Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson, Current Events 1: September 2002 - May 2004

[hrhcp]

Josefine 
Posted: Oct 1st, 2003 - 2:16 am

I wonder ... just looking at the picture of Mary .... there might be something to what Julia says.

Could it be said that there is some apprehension here (anxiety/fear of the unknown) ? ... certainly justified in a way.

Be interesting to see what time brings about ....

 

[Josefine]

www.billed-bladet.dk

Ni dages romantisk forlovelses-ferie sluttede i det sydlige Italien, hvor Mary og Frederik smilende kom BILLED-BLADET i møde.

–Vi har haft en dejlig ferie – og nu glæder vi os til at komme hjem til forlovelsen.
Kronprinsen og hans udkårne, Mary Donaldson, strålede som to små italienske sole, da de mødte BILLED-BLADET i Brindisi, havnebyen helt nede mod syd på Italiens hæl. Byen er mest kendt for sin massive tilstrømning af bådflygtninge fra Balkan, men i tirsdags fik lillebyen pludseligt og uventet kongeligt besøg. Her sluttede kronprinseparret deres diskrete ferie før forlovelsen.
Mary og Frederik vender hjem fra ni romantiske dage, solbrændte og sprængfyldt med energi.

the newest picture

 

[visitor]

One thing I notice about Mary, is that she has a normal look about her. In fact, I go as far to say that her future sister-in-law has more (of an exotic) beauty about her.

Mary - to me - just doesn't have that photogenic beauty, that screams for attention, that we have come to almost expect from the other CP's.

Alexandra is attractive, but there is something else about her that's very appealing. She looks warm, happy and friendly.

I agree with your assessment of Mary. She is average looking and doesn't have that charisma that catches attention. There is just nothing special about her, she's average. Maybe that's why so many posters don't like the idea of her as a crown princess.

 

[anna]

Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson attended a wedding saturday 4.october.

First photo of them holding hands !
http://www.bt.dk/royalt/artikel:aiid=222448:fid=100039779:img=0/

 

[Alexandria]

Thank you Anna for the link, here is the picture ... Can't see her ring though

DET ER SÅ YNDIGT...: Mary holdt godt fast på sin kommende forlovede, da de i går var til bryllup i Tikøb i Nordsjælland. Og de var blandt venner: Brudgommen Jørgen Skeel er Frederiks ven gennem mange år, og det var på hans gods i Nordjylland, at Mary oplevede sin første danske nytåraften. Foto: Jørgen Jessen

 

[Alexandria]

Originally posted by Julia@Oct 1st, 2003 - 10:28 pm
Perhaps that is something that Mary is not certain of? That she has Frederik's love? Perhaps he is in that "well, she's here I might as well marry her if I have to get married anyway..." mode. Just a thought.

Julia, I hope you are wrong about this, that Frederik isn't just marrying Mary because she's "there." I hope that he has chosen to marry for love because regardless of whatever obstacles Mary may be facing in the coming weeks and months, if she has Frederik's love (and is certain of it) then she will be able to make it through okay.

(Yes, I am one of those hopeless romantics who believes that love wil get you through anything. )

 

[thissal]

Originally posted by Alexandria@Oct 4th, 2003 - 8:36 pm
Julia, I hope you are wrong about this, that Frederik isn't just marrying Mary because she's "there." I hope that he has chosen to marry for love because regardless of whatever obstacles Mary may be facing in the coming weeks and months, if she has Frederik's love (and is certain of it) then she will be able to make it through okay.

Who knows for certain, but it kinda seems like Julia might be right. Frederik doesn't have that look of love. See that picture with his hands in his pockets a few posts above. What's he hiding? B)

The look of love is unmistakable from the husbands of the other 3 crown princesses M. Maybe if Mary would dye her hair blond, she might have more fun and appear to have more pizzazz and dazzle, uh oh, I mean charisma. Also a big toothy white sparkling smile does wonders for charisma. That could be taken care of by some aggressive orthodontic work, and there you'd have it -- a vibrant crown princess.

But, here's something else to consider. What does a princess do who can't win the heart of her crown prince? She woos the public maybe? The Danish people might be in for a real treat afterall.

 

[anna]

Originally posted by Alexandria@Oct 5th, 2003 - 4:50 am
Can't see her ring though 

They are not engaged yet.

I believe it has been their decision - not flaunt their emotions towards one another - in public - until now - when it is official that - their engagement will happen in a few days.

That's why (imo) - we have not seen photos of this couple beeing cosy in any way -_- until this wedding :flower:

BUT for those writing Crown Prince Frederik not showing signs of a man in love - imo you are so wrong - his general expression as well as his visible attitude in life - have changed so much from his pre-Mary days.

In some photos post-24.september - he actually looks ridiculously happy. :stuart:

 

[paulette]

Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson attend wedding at Tikoeb Church in northern Sealand, where Joergen Skeel, a good friend of Frederik, and Marie Louise Toft were married.





Tikoeb Church, Denmark - Crownprince Frederik and Mary Donaldson attended the wedding of Joergen Skeel, a good friend of Frederik, and Marie Louise Toft at Tikoeb Church in northern Sealand.

Tikoeb Church, Denmark - Crownprince Frederik and Mary Donaldson attended the wedding of Joergen Skeel, a good friend of Frederik, and Marie Louise Toft at Tikoeb Church in northern Sealand.

Tikoeb Church, Denmark - Crownprince Frederik and Mary Donaldson attended the wedding of Joergen Skeel, a good friend of Frederik, and Marie Louise Toft at Tikoeb Church in northern Sealand.

 

[sunlesstanning]

NIce pictures above. Fred is starting to smile more when he's next to her once the engagment has been out. He looks very happy.

Note: I like Mary's outfit and how she does her hair. Most of you might not. It's young and trendy. But I'm not sure if this is appropriate for the future crown princess to wear.

 

[Just C]

Does anybody else think the outfit makes her look pregnant? Obviously she's not, (that we know of) it's just the unflattering style of the outfit.
-C

 

[Alexandria]

Originally posted by Just C@Oct 5th, 2003 - 6:47 pm
Does anybody else think the outfit makes her look pregnant? Obviously she's not, (that we know of) it's just the unflattering style of the outfit.
-C

Maybe Mary will wear this outfit again when she is pregnant?

