Queen Mary of Denmark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mary |
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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 |
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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) at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. They got married on 14 May 2004 in Copenhagen Cathedral. They have four children: Christian, Isabella, Vincent, and Josephine.
Since her marriage, Queen Mary has done many important tasks for the Danish royal family. She supports over 30 charities. These include the United Nations Population Fund and the Danish Refugee Council. In 2007, she started her own special group called the Mary Foundation.
In 2019, Mary became a rigsforstander. This means she can act as the leader of Denmark when the King is not in the country. She became the first Queen of any country who was born in Australia. This happened when her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe II, stepped down on 14 January 2024.
Contents
Mary's Early Life and Family
Mary Elizabeth Donaldson was born on 5 February 1972. She was born in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. She is the youngest of four children. Her parents were from Scotland. Her mother, Henrietta, worked as an assistant at the University of Tasmania. Her father, John Dalgleish Donaldson, was a professor of mathematics.
Mary was named after her grandmothers. She grew up in Hobart, Australia. She has two older sisters, Jane and Patricia, and an older brother, John. Her mother passed away in 1997 when Mary was 25. In 2001, her father married Susan Moody.
When she was a child, Mary loved sports and other activities. She played the piano, flute, and clarinet. She also played basketball and hockey.
Mary's Education Journey
In 1974, Mary started school in Houston, Texas, in the United States. Her father was working there at the Johnson Space Center. She then moved back to Tasmania.
Mary went to Waimea Heights for primary school. She attended Taroona High School and Hobart College for her high school years. From 1990 to 1994, she studied at the University of Tasmania. She earned two degrees: one in business and one in law. She graduated on 27 May 1995. After that, she got special certificates in advertising and marketing.
English is Mary's first language. She also studied French in high school. In 2002, she taught English for a short time in Paris. Before she got married, she learned Danish at a school in Copenhagen in 2003.
Mary's Career Before Royalty
After finishing university in 1995, Mary worked for different advertising companies. She moved to Melbourne to start her career. She worked as a trainee in marketing. Then she became an account manager at Mojo Partners in 1996.
In 1998, Mary left her job and traveled to America and Europe. She worked in Edinburgh for three months. In 1999, she became an account director at Young & Rubicam in Sydney.
In 2000, Mary worked for a smaller Australian company called Love Branding. She was their first account director. Later that year, she became a sales director for a real estate company. In 2002, she taught English in Paris. When she moved to Denmark for good, she worked for Microsoft Business Solutions. She was a project consultant for marketing there.
Mary's Personal Life and Family
Meeting Frederik and Getting Engaged
Mary met Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark in 2000. They met at a pub in Sydney during the Summer Olympics. Frederik was there with his brother and other royal friends. Mary's flatmate knew one of Frederik's friends. Mary did not know he was a prince until after they met.
They had a long-distance relationship. Frederik visited Australia many times. In November 2001, a Danish magazine said Mary was Frederik's girlfriend. She moved from Australia to Denmark in December 2001.
On 24 September 2003, the Danish royal court announced their engagement. Frederik gave Mary a beautiful engagement ring. It had an emerald-cut diamond and two ruby baguettes. These colors are like the Danish flag. They officially got engaged on 8 October 2003.
Marriage and Children
Mary and Frederik got married on 14 May 2004. The wedding took place in Copenhagen Cathedral. They reportedly spent 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. This is normal for new foreign members of the royal family. Before her marriage, she was a citizen of both Australia and the United Kingdom. She also changed her religion to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark.
Since English is her first language, Mary worked hard to learn Danish. She said it was a challenge for her.
Mary and her family live at Frederik VIII's Palace in Copenhagen. They also stay at the Chancellery House at Fredensborg Palace in the summer.
Mary loves horse riding and has competed in dressage events. She is also the godmother to Princess Estelle of Sweden.
Becoming Queen of Denmark
Mary became the Queen of Denmark on 14 January 2024. This happened when Queen Margrethe II stepped down. Her husband then became King Frederik X. After he was announced as King, Mary joined him on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace. They waved to the crowds.
The next day, the royal family went to a ceremony at the Folketing (parliament). On 21 January, they attended a church service at Aarhus Cathedral.
The King and Queen made their first official visits in May 2024. They visited Sweden and Norway. In June, they traveled to Greenland, which is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. In 2025, they will visit the Faroe Islands.
Mary's Public Work and Charities
After their wedding, the Crown Prince couple traveled around Denmark on the royal yacht. They also visited Greenland and went to the 2004 Athens Olympics. In 2005, they took part in events for the 200th anniversary of Hans Christian Andersen. Mary was made an Honorary Hans Christian Andersen Ambassador to Australia.
As Crown Princess, Mary made many international visits. In 2009, she made a surprise visit to Danish soldiers in Afghanistan.
In October 2019, Mary was made a rigsforstander. This means she can act as regent when the King is out of the country. She was the first person not born into the royal family to have this role since Queen Ingrid in 1972.
Mary was voted Woman of the Year in 2008 by a Danish magazine. She gave her prize money to charity. She has also been interviewed by many international magazines and TV shows.
She is also on the board of directors for The Royal Danish Collection.
Supporting Charities and Interests
Since 2004, Mary has worked with many different organizations. She supports culture, fashion, helping people, and science. She also supports health and sports groups. These organizations say that her involvement helps them a lot. Mary is very active in her work with them.
