Royal Profile: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark was born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson was born 5 February 1972 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia as the youngest daughter of John D. Donaldson and Henrietta C. H. Donaldson{Source}. She has three older siblings-two sisters and a brother{Source}:

1. Jane Donaldson
2. Patricia Donaldson
3. John Donaldson

As a girl, Mary was heavily involved in sports and other extracurricular activities both at school and elsewhere {Source}. She studied various instruments and played numerous sports{Source}..

The Crown Princess began her education in the United States where her father was working at the time. {Source} She attended several elementary schools including schools in the US and Tasmania. These schools included:

1. Clear Lake City Elementary School (Houston, TX, USA) (1974-1975) {Source}
2. Sandy Bay Infants School (Hobart, Tasmania) (1975-77){Source}
3. Waimea Heights Primary School (1978-1982){Source}
4. Taroona High School{1983-1986}{Source}
5. Hobart College (1986-1988){Source}
6. University of Tasmania (1989-1994) {Source}

The Future Queen of Denmark earned a combined degree in Commerce and Law (BCom, LLB) at the University of Tasmania {Source}.Between 1994 and 1996, Mary attended a graduate program and qualified with certificates in advertising from The Advertising Federation of Australia (AFA) and direct marketing from the Australian Direct Marketing Association (ADMA){Source}


She is fluent in many languages, including English, Danish and French{Source}. In 2002, she briefly taught English in Paris {Source}Other things she has done throughout her career is that she worked for Australian and global advertising agencies {Source}

She met her future husband during the 2000 Sydney Olympics {Source}. After the Olympics were over, the new couple began a long-distance relationship communicating via email, phone calls, and discrete visits{Source} In 2001, the royal romance was uncovered by the tabloids, shortly after which Mary moved from Australia to Europe {Source}. She began teaching English in Paris in December 2001, where she would make occasional trips to Denmark, often attended public events with Crown Prince Fredrick. On 8 October 2003, their engagement was announced by Queen Margarethe II {Source}. At that day's press conference, Mary Donaldson addressed the Danish people for the first time {Source}. She was able to do so in the nation's own language, Danish, which many have found difficult to access{Source}.In October that same year, Queen Maragethe gave her official consent to the marriage at a State Council meeting where they became officially engaged {Source}. They were married six months after the announcement on 14 May 2004{Source}. The Danish parliament passed a special law "Mary's Law", giving her Danish citizenship upon their marriage {Source} She also signed a prenuptial agreement and converted to the Lutheran religion (Lutheran=Church of Denmark){Source} The couple resided within the Amalienborg Palace Complex with their four children{Source}. Their four children are:

1. Prince Christian (2005)
2. Princess Isabella (2007)
3. Prince Vincent (2011)
4. Princess Josephine (2011)

In addtion to her own children, Crown Princess Mary also serves as godmother to several children including:

1. Holger Reedtz-Thott, son of Baroness Helle Reedtz-Thott.
2. Josephine Fleming, daughter of Caroline and Rory Fleming.
3. Prince Henrik of Denmark, Count of Monpezat, her nephew
4. Konstantin Johannsmann, son of her husband's cousin Princess Nathalie.
5. Princess Estelle of Sweden, Duchess of Östergötland, daughter of close family friend, Crown Princess Victoria

Her official title is: Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat{Source}. At the time Crown Prince Frederik inherits the throne, Mary will automatically assume the feminine form of his title and rank, becoming Queen consort of Denmark{Source}. The future Queen supports a wide variety of organizations ranging from cultural organisations, the Danish fashion industry, humanitarian aid,research and science, social, health and humanitarian organisations and sporting organisations{Source}. In September 2007, she announced the establishment of the The Mary Foundation, which aims to improve lives compromised by environment, heredity, illness or other circumstances which can isolate or exclude people socially {Source}. She is also Honorary Life Governor of theVictor Chang Cardiac Research Institutebased at the Garvan Institute/St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney {Source}
She is a member of the International Committee of Women Leaders for Mental Health. In June 2010, it was announced that Crown Princess Mary has become Patron of UNFPA, theUnited Nations Population Fund, "to support the agency’s work to promote maternal health and safer motherhood in more than 150 developing nations" {Source}. Crown Princess Mary lends her support to a number of other 'one-off' Danish causes, industry events and international conferences{Source}. In 2011, the Westmead Cancer Centre at Westmead Hospital in Sydney was renamed the Crown Princess Mary Cancer Care Centre Westmead {Source} She holds honors from Denmark, Brazil{Source}, Bulgaria, Greece, Norway & Sweden {Source}. She also holds numerous decorations from Denmark {Source}. She is patron of Designers’ Nest and the Copenhagen International Fashion Fair {Source}