Queen Mary of Denmark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mary |
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| Countess of Monpezat | |
Mary in 2023
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| Queen consort of Denmark | |
| Tenure | 14 January 2024 – present |
| Born | Mary Elizabeth Donaldson 5 February 1972 Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia |
| Spouse | |
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| Father | John Dalgleish Donaldson |
| Mother | Henrietta Clark Horne |
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Mary (born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson; 5 February 1972) is the Queen of Denmark. She is married to King Frederik X.
Mary met Frederik, who was then the Crown Prince of Denmark, during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. They got married on 14 May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral. They have four children: Christian, Isabella, Vincent, and Josephine.
Since her marriage, Queen Mary has taken on many important duties for the Danish royal family. She supports over 30 charities, including groups like the United Nations Population Fund and the Danish Refugee Council. In 2007, she started her own successful charity called the Mary Foundation.
In 2019, Mary was given the special role of rigsforstander. This means she can act as regent, or temporary ruler, when the King is not in the country. On 14 January 2024, she became the first Australian-born queen consort of any country when her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe II, stepped down from the throne. Mary also holds the title of Countess of Monpezat.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Growing Up in Australia
Mary Elizabeth Donaldson was born on 5 February 1972 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. She is the youngest of four children. Her parents, Henrietta and John Dalgleish Donaldson, were from Scotland. Her mother worked as an executive assistant, and her father was a mathematics professor.
Mary grew up in Hobart. She had two older sisters, Jane and Patricia, and an older brother, John. Her mother passed away in 1997 when Mary was 25 years old. In 2001, her father married British author Susan Moody.
As a child, Mary was very active. She enjoyed sports like basketball and hockey. She also studied music, learning to play the piano, flute, and clarinet.
School and University Years
Mary started school in Houston, Texas, when her father worked there. Later, she attended schools in Sandy Bay, Tasmania and Hobart College in Tasmania.
From 1990 to 1994, she studied at the University of Tasmania. She earned degrees in Commerce and Law in 1995. After university, she continued her studies in advertising and marketing.
English is Mary's first language. She also studied French in high school. In 2002, she taught English in Paris for a short time. Before her marriage, she learned Danish at a language school in Copenhagen in 2003.
Career Before Royalty
After finishing university in 1995, Mary worked for different advertising companies in Australia and around the world. She started in Melbourne, working in marketing and communications. She became an account executive and then an account manager.
In 1998, she took a break to travel in America and Europe. She worked in Edinburgh for a few months. In 1999, she became an account director for a big advertising agency in Sydney.
In 2000, Mary worked for a smaller Australian agency. She also became a sales director for a real estate company. Before moving to Denmark, she worked for Microsoft Business Solutions in Copenhagen as a project consultant.
Meeting Frederik and Marriage
Courtship and Engagement
Mary met Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 2000 during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. They met at a pub called the Slip Inn. Frederik was there with his brother and other royal friends. Mary didn't know he was a prince until after they had talked.
They started a long-distance relationship, and Frederik made secret visits to Australia. In November 2001, a Danish magazine reported that Mary was Frederik's girlfriend. She moved to Denmark in December 2001.
On 24 September 2003, the Danish royal court announced that Queen Margrethe II had approved their marriage. Frederik gave Mary an engagement ring with a diamond and two ruby baguettes, which are red like the Danish flag. They officially got engaged on 8 October 2003.
Wedding and Children
Mary and Frederik were married on 14 May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral. After their wedding, they reportedly went on their honeymoon in Africa.
They have four children:
- Crown Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John, born 15 October 2005.
- Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe, born 21 April 2007.
- Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander, born 8 January 2011.
- Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda, born 8 January 2011.
The Danish parliament passed a special law to give Mary Danish citizenship when she married. She was also a citizen of Australia and the United Kingdom before this. Mary changed her religion to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark when she married.
Learning Danish was a big goal for Mary after her engagement. She worked hard to become fluent in the language.
Mary and her family live at Frederik VIII's Palace in Copenhagen. They also spend summers at the Chancellery House at Fredensborg Palace.
Mary enjoys horse riding and has competed in dressage events. She is also the godmother to several children, including Princess Estelle of Sweden.
Becoming Queen of Denmark
Mary became Queen of Denmark on 14 January 2024. This happened when Queen Margrethe II stepped down and her husband became King Frederik X. Mary joined Frederik on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace to greet the crowds after he was proclaimed king.
