2023 has not been short of memorable events. NZ Herald video covered them all. Video / NZ Herald
Australian-born Princess Mary is set to bring a modern take to the Danish royal family when she is crowned Queen of Denmark alongside her husband Prince Frederik.
It was a fairy-tale romance when Frederik met Mary at Sydney’s Slip Inn during the 2000 Olympics.
Mary Donaldson, a sales director with a real estate agency at the time, knew two things about the country she is set to rule: the author Hans Christian Andersen and that the Sydney Opera House was designed by a Dane.
The couple married in 2004 in a lavish affair and have four children, Christian, Isabella, Josephine and Vincent.
Twenty years later, the Hobartian, who grew up in the suburb of Taroona, will ascend to the top of Danish royalty when her husband is crowned king.
In her New Year’s address, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II announced her decision to abdicate on January 14, marking 52 years on the throne.
Queen Margrethe II gives a New Year’s speech and announces her abdication. Photo / Ritzau Scanpix via AP
The 83-year-old Queen, who was crowned in 1972, said back surgery in February had prompted her to think about the future: “Whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation”.
Tasmanian Premier Jeremy Rockliff praised the Princess as a wonderful ambassador for the state.
“With her demonstrated humility, grace and kindness I am sure Crown Princess Mary will be embraced as Queen alongside her husband, King Frederik, once proclaimed later this month,” Rockliff said.
The soon-to-be Queen remains connected to her home state as an International Patron of the Alannah and Madeline Foundation, a support organisation for children experiencing family violence.
Known for her impeccable fashion sense, having made Vanity Fair’s best-dressed lists, the royal shares a passion for sustainability in fashion.
She also travels the world bringing a message against bullying in schools and social isolation with her Mary Foundation.
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark. Photo / Getty Images
“I look forward to watching the next generation, and Tasmania’s own born Queen lead Denmark’s future. We are so proud,” Rockliff said.
The Crown Princess flexed her environmental credentials in April when she visited her home country.
She toured Sydney to discuss Australia’s “green transition” while visiting several Danish-led projects related to sustainable construction and transportation.
There she was led on a guided bike tour around the city and boarded the light rail, a project led by a Danish architect, Jan Gehl.
It was only eight months ago that Princess Mary attended the coronation of King Charles III in London.