(Talk about a case of putting the pram before the wedding ... or is that engagement?! )

 

[hrhcp]

Alexandria 
Posted: Oct 4th, 2003 - 11:36 pm

.....Yes, I am one of those hopeless romantics who believes that love wil get you through anything.

I agree, Alexandria, that "love" will get one through, if and only IF their definition of what that word means is solid and understood at least 75% and preferably more by both parties. For me, love means "joyful acceptance" which is a definition accepted from a few reasoned ladies who walked their talk.

I have to agree with

anna 
Posted: Oct 5th, 2003 - 3:04 am

... not showing signs of a man in love - imo you are so wrong - his general expression as well as his visible attitude in life - have changed so much from his pre-Mary days.

In some photos post-24.september - he actually looks ridiculously happy.

I agree whole-heartedly. I think the CP is relieved its finally in the open.

I hope she gives the CP a lot of, what I think CP'ss Mathilde gives CP Philippe - a solid foundation, a beginning of a nucleus, support and so on. I think CP Philippe has become more assured, and it wouldn't surprise me if CP Frederik gets some quiet strength from Mary.

 

[Alexandria]

Originally posted by King Christian@Oct 6th, 2003 - 1:36 pm
I hope she gives the CP a lot of, what I think CP'ss Mathilde gives CP Philippe - a solid foundation, a beginning of a nucleus, support and so on. I think CP Philippe has become more assured, and it wouldn't surprise me if CP Frederik gets some quiet strength from Mary.

Very well said, King Christian, and I do agree with you that I hope Mary gives Frederik all these things that Mathilde has obviously provided for Phillippe.

And I hate to sound like a Mary-basher or someone who wishes her ill-will or to see her fail, but my impression of Mary isn't that she is the solid, quiet but strong type the way Mathilde is. Mathilde seems to be the kind of individual who is happy to let her husband bask in the limelight - even though clearly the press are more interested in her. She is happy to go about her royal duties and raise her two children.

Mary, on the other hand, seems to be the kind of individual who wants the limelight for herself. Whether she earns it (as Mathilde has quietly done with her devotion to her royal duties and impeccable poise) or "steals" it from her husband. I think Mary very much wants to be a star, to be recognized, to be photographed - but only when its convenient for her (i.e. when she is all made up and dressed in her finest).

Of course, as has been mentioned here, Mary has time to prove herself, to show that she is "worthy" of the respect and fan-following that Mathilde, Maxima, Alexandra and the like have generated. Maybe when she does become more sure of herself and her new position and Frederik's love for her, she will give Frederik all that Mathilde has given Phillippe.

 

[Alexandria]

www.ibl.se - Tiköb, Dänemark. 4. Oktober 2003. Crown Prince Frederik and his Mary Donaldson at the wedding of friends. For the first time holding hands in public. © Jörgen Hjort / Dana

www.ibl.se - Tiköb, Dänemark. 4. Oktober 2003. Crown Prince Frederik and his Mary Donaldson at the wedding of friends. For the first time holding hands in public. © Jörgen Hjort / Dana

www.ibl.se - Tiköb, Dänemark. 4. Oktober 2003. Crown Prince Frederik and his Mary Donaldson at the wedding of friends. For the first time holding hands in public. © Jörgen Hjort / Dana

 

[eternalstar]

Official: Mary To Marry Prince Frederik, Engagement of Mary to Frederik



Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik engaged

Associated Press

COPENHAGEN, Denmark — Crown Prince Frederik was engaged to Mary Donaldson, the first Australian-born woman to stand in line to become a European queen, the royal palace said Wednesday.

The couple will be wed May 14 in the capital, Copenhagen.

"Her Majesty and his royal highness Prince (Henrik) have the joy to announce that His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince has been engaged to Miss Mary Elizabeth Donaldson," the palace said in a statement.

At a state council meeting at Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen where the royal family lives, Queen Margrethe told the Danish government that her 35-year-old son and heir to the throne of Europe's oldest ruling monarchy would marry Donaldson, a 31-year-old from Hobart, Australia.

Under the Constitution, Denmark's popular 63-year-old monarch and the government must give their formal approval for Frederik to marry. Last month, Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen said his government supported the engagement.

The wedding will be performed by Copenhagen Bishop Svend Norman Svendsen and Royal Chaplain Christian Thodberg. It will take place at the Copenhagen's Lutheran cathedral, Our Lady's Church.

The couple met during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. The romance was kept secret for a year. In February 2002, the royal palace finally confirmed that Frederik was dating Donaldson, who worked in advertising, public relations and real estate companies in Australia.

In early 2002, Donaldson moved to Copenhagen and started taking private Danish language lessons. In recent months, she has been learning about the history of this Scandinavian country of 5.3 million.

Before Donaldson can marry Frederik, she must swap her dual citizenship in Australia and Britain to become a Danish citizen and join Denmark's Lutheran Evangelical Church.

Once married, Donaldson will become Crown Princess Mary. Margrethe repeatedly has said she has no plans to step down to let her son assume the throne.

Donaldson's parents, John Dalgleish and Henrietta Clark Donaldson, emigrated from Scotland to Australia in 1963 and became Australian citizens in 1975. Her mother died in 1997 and her father, a professor of mathematics who is currently lecturing at Oxford University in Britain, remarried in 2001 with Susan Moody, a British novelist.
****
Frederik and Mary appear for Danish fans PRINT FRIENDLY EMAIL STORY
AM - Thursday, 9 October , 2003 08:11:24
Reporter: Geoff Hutchison
LINDA MOTTRAM: The Royal stamp of approval has completed the formalities for the engagement of Denmark's 35 year old Crown Prince Frederik and 31 year old lawyer and ex-real estate agent from Tasmania, Mary Donaldson, and the pair have thrilled thousands with an appearance on the balcony of the Royal Palace in Copenhagen.

(music, cheers)

That's what it sounded like. The only apparent source of disappointment for the throng was the pair's refusal to seal it all with a kiss, very demure of them.

So now they can hurl themselves headlong into preparations for their wedding, scheduled for May the 14th at Copenhagen Cathedral.

After the whirl on the balcony, the Crown Prince and Ms Donaldson, spoke to our Europe correspondent Geoff Hutchison, about how it felt to appear before the adoring crowd.

