery brand Georg Jensen are equally offbeat, such as the silver Moonlight Grapes necklace or the Vivianna bangle timepiece, which exemplify contemporary glamour. The Princess of Wales, on the other hand, wears a Ballon Bleu watch by Cartier that embodies traditional displays of status favoured by other monarchies.

Mary with daughter Josephine in 2014 in Luzech, France. Picture: Getty Images

In 2022. Picture: Getty Images

“We believe the discerning tastes and fashion choices of HRH Crown Princess Mary, which are timeless, refined and understated, resonate seamlessly with the defining characteristics of our jewellery designs,” Georg Jensen creative director Ragnar Hjartarson says.

Historically, royalty has used fashion to dazzle – think of Princess Diana’s love of sequins and sparkle, or Queen Sirikit of Thailand’s gowns in the 1950s that brought attention to French designer Pierre Balmain.

But Mary’s dignified, down-to-earth elegance is reflective of her Australian roots, and in a time when many question monarchical wealth in the face of global turmoil it’s a decision that feels astute.

So, what can we expect when she ascends to the role of queen consort?

Madsen hopes Mary will be inspired by her mother-in-law, whom he calls “one of the most interesting dressers in the public eye overall on Earth”.

“I would love for her to embrace some of the style gestures of her predecessor when she becomes queen,” Madsen says.

“The sense of volume and colour that characterises Queen Margrethe’s wardrobe is synonymous with regality to me, and I think that’s hugely impactful and positively infectious in a time when everyone else is dressing down.”