She helps with programs to fight obesity through the World Health Organization.
Mary has visited areas in Denmark with many immigrants. She has helped with projects to teach Danish to refugees. As a supporter of the Danish Refugee Council, Mary visited Uganda in 2008 and East Africa in 2011. She helps raise money for these areas.
Mary has also helped promote an anti-bullying program in Denmark. This program is based on an Australian idea. She also helps a campaign to teach Danes about skin cancer.
Mary is an Honorary Life Governor of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute in Sydney. She is also part of a group of women leaders for mental health. In 2010, she became a supporter of UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund. This group helps mothers and promotes safer motherhood in many countries. In 2011, a cancer center in Sydney was named the Crown Princess Mary Cancer Care Centre.
Mary also supports Denmark's fashion industry. She is a patron of the Copenhagen Fashion Summit.
The Mary Foundation
On 11 September 2007, Mary announced she was starting the Mary Fonden. This foundation aims to help people whose lives are difficult. It helps those who feel isolated or excluded. The first money for the foundation came from wedding gifts given to Frederik and Mary in 2004. Mary is the leader of eight trusts within the foundation. In 2014, she received an award for her work with the foundation.
Supporting LGBT Rights
In 2016, Mary gave a speech about LGBT rights in Copenhagen. She asked for an end to unfair treatment and violence against people because of their gender identity. In 2018, she spoke about LGBTQ+ equality at a meeting in Europe.
On 25 April 2018, she presented an award at the Danish Rainbow Awards. She was the first royal family member to attend this event. She also attended in 2019 and 2020. In 2020, Mary spoke at Copenhagen Pride's online festival.
In October 2019, it was announced that Mary would support WorldPride Copenhagen 2021. This made her the first royal to support a major LGBT event. She took part in many events and gave the closing speech in August 2021.
Mary's Titles, Honours, and Symbols
Titles and Styles
Mary was the Crown Princess of Denmark after her marriage. She also became Countess of Monpezat in 2008. When her husband became King, she became the Queen of Denmark. Her official title is "Her Majesty The Queen".
Military Ranks
Denmark
2008: Officer cadet in the Home Guard- 2009: Sergeant in the Home Guard
- 20 February 2009: Lieutenant in the Home Guard
- 18 September 2015: First Lieutenant in the Home Guard
- 31 March 2019: Captain in the Home Guard
- 4 May 2023: Major in the Home Guard
Honours and Awards
National Honours
Orders and Appointments
9 May 2004: Knight of the Order of the Elephant (R.E.)
Medals and Decorations
Denmark: Dame of the Royal Family Decoration of Queen Margrethe II- Denmark: Recipient of the Homeguard Medal of Merit
- Denmark: Recipient of the 75th Birthday Medal of Prince Henrik
- Denmark: Recipient of the 350th Anniversary Medal of the Royal Danish Life Guards
- Denmark: Recipient of the 70th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II
- Denmark: Recipient of the Ruby Jubilee Medal of Queen Margrethe II
- Denmark: Recipient of the 75th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II
- Denmark: Recipient of the Golden Anniversary Medal of Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik
- Denmark: Recipient of the Prince Henrik's Commemorative Medal
- Denmark: Recipient of the 80th Birthday Medal of Queen Margrethe II
- Denmark: Recipient of the Golden Jubilee Medal of Queen Margrethe II
Foreign Honours
Belgium: Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown
Brazil: Grand Cross of the Order of the Southern Cross of Brazil
Bulgaria: First Class of the Order of the Balkan Mountains
Finland: Grand Cross of the Order of the White Rose of Finland
France: Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit
Greece: Grand Cross of the Order of Beneficence
Iceland: Grand Cross of the Order of the Falcon
Mexico: Grand Cross of the Order of the Aztec Eagle
Netherlands:
- Grand Cross of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
- Recipient of the King Willem-Alexander Inauguration Medal
Norway: Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Olav
Spain: Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic
Sweden:
- Grand Cross of the Royal Order of the Polar Star
- Recipient of the 70th Birthday Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf
- Recipient of the Golden Jubilee Badge Medal of King Carl XVI Gustaf
Places Named After Mary
Structures
- Denmark: Crown Princess Mary's Bridge, Roskilde Fjord (2019)
- Denmark: Mary's Australian Garden, Copenhagen Zoo, Copenhagen (2022)
- Denmark: The Crown Princess Mary Centre, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen (2022)
- Denmark: Mary Elizabeth's Hospital, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen (2026)
Coat of Arms
When Mary married in 2004, she received the Order of the Elephant. Her father, John Dalgleish Donaldson, received the Order of the Dannebrog. Both Mary and her father were given their own coat of arms. These are shown on banners at Frederiksborg Castle.
Mary's coat of arms has a gold background. It shows a red eagle and a black boat. These symbols represent her Scottish family history. The top part is blue. It has two gold stars from the Coat of arms of Australia. In the middle is a gold rose, which is her personal symbol. Above the shield is the special crown of a Crown Prince of Denmark.
Her father's coat of arms is very similar. But instead of a rose, it has a gold infinity symbol. This symbol represents his work as a mathematician. Above his shield is a helmet with a red lion. The lion comes from the arms of Scotland and also from the arms of Tasmania and Hobart. Both coats of arms were approved in 2006 and placed in the castle in 2007.
See also
In Spanish: María de Dinamarca para niños