MARY DONALDSON: Actually a reasonably calm feeling, to look out on all those people standing there, yelling and cheering, it felt a little bit that it wasn't about me or us, but of course it was. It was overwhelming.

PRINCE FREDERIK: Totally.

MARY DONALDSON: But the warmth that came from the people was very appreciated.

GEOFF HUTCHISON: Frederik, I am sure you have grown up with this expectation and some understanding of it and the media like to refer to these things as fairy tales which I'm sure, as the people involved, you know that that's not the case.

How far from a fairy tale does it seem?

PRINCE FREDERIK: (laughs) That's a good call, though. I think for me having grown up, first of all with all this happening around me, has been, of course has turned my awareness to this part of my life, the role that I'm taking up, will be taking up later on, I'd have definitely started up earlier.

But I think it's also having a sort of an approach to it which is very subjective and sort of straightforward in a sense and I think to me that has meant that personally, it's not always a fairy tale and it is not a fairy tale in that sense.

MARY DONALDSON: Because it feels so natural to you, so...

PRINCE FREDERIK: Because it is, in the course of the years.

(both laugh)

MARY DONALDSON: I just put my foot in it.

GEOFF HUTCHISON: It looks natural to you. Today, you looked very much that that was the right place to be, but I wonder what was churning inside?

MARY DONALDSON: I've been very lucky to have had such strong support from Frederik and his family and of course my own family and all friends that make you feel a bit more comfortable and one can only go out and try.

But this is where my destiny's taken me and to do what feels natural in that situation.

GEOFF HUTCHISON: Frederik spoke of being subjective and you today in the press conference used words like evolution and journey and that sounds like someone being really quite philosophical about what this whole thing is because it's a pretty big thing to grasp I imagine.

MARY DONALDSON: Yes it is. Talking about words like journey and evolution I am trying to express that this is the beginning and there's so much I have to learn and to experience and time is needed to move forward and to take up the role as is required and that fits myself.

GEOFF HUTCHISON: What scares you about becoming the Queen of Denmark?

MARY DONALDSON: I can't say there's one thing in particular that scares me. Life is full of challenges and you take each one as it comes and at this moment I don't have a specific fear of that because I'm not at that point where I have to deal with that fear.

GEOFF HUTCHISON: Did you know then what you know now about the enormity of this undertaking?

MARY DONALDSON: When is then, when I first met...?

GEOFF HUTCHISON: Perhaps not the first half hour of when you first met Frederik, but soon after, maybe even when you first came to Copenhagen?

MARY DONALDSON: I think both of our natures are to take things in our stride, to have each day as it comes and that's perhaps helped me in getting to this point without becoming so anxious and so frustrated, not frustrated, but so over awed by the whole situation.

GEOFF HUTCHISON: Now can we just touch briefly on this fellow you're marrying. He might be young and handsome and a prince, but what do you see in him?

MARY DONALDSON: There's many things that I see in him. We have a great connection of the minds, we like many of the same things, we have many of the same interests. We're both into sport and nature, we're both people that like to learn new things, to travel. He's charming and he has a humorous side and a very kind heart.

LINDA MOTTRAM: Denmark's Crown Princess to be, Mary Donaldson, and her future husband, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, speaking to Europe Correspondent, Geoff Hutchison.
***
Australian queen-to-be welcomed by Danes
By Julian Isherwood in Copenhagen
(Filed: 09/10/2003)


The Danish royal court presented the country's next queen - an Australian - to the public yesterday after Queen Margrethe II officially sanctioned the engagement of Crown Prince Frederik to Mary Donaldson.


Mary Donaldson, Crown Prince Frederik and Queen Margrethe II greet the public in Copenhagen
The announcement ended two years of speculation. Prince Frederik, 35, and Miss Donaldson, 31, met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics but kept their romance secret until the following year.

Thousands of Danes, waving Danish and Australian flags, packed the forecourt of the Amalienborg palace in Copenhagen as the couple appeared on a balcony after a privy council meeting at which the queen announced that she had accepted the forthcoming marriage.

The crowd cheered as the prince kissed Miss Donaldson's hand. The couple then retreated to the strains of Australian shanties played by the Royal Lifeguards. The wedding will be in May.
***
Tassie Danes toast happy couple
By Anne Barbeliuk
October 9, 2003

TASMANIA'S Danish community celebrated in Hobart last night, crying "skol" as they toasted their new Princess Mary.


Mary Donaldson and Prince Frederik celebrated their engagement at a royal gala / AFP Photo


The Scandinavian Association held a special dinner at the Migrant Resource Centre where they were to watch a live cross of the engagement announcement on Danish television.

Erik Madsen, who arrived in Tasmania from Denmark 35 years ago, said he was delighted with the engagement.

"It's the greatest thing since sliced bread that a Tasmanian girl has tamed the Danish Crown Prince," Mr Madsen said.

Fellow Dane Kenneth Hansen, who arrived only three months ago, said he understood Prince Frederik's attraction to Mary.

"I have an Australian wife and I can recommend them," he said.

The crowd of 30 Scandinavians - including eight Danes - was shown live in Denmark.

Danish television journalist Jesper Nilausen interviewed the crowd and broadcast live crosses back to TV2 Denmark.

"People in Denmark are very excited and interested in what is going on in Mary's home state," he said.

The centre was adorned with Danish flags and the words: TILLYKKE (Congratulations) Frederik og Mary. Inge-Lise Goyne, who migrated from Denmark in 1968, said it was wonderful the highly anticipated event had finally become a reality.

"It's been going on for a long time - three years," she said.

"We all knew that eventually it would happen."

Meanwhile Mary's two sisters in Hobart, Jane Stephens and Trish Woods, were keeping abreast of news but holding off on celebrations until the family was all together.

Older sister Jane Stephens, from West Hobart, said she had been talking with Mary and knew she was looking forward to the announcement.

"She is very excited about today," she said.

"This is her first official public appearance."

Mrs Stephens said she knew Mary had been practising for her part of the proceedings.

Hobart's John Cogan, who was Consul-General for Denmark in Tasmania for 40 years, said yesterday he had been "on tenterhooks" waiting for the announcement.

He said all of Denmark was in a frenzy over the couple.