The new King and Queen made their first official visits to Sweden and Norway in May 2024. In June, they visited Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. They plan to visit the Faroe Islands in 2025.
Public Life and Charity Work
After her wedding, Mary and Frederik traveled around Denmark on the royal yacht. They also visited Greenland and attended the 2004 Athens Olympics. In 2005, they took part in celebrations for the 200th anniversary of writer Hans Christian Andersen. Mary was even named an Honorary Hans Christian Andersen Ambassador to Australia.
Mary has made many international visits. In 2009, she made a surprise visit to Danish soldiers in Afghanistan.
In October 2019, Mary was officially appointed a rigsforstander. This means she can act as regent when the King is abroad. She was the first person not born into the royal family to have this role since 1972.
Mary was named Woman of the Year 2008 by a Danish magazine and gave her prize money to charity. She has also been interviewed by international magazines and TV shows. She serves on the board of directors for The Royal Danish Collection.
Supporting Important Causes
Since 2004, Mary has worked with many different organizations. She supports areas like culture, fashion, helping people in need, and scientific research. She also works with social and health groups, and sports organizations. Many groups she works with say she is very involved and helpful.
She supports programs that fight obesity through the World Health Organization. Mary has also visited areas with many immigrants in Denmark. She has helped with projects that teach Danish to refugees. As a patron of the Danish Refugee Council, she visited Uganda in 2008 and East Africa in 2011 to support fundraising efforts.
Mary has actively promoted an anti-bullying program in Denmark, based on an Australian idea. She also helps raise awareness about skin cancer through The Danish Cancer Society.
She is involved with the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney. She is also a member of the International Committee of Women Leaders for Mental Health. In 2010, she became a patron of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. This role supports their work to improve maternal health in developing countries. In 2011, a cancer center in Sydney was renamed the Crown Princess Mary Cancer Care Centre Westmead in her honor.
Mary is also a strong supporter of Denmark's fashion industry. She is the patron of the Copenhagen Fashion Summit.
The Mary Foundation
On 11 September 2007, Mary announced the creation of the Mary Fonden. This foundation aims to help people whose lives are difficult due to their environment, health, or other situations that make them feel alone or left out. The first money for the foundation came from gifts given to Frederik and Mary for their wedding in 2004. Mary is the chairwoman of eight trusts within the foundation. In 2014, she received an award for her work with the foundation.
Supporting LGBT Rights
Mary has been a strong supporter of LGBT rights. In 2016, she gave a speech in Copenhagen calling for an end to unfair treatment and violence against people based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. In 2018, she spoke about LGBTQ+ equality at the Council of Europe.
On 25 April 2018, she was the first royal family member to attend the Danish Rainbow Awards. She presented an honorary award to LGBT Danmark. She also attended the awards in 2019 and 2020. In 2020, Mary spoke at Copenhagen Pride's online festival.
In October 2019, it was announced that Mary would be the patron of WorldPride Copenhagen 2021. This made her the first royal to support a major LGBT event. She took part in many events during WorldPride and gave the closing speech in August 2021.
Titles and Symbols
Titles and Styles
When Mary married Frederik on 14 May 2004, she became "Her Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Denmark". In 2008, her husband was given the title Count of Monpezat, so Mary also became "Countess of Monpezat". Since her husband became King on 14 January 2024, Mary is now known as "Her Majesty The Queen, Countess of Monpezat".
Military Ranks
Mary has also held several ranks in the Danish Home Guard:
- 24 January 2008: Officer cadet
- 1 March 2009: Sergeant
- 20 February 2009: Lieutenant
- 18 September 2015: First Lieutenant
- 31 March 2019: Captain
- 4 May 2023: Honorary Major
Coat of Arms
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When Queen Mary married in 2004, she received the Order of the Elephant. She and her father were also given personal coats of arms. These coats of arms are displayed at Frederiksborg Castle.
Mary's coat of arms has a gold background. It shows a red eagle and a black boat, which represent her Scottish family history. The top part of the shield is blue and has two gold stars from the Australian coat of arms. In the middle is a gold rose, which is her personal symbol. The shield is topped with the Royal Crown of Denmark and surrounded by the chain of the Order of the Elephant.
Her father's coat of arms is very similar. Instead of a rose, it has a gold infinity symbol, showing his career as a mathematician. His shield is topped with a helmet and a red lion, which comes from the arms of Scotland and Tasmania.
Images for kids
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Royal monogram
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Joint monogram of Frederik and Mary
See also
In Spanish: María de Dinamarca para niños
