The Fairy-Tale Rise of an Australian Sales Executive to Danish Queen Consort
The story of Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth of Denmark's remarkable journey from an Australian sales executive to the Queen Consort of Denmark is a modern-day fairy tale. Her unexpected rise to royalty has captivated audiences worldwide and symbolizes a unique blend of love, destiny, and the convergence of two cultures. This article delves into the extraordinary narrative of Crown Princess Mary's ascent to the Danish throne and the surprising abdication of Queen Margrethe II, paving the way for a new era in Danish royalty.
The Remarkable Journey
The fairy-tale rise of an Australian sales executive to the upper ranks of European royalty was completed Sunday when Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth of Denmark became the country's Queen Consort.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and Australian born Crown Princess Mary Elizabeth Donaldson married in May 2004.
The final stretch of Mary's path from Tasmania to the Danish throne was cleared on New Year's Eve by the surprise abdication of Queen Margrethe II, who announced that she intended to step down. It's an exceedingly rare move in Denmark, where a monarch hasn't abdicated since 1146 when King Eric III gave up the crown to join a monastery, according to the Royal House.
Margrethe's eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik, took the throne as the new king, while his wife, Crown Princess Mary, became the world's first Australian-born queen, a development that has delighted her supporters back home.
A Royal Romance and Unlikely Beginnings
For many of Mary's Australian admirers, it's a fitting finale to a romance that famously began in a rowdy Sydney pub around the time of the Olympics in 2000.
As the story goes, the two locked eyes in the Slip Inn, considered an unlikely place to find a Danish royal, much less the origins of a couple who would later become Denmark's future king and queen.
Millions watched the couple get married in 2004. Two decades later, their ascension to the throne captivated audiences worldwide - from Copenhagen to the Tasmanian capital of Hobart, where Mary was born.
The Abdication and New Era
The announcement of Queen Margrethe's abdication temporarily paused New Year's celebrations in Denmark, as royal correspondents rushed to fill in the gaps.
In hindsight, some decisions suggested that Queen Margrethe was preparing to step aside, as her move to slim down the royal family and strip the royal titles from the children of her youngest son indicated a strategic transition.
Denmark's royals have a limited role under the country's constitution, with power resting with parliament. Monarchs play an important ambassadorial role as well as signing off on new legislation.