"In Denmark everyone has a flag pole and flies their flags on special occasions such as these," he said.

"(Today) Denmark will be a sea of red and white."

The Mercury
***
Aussie princess's first royal wave
By Vanda Carson
October 9, 2003

AS the clock struck 12, the princess-to-be stepped on to the palace balcony to the cheers of the Danish people.


Mary waves to the crowd with her fiance, Denmark's Prince Frederik.


Like something from a childhood fairytale, former Australian real estate agent Mary Donaldson was greeted last night by an estimated 10,000 Danes when she became officially engaged to her long-time boyfriend, Danish Crown Prince Frederik.

Waving Australian flags, the Danes flocked to the spectacular 18th Century Amalienborg Palace Square in central Copenhagen to congratulate the couple on their wedding, which will take place on Friday May 14 next year.

The couple were joined on the palace balcony by Ms Donaldson's father, Tasmanian academic John, and stepmother Susan Moody as well as Queen Margrethe, 63, and Frederik's father, Henrik, 69.

The engagement means Ms Donaldson, who has so far been unable to attend official events with the prince, has become a part of the royal family and all the privileges it enjoys.

However, she will remain Mary Donaldson, and not Crown Princess Mary, until the wedding in the Cathedral of Copenhagen, Our Lady's Church.

She will also have to convert to the Lutheran faith from the Presbyterian church and relinquish her British and Australian citizenship.

The couple appeared shortly after the Queen gave the union her official consent in the Danish State Council, or parliament.

Under the constitution, the Queen and government must give their approval for Frederik, who receives an annual tax-free stipend of Dkr4.3 million ($990,000), to wed.

Ms Donaldson, 31, and the Crown Prince, 35, were expected to speak at a press conference late last night at Fredensborg Palace, the Prince's summer home 35km north of Copenhagen. More than 300 international media were expected to attend.

According to court chamberlain Per Thornit, it was to be held in Danish, for which Ms Donaldson has undergone intensive language instruction with two private tutors.

The pair were then expected to take part in a formal family photograph before a dinner with Ms Donaldson's parents and government representatives from Denmark, Greenland and the remote Faroe Islands as well as the head of the Danish Supreme Court.

The Australian
***
Mary 'excited' over engagement
By Paul Mulvey
October 9, 2003

AUSTRALIAN Mary Donaldson today described her excitement at finally being able to show her love for the Crown Prince of Denmark, after the engaged couple was officially introduced to the Danish public.


Mary Donaldson with her fiance, Danish Crown Prince Frederik / AP


Donaldson and Prince Frederik announced their engagement two weeks ago, and were given formal consent by Queen Margreth II, with the wedding set for May 14 next year.

After being introduced to a cheering crowd of 10,000 at Amalienborg Square in Copenhagen earlier in the day, Donaldson gave her first press conference after having lived a private life in the capital for the past two years.

"It's fantastic to be able to be open about it," she said.

"It's exciting, it's many things," she said, adding her future husband made her "happy and glad".

Donaldson said she was overwhelmed by the reception she received on the balcony of Christian IX's palace at Amalienborg Square, especially the sea of Australian flags waved by the crowd.

"It was, wow!" she said.

"The sight looking out from the balcony was exciting. It was beautiful to see so many Australian flags. "It was a nice feeling. It was a beautiful experience."

Donaldson said she understood she was embarking on a lifetime job in the public eye in a foreign country, and was bracing herself for the experience.

"It's a new role. It is something that will evolve over time, and I have much to learn," she said.

Prince Frederik described the day as day zero.

"From today starts something new and fantastic," he said.

"I'm so glad and happy, and today I feel like telling everybody how happy I am."

Donaldson passed her first test in front of 200 Danish and international journalists, impressing them with her poise and ability to speak the language.

AAP
***
Our queen must be nice, discreet - and fertile
October 9, 2003

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Mary Donaldson's first job as Denmark's newest princess will be to produce a half-Australian heir to one of the oldest monarchies in the world, royal watchers say.

Ms Donaldson, the first Australian to become a European queen, has already won a place in Danish hearts by barely saying a word.

To stay there she must be a diligent member of a scandal-free royal family universally loved by the Danes.

According to Trine Larsen, royal reporter for Denmark's biggest selling tabloid newspaper Ekstra Bladet, Ms Donaldson must speak Danish fluently without an Australian accent, she must show she loves Frederik and is not a gold digger, and she must be "nice, discreet and not a big spender".

She has to live up to Frederik's sister-in-law, Princess Alexandra, who "hasn't put a foot wrong" since the Hong Kong-born half Chinese came to Denmark to marry Prince Joachim eight years ago.

But, "first off, her most important job is to have children", Larsen said.


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"We have one of the oldest monarchies in the world and we want it to keep going."

Ms Donaldson, 31, has already had fertility tests to ensure she can have children and has signed an agreement that in the event of a divorce, Frederik retains custody of all children, who will remain in Denmark.

She will also have to give up her Australian citizenship.

In return, the Danes have welcomed her warmly.

But can a woman who grew up in suburban Taroona in Hobart, worked in Sydney, met a prince in a pub and then moved to Copenhagen, live up to Denmark's high expectations of its monarchy?

"That is the key question, because none of us know her," Larsen said.

"Up to now, we have never seen her in person; she has said hardly a word in the two years she has lived here.

"But the prince is so beloved he could come up with anyone and people would accept her. The people of Denmark say if he is in love with her, that's all right."

AAP
***
Denmark welcomes Mary to the clan
By Paul Mulvey
Copenhagen
October 9, 2003

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Crown Prince Frederik kisses the hand of Mary Donaldson after the official announcement.
Picture: AFP

Mary Donaldson's new tribe hardly even knows her but Denmark showed yesterday it had already passionately embraced the Australian commoner who will one day be its queen.

After the Danish royal palace officially announced that Ms Donaldson, 31, would marry Crown Prince Frederik, 35, on May 14 next year in Copenhagen, 10,000 Danes gave her an enormous reception when the couple appeared on the balcony of Christian IX's Palace.

Amalienborg Square below was a blanket of Danish and Australian flags. The couple returned to the balcony for three encores amid chants of "Mary, Mary" and "We want to see a kiss". But there was to be no balcony kiss. The closest they got was a peck on her hand from Prince Frederik.

Ms Donaldson's father John and stepmother Susan Moody appeared on the balcony with the couple after Queen Margrethe II formally informed the Danish parliament of her consent to the engagement between the commoner from Hobart and her eldest son, the heir to Denmark's 1000-year-old crown - Europe's oldest ruling monarchy.


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Ms Donaldson is the first Australian to stand in line to become a European queen. The palace said she would convert to the Danish Lutheran Church from the Presbyterian Church and replace her Australian and British citizenships with a Danish passport.

It was the biggest royal occasion in Denmark since Queen Margrethe's coronation 30 years ago.

One shop alone sold 12,000 Australian flags, tribute cakes were baked and restaurants served Australian dishes.

The country's two national television stations had live coverage of the day's formalities from 9am until early evening, including crosses to Hobart and Sydney.

In the afternoon, Denmark's 5.4 million residents heard their future queen speak for the first time when she made an official statement in Danish.

But can a woman from suburban Taroona in Hobart, who met a prince in a pub during the Sydney Olympics then moved into his Copenhagen apartment two years ago live up to the Danes' expectations?

"That is the key question, because none of us knows her," says Trine Larsen, a veteran royal reporter on tabloid newspaper Ekstra Bladet.

"But he's so beloved, he could come up with anyone and people would accept her. The people of Denmark say if he is in love with her, that's all right."

Per Thornit, the Lord Chancellor and a close adviser to Prince Frederik, has been giving Ms Donaldson lessons in Danish culture, history and the language. "It is very important to learn the language. A British ambassador once said: 'The Danes aren't a people, they are a tribe. If you don't know the language, you don't know the tribe and you don't belong'."

But Beatrice Van Hauen, who planted Australian flags in pots outside her Copenhagen bakery, summed up the popular opinion: "She's a wonderful girl. I think it's fantastic love has been able to triumph. She's a bright person, she's intelligent, she's perfect."

- agencies

***
Mary's first day

By Paul Mulvey

October 9, 2003

COPENHAGEN: Mary Donaldson wanted to be a vet. But while not all dreams come true, Donaldson has proved fairytales certainly do.


In the land where Hans Christian Andersen created some of the world's most loved fables, the commoner from Hobart today stepped gracefully on to a palace balcony as Denmark's princess in waiting and its future queen.

Donaldson will become Crown Princess Mary on May 14 next year, when she marries the heir to the Danish throne, Crown Prince Frederik.


Her childhood dreams had never involved marrying a prince and living in a castle, even after, as a nine-year-old, she had sat glued to the television watching Diana Spencer wed Prince Charles in 1981.


"My biggest memory is of her walking up the red carpet with a very, very long train," Donaldson, 31, said of Diana.


"But I cannot recall wishing that one day I would be a princess. I wished I would be a vet."


Donaldson, who grew up to qualify as a lawyer, has been given an overwhelmingly warm welcome by the royal-loving Danes.


But she and Prince Frederik both accept that being the next in line in a royal family which dates back to Viking ruler Gorm the Old, who died in 958 (958), is not going to be easy.


"Today is the first day of my new role, it is something that will evolve over time and I have much to learn and experience," Donaldson said after Queen Margrethe II gave official approval to her engagement.


Prince Frederik described the day as "day zero".


"From today starts something new and fantastic," he said.


After a rousing reception from thousands of adoring Danes in Copenhagen's Amalienborg Square, Donaldson stylishly passed her first test at a press conference for 200 local and international media, where she spoke in Danish and English.


She met the press in the Garden Room of Fredensborg Palace, north of Copenhagen on the road to Elsinore, the old home of another Danish prince, Shakespeare's Hamlet.


"She was nervous but sparkling," said one veteran Danish royal reporter.


It was the first time Donaldson had spoken in public since her arrival in Copenhagen two years ago, which sparked rumours of a royal wedding.


She admitted to feeling nervous, but grew in confidence as the press conference went on, cracking jokes in good, but not fluent, Danish and establishing a relaxed and gracious rapport with the press.


She spoke of meeting Frederik in Sydney's Slip Inn pub during the 2000 Olympics.


"The first time we met, we shook hands, I didn't know he was the Prince of Denmark," Donaldson said.


"Half an hour later someone came up to me and said 'Do you know who these people are?' and then we found out."


Three years on, she will have to give up her Australian citizenship and will join Denmark's Lutheran Evangelical Church.


But she said she would always have emotional ties to Australia and was determined never to lose touch with home.


"Regular trips," she butted in as her fiance hesitated when asked whether they would visit Australia.


She thanked her two sisters, brother, father John Donaldson and stepmother Susan Moody for helping her remain discreet in the two years of escalating rumour, and for helping keep her feet on the ground.


"They are excited and first of all, they are happy for us both. But they are a little worried about what's going on.


"My family has always said if you will be happy, you must go with that.


"My friends also said how well we were together and believed it was the right choice.


"It was a dare but Frederik once wrote to me 'to dare was to lose one step for but a moment, not to dare was to lose oneself forever'."


The pair were clearly delighted she had taken the dare.


"It's hard to put words on something this lovely," Frederik said of his bride-to-be.


"I'm so glad and happy, and today I feel like telling everybody how happy I am."


Donaldson said she was attracted by "his intelligence and his kindness and he's quite funny as well".


"We have a connection of the minds.


"He's charming, he's courageous. He is a person who, to be with, makes me happy and glad."


All of Denmark was also rejoicing.

AAP
***
When Fred met Mary
By Jacquelin Magnay
September 25, 2003

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Mary Donaldson with Prince Frederik. Photo: AFP

Related:
Australian royalty


She was the Sydney real estate agent who admired the hairless chest of the flamboyant Crown Prince of Denmark during the second night of the Sydney Olympic Games.

Now three years on, the much anticipated wedding of Mary Donaldson, 31, and Prince Frederik, 36, has been announced by Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

The royal wedding, attended by European royals and heads of state, will probably take place in April or May next year. Last night Queen Margrethe announced from Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen she had "accepted the wedding" and would announce the engagement to the Danish Parliament for approval on October 7 when it reconvenes from the summer break.

