Queen Mary of Denmark attends sustainable fashion summit, plans to sail on diesel powered yacht

Aussie-born Queen Mary, who stepped out in shorts as warm weather and sailing season ramps up in Denmark, is under fire for her upcoming royal cruise.

Tasmanian born Queen Mary of Denmark showed off her enviable pins in a daring pair of grey Bermuda style shorts at the Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen.

Mary, 53, paired the shorts with a matching blazer and accessorised with a belt and matching heels for the summit on Wednesday local time which focuses on sustainability in fashion.

Not so sustainable however, is Queen Mary and King Frederik’s upcoming cruise to the Faroe Islands next week on the fuel-guzzling royal yacht Dannebrog.

Queen Mary attends The Global Fashion Summit in Copenhagen, Denmark. Picture: Getty Images

Climate activists have decried the royals continued use of the vessel with Danish media reporting the yacht consumed 284 cubic metres of diesel last year citing the Danish Armed Forces royal expenses ledger.

The figure is the highest quota of emissions by the yacht since 2015 and equates to around 767 tonnes of CO2 emissions.

For comparison, the average Danish person emits around 13 tonnes of CO2 per year.

Queen Mary of Denmark enjoyed learning about sustainable fashion. Picture: Getty Images

She visited a number of exhibits at the summit. Picture: Getty Images

The weather in Denmark is heating up. Picture: Getty Images

The Danish Palace’s head of communications Nina Munch-Perrin gave a statement to local media on the yacht’s carbon footprint.

“The Royal House is aware of the dilemma associated with Dannebrog being powered by conventional fuel,” Ms Munch-Perrin said.

“The Armed Forces are currently exploring the possibility of using alternative fuels in order to reduce emissions from the royal yacht.”

The royal couple have frequently spoken about their commitment to the environment.

A translation of King Frederik’s manifesto Kongeord which was published last year describes their philosophy.

Denmark's Royal couple, King Frederik and Queen Mary have a number of cruises lined up this summer. Picture: AFP

“As a royal couple, we are committed to helping ensure the planet is passed on to the next generation in good condition,” the king wrote.

“That requires advancing the green transition. We will therefore support efforts for nature conservation, biodiversity and climate action wherever possible.”

The royal couple will sail the Faroe Islands, a self-governing archipelago of Denmark, from June 11 to 13.

They will undertake a further cruise kicking off from Frederikshavn on August 25.

Originally published as Queen Mary of Denmark attends sustainable fashion summit, plans to sail on diesel powered yacht