Australia's Mary Donaldson will be the queen of Denmark tomorrow as she and her husband, Crown Prince Frederik are crowned after his mother, Queen Margrethe of Denmark, abdicated the throne after 52 years of service.
But how did the Australian-born find herself married to a prince?
According to Vogue Australia, Donaldson was enjoying a drink at the Slip Inn during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, when she met and shook hands with the Dane, who was accompanying the Danish sailing team.
Donaldson said at the time she didn't know who the man was, and only discovered an hour later that she had met the Crown Prince of Denmark, Frederik.
They hit it off and the pair engaged in a long-distance relationship, with Donaldson in Australia and Prince Frederik in his homeland. Their relationship went public in 2001 and Donaldson moved to Denmark in 2002.
On October 8, 2003, Prince Frederick and Donaldson announced their engagement. Donaldson would be the first Australian-born woman in history to become a European royal and stand in line to the throne.
May 14, 2004 saw the pair wed in the Copenhagen Cathedral, Church of our Lady, making her Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark. The bride included native Australian eucalyptus in her wedding bouquet, as an homage to her home country.
The royal family had four children: Prince Christian, Count of Monpezat, in 2005, Princess Isabella, in 2007 and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine in 2011.
After tomorrow's coronation, Prince Christian, 18, will become heir apparent to his father’s throne.
The pair celebrated their 19th wedding anniversary in May, 2023, where the prince wrote a loving tribute translated from Danish to English to the Australian born on Royal Danish family’s official Instagram page.
He said: "My wife and I have our wedding anniversary today. A very special day for both of us, which we like to mark - preferably with our four children. This year the day coincides with Mother's Day. Therefore, a special loving greeting to you, Mary, as a spouse and as a mother."
Queen Margrethe announced she would be abdicating the throne during her traditional New Year's speech, becoming the first Danish monarch in hundreds of years to voluntarily step down.
The queen said: "I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik.”
SHARE ME