PRINCESS MARY’S A QUEEN IN WAITING
PRINCESS Mary is primed to take over as Queen of Denmark as she assumes an increasingly prominent role in the royal family.
The Tasmanian-born Crown Princess, who marks her 50th birthday on February 5, has long been groomed for her nation’s top job.
And almost two decades since she married Prince Frederik in a fairytale wedding in Copenhagen Cathedral, preparations are gathering pace.
Her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe, celebrated her golden jubilee on January 14.
The 81-year-old is one of the world’s longest-serving monarchs, along with British Queen Elizabeth II, who celebrates 70 years on the throne in 2022.
Royal watchers in Denmark say that the Crown Princess has become an even more important member of the royal family as Queen Margrethe ages.
The Australian princess has been able to overcome a finance scandal in recent years, where she and Prince Frederik were renting out a ski chalet in Verbier, Switzerland, for $14,000 a week on Airbnb.
Critics had questioned why they kept the chalet purchase secret for a decade and whether it could expose them to blackmail attempts.
And while there were no plans for an abdication, Princess Mary has already been appointed an official regent.
That allows her to step in for the Queen and perform royal duties if she is unable to attend for any reason.
Princess Mary battled coronavirus before Christmas – which forced the Denmark royal household to postpone plans for the Queen’s 50th anniversary celebrations.
“Because of the latest developments in the coronavirus situation and the recommendations of the health authorities, the Royal House of Denmark is postponing the major celebrations in connection with the 50th anniversary of HM The Queen’s accession to the throne,” a royal statement said.
“Her Majesty would still like to have a festive celebration in which the Danish people can take part and has therefore decided to move the majority of the arrangements planned for January to the late summer of 2022.”
The Queen’s traditional New Year’s Eve dinner, where Princess Mary has stunned in dazzling dresses for years, was also cancelled this year.
Princess Mary’s Covid-19 diagnosis, which was revealed roughly a week before Christmas, brought home the risk of the illness.
Denmark was one of the most jabbed countries in Europe, with up to 98 per cent of the population fully vaccinated.
But cases in December had jumped to more than 10,000 per day in the country of almost six million people.
Princess Mary spent her isolation in the Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, with no reports that any other members of the royal family were infected. Her son Prince Christian had tested positive for Covid-19 in December 2020, after catching the virus at school.
Princess Mary’s birthday plans were now also under a cloud.
The Danish Royal House had a string of events planned to mark her 50th year.
An exhibition, “Mary and the Crown Princesses”, was set to be held at Koldinghus Castle in Kolding, three hours’ drive west of Copenhagen.
Images of Princess Mary and her predecessors were to feature at the fairytale castle ruins, which have been restored and turned into a museum.
A personal exhibition dedicated to Princess Mary was also scheduled at the National History Museum at Frederiksborg Palace in Copenhagen.
The display was due to track Princess Mary’s life from Tasmania, to her chance meeting with Prince Frederik at the Sydney Olympics and then on to becoming one of the most prominent royals in Europe.
A gala banquet was booked for February 4 at the Rosenborg Palace in Copenhagen, which houses the crown jewels.
Queen Margrethe was due to host the dinner, with Denmark’s royal family and senior politicians expected to attend.
The disappointment of Princess Mary’s coronavirus diagnosis was tempered by the arrival of two new members of the royal household before Christmas.
“Here on the fourth Sunday in Advent, we would like to introduce two new residents at home. A little over six weeks ago, Grace (the family’s pet border collie) became the mother of two of the cutest puppies … to the great joy of us all. – The Crown Prince’s family,” a post on the family’s Instagram page revealed.
Princess Mary and Prince Frederik have four children, Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 14, and 10-yearold twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent.