May I ask what the Crown Princess did in the Army for wearing all this decorations ?
A surprising question for such an old hand here on TRF, but here we go.
Mary wear the sash and star to the Order of Elephant, as it is is the highest order in DK. In contrast to her husband she does not wear the Order of Dannebrog.
And as the Monarch is present M&F both wear all the commemoration medals QMII has bestowed upon then, not doing so would be an affront.
The other officers wear whatever orders QMII has bestowed upon them as well various grades of the Order of Dannebrog. - When you are colonel and above that order is pretty much guaranteed.
Apart from that they wear service medals, most will have been serving for 25+ years.
They will also wear medals for various postings, foreign NATO medals and so on.
As most of them will have been deployed several times abroad they will also wear the medals granted in connection with whatever deployment they have been at.
A few may also wear the in the Danish military now pretty rare medal for fallen and wounded. Most wounded officers are invalided out and as such don't rise so high. I doubt any of them wear one of the two medals for valor, they are pretty hard to get!
But the UN medal for UN peacekeeping is almost certain.
A few may wear a red cross medal for humanitarian work.
Skill badges are not worn with a gala uniform.
In the photos, Frederik being a major general is flanked by two other major generals.
Mary wearing the medium star of a major, the first step as a staff officer, is flanked by additional two major generals.
The most interesting person is sitting a little further to the left of Mary. A brigadier wearing a mess uniform (as such he is wearing jumpwings and a unit badge). It was apparently optional whether you wanted to wear gala or the mess uniform.