Tasmanian-born Ms Donaldson left her Bondi Junction flat and her job to immerse herself in Danish culture and learn the Danish language 12 months after meeting Prince Frederik at the Slip Inn Hotel in Sussex Street.

One of her flatmates had asked her along to meet a couple of friends. The friends turned out to be Prince Frederik and his cousin, the Prince of Greece, whose hairy chest she compared unfavourably with that of Prince Frederik.


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For a time Ms Donaldson lived in a royal residence close to the palace and worked at a computer company. She will marry into the Royal House of Schlewsig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glucksburg, which was founded in 1088 and has reigned in Denmark since the 15th century.

The Queen's announcement was received warmly, although Ms Donaldson is seen as a mystery woman because she has not spoken publicly or given any interviews.

Earlier in the European summer, Queen Margrethe acknowledged Ms Donaldson for the first time, saying she was certain she was going to have a nice daughter-in-law.

Ms Donaldson was seen with Prince Frederik at the Melbourne spring racing carnival last year.

He is much loved in his homeland and admired for his role as a diver and commander in the Royal Danish Navy as much as for diving naked into a swimming pool from the upper levels of one of his summer palaces in France.

His achievements are impressive - he is a commissioner of the Danish Red Cross, works for the Danish mission to the United Nations, and serves as a secretary at the Danish embassy in Paris.

He has a masters degree in political science.

 

[hrhcp]

imo Mary looks better when she has a light tan.

 

[paulette]

CELEBRATORY STATE GALA

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and his Australian fiancée Mary Donaldson have celebrated their engagement with a state dinner.

The couple were joined by both sets of parents for a banquet in the Royal Palace of Fredensborg, which was attended by the country's top politicians and dignitaries. And the bride-to-be impressed waiting journalists by answering their questions in Danish.

Earlier in the day the couple made their first public appearance together at Amalienberg Square in Copenhagen. Afterwards, the future princess admitted to being a little overwhelmed by the huge crowd who turned out to show their approval.

"Wow!" said the 31-year-old. "The sight looking out from the balcony was exciting. It was beautiful to see so many Australian flags. It was a nice feeling, a beautiful experience." And her handsome prince seemed equally delighted by the reception. "From today starts something new and fantastic," he said. "I'm so glad and happy, and today I feel like telling everybody how happy I am."

By getting engaged to Prince Frederik, Mary has become the first ever Australian to stand in line to become a European queen. The couple will be married at Copenhagen Cathedral on May 14, 2004.

 

[paulette]

THE BETROTHAL

As he gently kissed her hand in front of a crowd of 50,000 of his future subjects on Wednesday morning, there was no doubt that Crown Prince Frederik is very much a man in love.

The tender gesture came as the 35-year-old prince and his bride-to-be, Mary Donaldson, 31, greeted the Danish people from the balcony of the royal palace in Copenhagen. They were joined by Queen Margrethe and Prince Consort Henrik after the Danish monarch had officially given her consent to their union in parliament.

The wedding is to be celebrated at Copenhagen Cathedral on May 14 the palace announced. Marriage to Frederik will mean that Mary will one day become queen of Denmark.

It was Hobart-born Mary's first official engagement since she moved to Copenhagen two years ago. She and Prince Frederik met during the Sydney Olympics in 2000, and a year later she quit her job with a real estate company to be closer to the prince. Since then she has worked for a Danish computer company.

 

[paulette]

FREDERIK

Frederik Andre Henrik Christian was born in Copenhagen on May 26, 1968. The elder son of Princess Margrethe of Denmark and Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, he became crown prince at the age of three when his grandfather, King Frederik IX died.

At 18, he was given a seat in the Council of State and so was able to assume the duties of Head of State when the Queen was abroad.The same year, the prince started the first of two stints in the military, and in 1989 he became the first Danish royal to study for an academic degree. As part of a Political Science and Constitutional Law course, he spent a year at Harvard University.

Frederik returned to military service after graduation, then took up a diplomatic posting at the Danish Embassy in Paris in the late 1990s. The sporty prince is known to be crazy about cars, and it is not unusual for him to be seen out in central Copenhagen, enjoying a drink on a terrace or dancing at a nightclub

 

[paulette]

MARY

Mary was born in Hobart, Australia, on February 4, 1972. One of four children, she grew up in the waterfront town of Taroona and was educated at Hobart College. Her childhood years were marked by the early death of her mother – her father John Donaldson now lives in Britain with his second wife, crime writer Susan Moody.

After graduating from the University of Tasmania, where she studied law, Mary worked in various marketing and advertising jobs. A striking and high achieving young woman who enjoys sport and takes an active interest in fashion, she ran into Prince Frederik during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

During their transcontinental courtship, Mary has combined discretion with determination, losing five kilos and taking deportment and Danish classes to deflect any hint of criticism from her prince charming's choice of partner. Danes and Australians alike are watching with interest to see if her background and character will withstand the pressures of marrying into a 1,000-year-old royal dynasty.

 

[paulette]

THE ROMANCE

The romance began with a simple get-together of friends. During the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, a girl called Beatrice Tarnawski arranged to meet the king of Spain's nephew, Bruno Gómez-Acebo, for an evening out. She invited her friend Andrew Miles and his flatmate at the time, Mary Donaldson.

In a surprise move Bruno brought along his friends – a group of European royals who included Frederik. The party went to the Slip Inn for a cosy dinner, where Frederik ate pizza and drank beer. At first it seemed as though Mary preferred his cousin, Prince Nikolaus of Greece, but when the group moved on for drinks, she got chatting to Frederik and the sparks began to fly.

Frederik returned to Sydney a few months later to spend Valentine's Day with Mary, and the pair embarked on a secret romance that encompassed trips to Tasmania, where Mary's sisters live, and far flung parts of Australia and Denmark. By 2003, their involvement was attracting attention, and on October 8, their engagement was officially announced.

 

[hrhcp]

Nice posts and very nice pictures, paulette.

Maybe you can get it edited, so it reads that they will be married in 2004, otherwise it could be 2005 or 2006 that it might be put off to?

 

[paulette]

CHALLENGES OVERCOME

Mary won't just be marrying the man of her dreams but an institution, and one that goes back 1,000 years. On top of that, as the crown prince's wife, she will eventually be stepping into the shoes of a hugely popular monarch and highly accomplished woman – Frederik's mother, Queen Margrethe.

