Princess Mary of Denmark prepares for her next big role — as queen
PRINCESS Mary, the Australian who married into one of the world’s oldest monarchies, is preparing to take on an even bigger challenge — as Queen of Denmark.
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PRINCESS Mary, the Australian who married into one of the oldest monarchies in the world, is preparing to become Queen of Denmark, as the royal family begins shifting responsibilities to the next generation of royals.
The 46-year- old Crown Princess, wife of Crown Prince Frederik, is taking on an increased workload and public profile as her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe ages.
Her father-in-law, Prince Henrik, 83, died in February after a long battle with dementia.
Observers say the royal house of Denmark — the most popular monarchy in Europe — is increasingly turning to the Crown Prince couple — Frederik and Mary — for public appearances and royal responsibilities.
While Queen Margrethe, 77, has said she will not abdicate, royal observers have noticed the higher profile Frederik and Mary have been taking over the past year.
The Hobart-born Mary Donaldson, who worked in real estate and advertising before meeting the future king of Denmark in a pub in Sydney in 2000, has impressed Danes with her work ethic, warmth and discipline under the royal spotlight.
“Princess Mary will become Queen but I think it is fair to say that she will also become King,’’ said royal author and journalist Trine Villemann.
“There is absolutely no doubt that Mary rules the roost at Amalienborg (palace).
“She is allowing Frederik quite a lot of space … and in doing so she has managed to accumulate quite a lot of power.’’
While Frederik will become King when his mother dies, Mary can never rule Denmark officially.
Her title as wife of the king will officially be Mary, Queen Consort of Denmark, although she will be known colloquially as Queen Mary.
Her authority comes from the leadership role she plays in her family, and as a spouse to the Crown Prince and future king, a former military man and Olympic sailor known as a playboy in his younger days.
Academic and royal author Lars Hovbekke Sorensen told News Corp Mary was ready to step up, and the Danish people would be happy to accept an “Australian queen’’ when the time came.
“She is very active and a very professional representative for the royal family,’’ said Mr Sorensen, an Assistant Professor, (PhD), at University College Absalon, outside the capital Copenhagen.
“Crown Princess Mary is very popular.
“She is a princess of her time. (For example) she is much more informal when talking with people than Queen Margrethe.
“And an informal style is one of the things which are very important in order to be a popular royal person today.’’
Since their fairy-tale wedding in 2004 and setting up their home at Amalienborg Palace, Frederik and Mary have had four children — heir to the throne Prince Christian, 12, Princess Isabella, 10, and seven-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
In a country that loves its royal family, they have proven popular, accessible, hardworking, and a modern alternative to the old-school style of the late, French-born Prince Henrik, who never learned Danish and refused to be buried with his wife as a protest about never attaining the title of king.
Queen Margrethe remains somewhat aloof, refuses to kick her public smoking habit, and has little in common with everyday Danes.
By contrast, Mary rides her bike around Copenhagen, is regularly seen out with her four children, walking her dog and never puts a foot wrong in public. She is also stunningly beautiful, and regularly showcases Danish fashion in her public appearances.
Copenhagen Free Walking Tours guide Cheresse Burke runs walking tours to the Palace twice a week, and talks to Danish and foreign tourists about the royal family, and Princess Mary in
particular.
“People generally seem to be very fond of her,’’ she said.
“They’re generally positive. She’s got a kind of reputation of reining Fred in a bit.’’
Ms Burke said Mary was known as organised and efficient, and regularly gave speeches and made philanthropic appearances.
As well, Danes appreciated that she had learned their difficult language.
“Her Danish language is fantastic,’’ Ms Burke, a permanent resident of Denmark since arriving from the United States six years earlier, said.
“I’m technically fluent, she is actually fluent.’’
She said Mary had once ridden her bicycle out of the palace as she was talking to a group of tourists, and ridden through the palace square with just one security officer “puffing along’’ behind.
“It wasn’t until she’d passed that I realised it was her,’’ she said.
“She waved to everybody and they were so excited.’’
Another guide, Rosie Wilden, from the UK, said Mary did not have to live under quite as much scrutiny as the British royal family did.
“Mary is taking on more and more (public appearances),’’ Ms Wilden said.
