Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, formerly Mary Elizabeth Donaldson (b. 5 February 1972), is the wife of Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark since 14 May 2004.

Crown Princess Mary was born in Hobart, Tasmania to Dr. John Dalgleish Donaldson, (Professor of Applied Mathematics) (b. 5 September 1941) and the late Henrietta Clark Donaldson (12 May 1942 – 20 November 1997) (Executive assistant to the Vice-Chancellor of The University of Tasmania). Mary was preceded by two sisters and a brother:

• Jane Alison Stephens (b. 26 December 1965),
• Patricia Anne Bailey (b. 16 March 1968), and
• John Stuart Donaldson (b. 9 July 1970).

Crown Princess Mary graduated from the University of Tasmania in 1994 with Bachelors of Commerce and Laws (BCom.LLB). Certificate in Advertising from The Advertising Federation of Australia (AFA). Certificate in Direct Marketing from the Australian Direct Marketing Association. Employment: DDB Needham – Melbourne, Australia, MOJO Partners – Melbourne, Australia, Travelled across Europe and America for 10 months including a 3 months employment in Rapp Collins Worldwide – Edinburgh, Scotland, Young and Rubicam – Sydney, Australia, Love Branding – Sydney, Australia, Belle Property – Sydney, Australia, Transfer (Business English School) – Paris, France, Microsoft Business Solutions – Denmark

Crown Princess Mary met Crown Prince Frederik at the Slip Inn, an inner-city pub in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia during the 2000 Summer Olympics. Several other European royals were also present at the venue. In December 2001 she moved to Europe, to work in Paris, France. August 2002 she moved to Copenhagen, Denmark, where she worked one year for Microsoft before the royal engagement was announced.

Crown Princess Mary's wedding to Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark took place at the Copenhagen Cathedral.

The Danish Folketing (parliament) had passed a special law giving her Danish citizenship upon her wedding (standard procedure for new foreign members of the royal family). From 1975 she was a citizen of Australia, but she held British citizenship as both her parents were adult Australian immigrants born in Scotland. Upon her marriage she began practising Lutheranism with the Danish National Church, previously having practised Presbyterianism.

Crown Princess Mary signed a prenuptial agreement exactly like the ones her commoner father-in-law and her commoner sister-in-law had signed when they entered the royal family that limited any claim on the assets of the spouse and the royal family. The agreement was officially registered moments before the court registry closed on Friday 14 May 2004, the day of the wedding.

The couple is believed to have honeymooned in Tanzania and Zanzibar. Their official residence is the Chancellery House, part of the Fredensborg Palace complex about 40 kilometres north from Copenhagen, but they also have a small apartment in Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.

External Link

Official website

Interactive fullscreen panoramas from the Royal Wedding (Quicktime)