But Mary has not been slow to respond to the challenges. She left her home, friends and work and moved to Denmark, where she took up a job with a software company, so as to be close to Frederik. She was equally swift to drop that job as soon as her engagement was made known – "There cannot be the slightest hint of undue influence in business dealings now that she is to be queen," explained one royal observer. "From now on, she is a royal."

And apart from the emotional challenges, there is the practical one of language. Mary has been assiduously learning Danish, and the country was eagerly awaiting October 8, the day of the official engagement announcement, to hear how she speaks her betrothed's difficult native tongue.

 

[paulette]

THE IMPLICATIONS

As well as the immediate radical changes to her life, Mary has had to give serious thought to the implications of her decision to become queen of a foreign country. She has had to undergo security and fertility checks, change her religion, and sign a pre-nuptial agreement in order to obtain the Danish government's permission for the marriage.

The terms stipulate that, in the event of divorce, she would forfeit all her rights to custody of her children. She would also be forbidden from taking any of the Danish crown jewels or works of art out of the country.

In addition to learning Danish, Mary will also be required to embark on a course of intensive study to familiarise her with Danish history and social sciences. "She will be taken on extensive visits to all the major Danish insitutions," says Per Thornit, the Lord Chancellor, who helped Frederik's foreign-born sister-in-law Princess Alexandra acclimatise to life in Denmark's royal family. "These will be work visits to educate Mary.".

 

[paulette]

MARRIED LIFE

After much speculation, the date is out – Frederik and Mary will marry on May 14, 2004, in Copenhagen. It will be the first wedding of a crown prince since 1935, when Frederik's grandfather, Frederik IX, wed Princess Ingrid of Sweden.

Once the historical event is over, the crown prince will be moving out of Amalienborg Palace, where he has lived until now, and into Fredensborg Palace, which has been undergoing extensive refurbishment.

Located on Lake Esrum, north of Copenhagen, and boasting the largest gardens in Denmark, the palace is the focal point for royal family events, and is also where visiting heads of state are received. Until now, Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik have spent several months of the year there.

 

[hrhcp]

paulette  Posted: Oct 12th, 2003 - 1:14 am

... It will be the first wedding of a crown prince since 1935, when Frederik's grandfather, Frederik IX, wed Princess Ingrid of Sweden.

.... Fredensborg Palace ... is also where visiting heads of state are received.

Very interesting articles, paulette. Please keep it up, I am learning far more than I would have believed possible.

Also .... where "visiting heads of state" will be received after Frederik moves in ?

 

[Alexandria]

From the Scandinavian Royals message board and http://sixtyminutes.ninemsn.com.au

Transcript: Princess Bride
October 12, 2003
Reporter: Tara Brown
Producer: Kathryn Bonella

INTRO — PETER OVERTON: With a story like this, it's hard to avoid the phrase "fairytale romance". After all, it is set in the land of Hans Christian Andersen, and then there's the plot: the handsome prince and the commoner. They meet by accident, fall in love and the next thing you know, Mary Donaldson from Tasmania is engaged to marry the future king of Denmark. What's more, his loyal subjects are wild about her, this unassuming Australian they've adopted as their own. But what's she really like? Well, Tara Brown was invited to the palace for a private audience with this very private royal-bride-to-be.

STORY — TARA BROWN: It's truly an extraordinary moment in a young woman's life. The commoner from down under and the Crown Prince on their way to becoming the next king and queen of Denmark.

MARY DONALDSON: It was, wow! Um, the sight looking out over the balcony was extremely beautiful, the mix of Danish and Australian flags was a very nice feeling.

TARA BROWN: What do you think of an Australian girl stealing the heart of Denmark's Crown Prince?

YOUNG WOMAN 1: I think it's okay.

YOUNG WOMAN 2: It's okay.

YOUNG WOMAN 1: We wouldn't have a chance anyway.

YOUNG WOMAN 2: We're kind of disappointed that it's not us, but yeah, it's okay.

YOUNG WOMAN 1: We have to live with it.

TARA BROWN: The Danes simply can't get enough of Mary Donaldson and her handsome Prince Frederik. Thousands of people turned out to celebrate their engagement before they were taken away to meet the media for the first time.

MARY DONALDSON: He's one of those people to be around, makes you happy and glad. His intelligence and his kindness and he's quite funny as well.

TARA BROWN: This unlikely love story started three years ago. The dashing prince was in Sydney for the Olympics, the young real estate agent was swept off her feet.

MARY DONALDSON: The first time that we met, or shook hands, I did not know he was the Crown Prince of Denmark. It was perhaps half an hour or so later that someone came up to me and said, "Do you know who these people are?" I was like, "No," and then we found out.

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK: Because I wasn't the only crown prince in that crowd that evening.

TARA BROWN: A chance encounter perhaps, but three years later, they're clearly in love. And sitting down with us, we found two people already behaving like a married couple. But let's not forget who they are.

Has it sunk in yet that you will be the next Queen of Denmark?

MARY DONALDSON: Not completely, no. As I've said a few times today, today is the first day that I really begin in this role, and how I move into that role will evolve.

TARA BROWN: Because you are marrying into what is considered the perfect royal family. How much pressure is there to be the perfect princess?

MARY DONALDSON: I think people … the perfect princess, what is the perfect princess? I don't know. It's a very subjective thing first and foremost. But all I can say is that I will fulfil the role in a way that is particular to me and that all I can do is work hard and do my best and for some that will be good enough and for some it won't.

TARA BROWN: Bring a bit of Aussie flavour to it?

MARY DONALDSON: A little Aussie twist.

TARA BROWN: This is the young Mary's playground, Sandy Bay, one of the more beautiful suburbs of Hobart, but without a doubt still a world away from Denmark. The girl who would grow up to be a princess and one day queen went to the local infants school here and, like any other regular teenager, the state high school.

SCHOOLBOY: Wouldn't it be funny if you were Prince Charming and you married Mary?

TARA BROWN: Here at her old infants school, busy fingers are hard at work. They're making a good luck card for us to give to the young princess-to-be, along with an enlightened question.

SCHOOLGIRL: Did the boy ask the girl to marry her or did the girl ask the boy to marry her, or what happened?