“Generally the opinion of people is positive.
“I think that people like her and that’s one of the most important things about a monarchy.’’
Ms Villemann, whose 2008 book ‘1015 Copenhagen K’, named for the royal postcode, proved
controversial when she wrote that Mary’s true personality had all but disappeared, stood by her views, telling News Corp the Crown Princess was “almost too perfect’’.
“Princess Mary is extremely popular in Denmark. She is perceived as a hard working woman who juggles being the mother of four children with official duties without ever putting a foot wrong,’’ she said.
“After the Queen’s husband, Prince Henrik, retired (in 2016) Princess Mary has stepped up her workload.
“These days they (Mary and Frederik) are given far more prominent roles when Denmark is visited by foreign dignitaries.’’
Ms Villemann said there was no chance Queen Margrethe would abdicate.
“The Queen has on several occasions made it very clear that she stays — unless she loses her mental faculties,’’ she said.
Mr Sorensen agreed, saying the chances of the Queen abdicating were “almost zero per cent”.
“In Denmark we have a very long tradition for not abdicating. Last time a king gave up the throne before his death was in 1523 (when a revolt obliged Christian II to retire).’’
Trine Larsen, royal correspondent at Billed-Bladet, a weekly Danish magazine that scrutinises the royal family closely, said Mary appeared on their front cover most weeks and always boosted sales.
Ms Larsen also said Mary had “never put a foot wrong’’ and endeared herself to the public with her warmth.
Her charity work- including the anti-bullying campaigns she launched through The Mary Foundation and her advocacy with UN Women- had also won her a reputation as a hard worker.
“When she’s out in public she’s very often talking to children and she’s not this royal figure that stands two or three steps behind looking,’’ Ms Larsen told News Corp.
“She’s always kneeling down and taking people’s hands. She’s very human. She touches people, both physically but also in their hearts.
“She is definitely one the most popular. Our Queen is very, very, very popular but Mary comes in second or third.
“Everybody loves her. They think that Frederik is so fortunate to have met her and that they are doing a splendid job together, as a team.’’
When Princess Diana was at the height of her popularity in the 1980s, her husband Prince Charles often felt intimidated and outshone by his wife, with reports he was deeply hurt that crowds would groan with disappointment if Charles approached their side of the street instead of Diana.
By contrast, Ms Larsen said while sometimes Mary was perceived as outshining Frederik, the Crown Prince was not threatened by his wife’s popularity.
“They are very good together, she supports him very much and a lot of people think that she
sometimes over-sparkles more than him or overshadows,’’ she said.
“But she says that he gives her the light to shine.
“He’s very proud of her and he says so. Whenever we ask him about it he’s shining and smiling and looking very proud.
“They’re still in love, you can see that and they’re very proud of each other and what they are
doing.’’
Ms Larsen said while there had been a recent trend in Europe of the older royals abdicating the throne to the younger generation — with royals in Spain, Holland and Belgium all abdicating- there was no chance of Queen Margrethe stepping down.
“I asked her myself when she turned 60, I asked when she turned 70, I asked her when she turned 75, which is almost two years ago,” she said.
“She said ‘no, I always told you that I’m going to be here, it’s a lifetime job, and I’m going to be here till I drop dead’.’’
Ms Villemann agreed, and said Mary’s trajectory to role of Queen was “extraordinary’’.
“Here we have this commoner from a small town out in the boonies lined up to become Queen in one of the oldest monarchies on the planet,’’ she said.
“Surely you would think that she would fall flat on her face but I think she will be brilliant as Queen.
“She has from day one grasped that being a royal is all about perception. If people perceive you as honest, straightforward, hardworking, empathetic, caring etc. then you will be a success no matter what you are like as a person.
“Mary always aims for perfection in her public role and it has paid off. She is incredibly popular not least because she is seen as this caring, steady rock that her somewhat more-emotional and less-perfect husband can rely on.
“In many ways she reminds me of Frederik’s beloved “mormor” or grandmother, Queen Ingrid. She was the daughter of the Swedish king so trained from early childhood to the position she later had.
“Mary did not have that kind of upbringing so her achievements are very impressive.’’
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