TARA BROWN: I bring you a card today from the children of Sandy Bay Infants School and this is you in the middle here.

MARY DONALDSON: Is it?

TARA BROWN: Yes.

MARY DONALDSON: Oh, that is so sweet.

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK: It's got little things you can open.

TARA BROWN: The children were intrigued to know who proposed. I promised them I'd ask you.

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK: Well, in the...

MARY DONALDSON: ...traditional way.

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK: The traditional way is the man has to do that, and as I sort of insinuated a bit in the big conference, it didn't vary much from the traditional way of...

TARA BROWN: Was it romantic?

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK: Yes, it definitely was.

TARA BROWN: Prince Frederik is known in Denmark as the "turbo prince" for his fast life and flashy girlfriends.

LOTTE FREDDIE: Everybody's been wondering who it was going to be, because he's been around.

TARA BROWN: Lotte Freddie is a columnist in Copenhagen.

LOTTE FREDDIE: He's extremely popular. He's like a rock star in Denmark. I think it's the first time ever there's been a royal person that has captured the hearts of all the young girls, you know. Ah, they think he's so great.

REPORTER: How was your prince doing today, Mary?

MARY DONALDSON: Not as well as the other day. Excuse me.

TARA BROWN: Frederik has chosen a bride whose discretion has endeared her to the royal family. The kiss in January this year, the first public confirmation they were a couple after two years of courting.

LOTTE FREDDIE: The thing is, people don't know what she's like, really, except that she looks nice and she behaves well and she's quite lovely and obviously she must be nice since the Crown Prince picked her.

TARA BROWN: Many people ask, how did you steal the heart of the most eligible bachelor in the world?

MARY DONALDSON: That's a question for...

TARA BROWN: How did she do it?

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK: I must say my first visit to Australia was two days long and that's where we sort of...

MARY DONALDSON: First met.

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK: ...first met, and I think it's one of those where we just slowly, a relationship where we just slowly got closer and closer to each other despite the geographical distance and there was just some good sort of vibe or...

MARY DONALDSON: Good connection.

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK: Good connection, and fun and happiness, and slowly but surely, love as well came into it.

TARA BROWN: So has the girl from Tasmania tamed the Turbo Prince?

CROWN PRINCE FREDERIK: In a certain way, yes.

TARA BROWN: I know he's a prince and all, but how did he steal your heart?

MARY DONALDSON: Pretty much the same as he said. We first met and from the very first moment that we started talking, we never really stopped talking and that was also part of our geographical distance. Everything was through words and so we really established a really strong relationship to begin with.

TARA BROWN: Nowhere is their romance more fitting than Denmark, the land of fairytales, thanks to Hans Christian Andersen and the oldest monarchy in the world. To enter it easily, Mary must impress this fiercely loyal nation that she wants to be Danish.

LOTTE FREDDIE: She obviously has to speak Danish and the poor thing, it's a terrible language to learn, and so people are … all of them are going to sit there and listen to how she's going to sound.

TARA BROWN: Mary, I felt for you today when you were sitting in that press conference. How nervous were you, knowing that the nation was watching you to see how well you spoke Danish?

MARY DONALDSON: That was definitely a big nerve factor, yes. But the people around me said, being today obviously, perhaps the worst Danish I speak, it's hard to understand what people are saying when there's so much going on. But I felt that what was important today was for me to first of all express a bit about the person I am and my Danish is not strong enough to do that. So my strategy was to answer what I could and then be more myself in English, rather than clumsily finding my way in Danish.

TARA BROWN: The morning after her big day and Mary has certainly been given the thumbs up by this country's media. On the front page of some of the newspapers: "Saved by Mary." And this one: "Thank you, my darling," but also, "Mary, you're born to it," and then the most important test of all, her Danish skills. Well, this newspaper has given her 10 out of 10. In this country, Mary can do no wrong. And when he and Mary marry, where will they live?

MARETHE WILKENSCHILDT: They will live here, in this palace.

TARA BROWN: Merethe Wilkenschildt is an author and journalist who has been on Denmark's royal beat for the last 20 years.

What is the greatest expectation of Mary now?

MARETHE WILKENSCHILDT: That she produces an heir and, you know, it's awful to say, and I almost feel ashamed when I say it, but that is the fact. That's the whole idea with the monarchy. So there will be a big pressure on her to get pregnant. And hopefully she will. The Crown Prince has said many times that he wants a lot of children.

TARA BROWN: Now I know you two aren't even married yet, but everyone's talking about children.

MARY DONALDSON: Yes, they were talking about our wedding well before then as well. There's an advancement! When? We have to wait and see.

TARA BROWN: But they're definitely planned?

MARY DONALDSON: Not planned, but they're definitely there, somewhere in the ether.

TARA BROWN: Do you feel like you're living a fairytale?

MARY DONALDSON: Today, yes, although it's sort of been such a gradual thing that it's hard to say that exactly, that I'm living a fairytale, because at times it's quite daunting and there's times that it's been, times months and months ago that it's been quite hard.

TARA BROWN: For the girl who claims she never wanted to grow up to be a princess...

MARY DONALDSON: I wished I would be a vet.

TARA BROWN: …Mary Donaldson seems born to handle the stresses and scrutiny of royal life, from princess bride to Queen Mary of Denmark.

MARY DONALDSON: To that I can say, of course, I will always have emotional ties to Australia. Australia forms part of my identity and who I am, but my future does lie in Denmark and I look very much forward to my future here. But Australia will never be forgotten to me and luckily, Frederik also loves Australia, so I'm sure we will have many happy times there.

 

[hrhcp]

Alexandria  Posted: Oct 13th, 2003 - 10:18 am

.... Australia will never be forgotten to me and luckily, Frederik also loves Australia, so I'm sure we will have many happy times there.

Hopefully the country is big enough, that there is still a few places where they can hide.
And by the way, any guesses where the honeymoon destination will be?

By the way,
WHERE is Mary living in Copenhagen I presume, NOW that she is the fiancee of the Crown Prince ???

 

[Alexandria]

Originally posted by King Christian@Oct 13th, 2003 - 9:24 pm
By the way,
WHERE is Mary living in Copenhagen I presume, NOW that she is the fiancee of the Crown Prince ???

You mean Frederik and Mary aren't living together?