Everything about Mary Donaldson totally explained
Mary Elizabeth, Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat (
Danish:
Mary Elizabeth, kronprinsesse af Danmark,
grevinde af Monpezat;
née:
Mary Elizabeth Donaldson; born:
5 February 1972) is the wife of
Crown Prince Frederik, who is the
heir to the
Danish throne.
Early life
Mary was born and raised in
Hobart,
Tasmania,
Australia. She completed her secondary education at
Taroona High School and Hobart College before studying at the
University of Tasmania for five years. On graduation Mary moved to
Melbourne to work in her chosen career of
advertising. Some months after the death of her mother in 1997, Mary travelled extensively through
Europe and the
United States. Upon her return to
Australia Mary moved to live and work in
Sydney. As a girl Mary was heavily involved in sport and other extra-curricular activities both at school and outside. Mary's early love of horses led her to ride
competitively as a teenager with her horse Sultan.
Family
Mary is the youngest of four children born to John and Henrietta Donaldson. Her parents emigrated from
Scotland to Australia in 1963.
Mary has three siblings:
Mary's father is Professor John Dalgleish Donaldson, an applied mathematician with a
PhD from the
University of Tasmania. His Bachelor of Science (BSc) was completed at the
University of Edinburgh in 1963. Professor Donaldson has had an academic career at the
University of Tasmania, and taught and researched in
Houston,
Oxford,
South Korea and most recently in
Denmark at the
University of Copenhagen and the
University of Aarhus.
Mary's mother was Henrietta Clark Donaldson (née Horne), known as Etta. She worked for many years at the
University of Tasmania and before she retired she was the executive assistant to the
Vice-Chancellor. Etta died on
20 November 1997, following complications six weeks after a heart operation for a long-term heart condition.
In 2001 John Donaldson married for the second time to English author Susan Elizabeth Donaldson, née Horwood, who writes novels under several pseudonyms including
Susan Moody. In 2006 she taught creative writing at the
University of Copenhagen. The couple currently live in
Aarhus where Professor Donaldson teaches at the
University of Aarhus. He will return to teaching at the
University of Copenhagen next year, before retiring to France, according to recent reports
Mary's siblings live in Australia with their families. Jane (a pharmacist) and Patricia (an intensive care nurse) each have three children and John Stuart (a geologist) has two.
Education and career
Mary began elementary school in Clear Lake,
Texas, while her father was working there. On returning to
Hobart she attended
Sandy Bay Infants School, Waimea Heights Primary School and then
Taroona High School in
Tasmania. For the last two years of her secondary education Mary attended
Hobart College from which she graduated. From 1989 to 1994 Mary did a combined degree in
Commerce and
Law (BCom.LLB) at the
University of Tasmania. Mary later qualified for professional certificates in advertising and direct marketing. Mary worked for Australian and global advertising agencies after graduation including
DDB Needham and Mojo Partners in
Melbourne, then
Young & Rubicam, Love Branding and Belle Property Group in Sydney.She also held a joint business interest in a company called Kingcash with Brent Annells, with whom she'd a seven year relationship in the 1990s. After leaving Australia, Mary taught business English in
Paris. On moving to
Denmark permanently she worked at Navision/Microsoft Business Solutions outside of
Copenhagen.
Courtship and engagement
Mary Donaldson met Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark at the Slip Inn
(External Link
) during the
2000 Summer Olympics on 16 September in
Sydney. They conducted a long-distance relationship by phone, email and letter and Frederik made a number of discreet visits to Australia. On 15 November 2001 Anna Johannesen
(External Link) of the Danish weekly magazine
Billed Bladet named Mary as Frederik's girlfriend. Mary moved to Europe in December 2001 and while working as an English tutor in Paris she visited Denmark privately and was photographed attending weddings and christenings of friends with Frederik. She moved to Denmark in August 2002 and on 4 September 2002 Mary began working at Navision/Microsoft
(External Link) in Vedbæk. Mary and Frederik were photographed during 2003 at various private outings in Denmark. On 24 September 2003 the Danish court announced
Queen Margrethe intended to give her consent to the marriage at the State Council meeting scheduled for 8 October 2003.
Mary Donaldson and Crown Prince Frederik were officially engaged on
8 October 2003.
Marriage
Mary Donaldson and Crown Prince Frederik married on
14 May 2004 in
Copenhagen Cathedral. Mary wore a wedding gown designed by Danish designer Uffe Frank and had a small bridal party which included her two sisters and her friend Amber Petty.
Frederik was supported by his brother
Prince Joachim. Three of Mary's nieces, Erin and Kate Stephens and Madisson Woods, were flower girls; Frederik's nephew
Prince Nikolai of Denmark and first cousin once removed,
Count Richard von Pfeil und Klein-Ellguth were pageboys. The wedding was celebrated in
Copenhagen and at
Fredensborg Palace. The couple reportedly spent their
honeymoon in
Africa.
The monograms of Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary, Frederik's and Mary's combined monogram and Prince Christian's are all designed by Queen Margrethe.
Citizenship and marriage agreement
The Danish
Folketing (parliament) passed a special law (Mary's Law) giving Mary Donaldson Danish
citizenship upon her marriage, a standard procedure for new foreign members of the royal family. Mary was previously a dual citizen of
Australia and the
United Kingdom. Formerly a
Presbyterian, Mary became
Lutheran. On entering the royal family, Mary signed a marriage agreement similar to those of her father-in-law and her commoner ex-sister-in-law. The agreement was subsequently updated in late 2006. The details of the first and second agreements have never been made public.
Children
At 1:57 local time on
15 October 2005 Mary gave birth to a boy at
Copenhagen University Hospital. Frederik was present for the delivery and the little prince was healthy, weighed 3.5 kg (7.7 lbs) and measured 51 cm (20 ins). His name,
Christian Valdemar Henri John, was announced at his
christening on
21 January 2006 at
Christiansborg Palace Chapel in Copenhagen. He will be Christian XI on ascension to the throne after his father. Kings in Denmark are traditionally called either Frederik or Christian.
Valdemar is a historically significant name in
Denmark, associated with both the Danish royal family and the national flag
the Dannebrog. Henri and John are the names of his two grandfathers.
On
21 April 2007 Mary gave birth for the second time at
Copenhagen University Hospital at 16.02 local time. The newborn girl weighed 3.350 kg and was 50 cm tall. The new princess is third in line to the throne after her father
Crown Prince Frederik and her brother
Prince Christian. The little princess was christened at
Fredensborg Palace chapel on
1 July 2007. The name of the new princess is
Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe. Henrietta and Margrethe are the names of her two grandmothers. Ingrid is the name of her great-grandmother, Queen Ingrid, who passed away in November 2000, aged 90 years.
Royal life
After the wedding, in 2004, the couple went on a summer cruise of mainland
Denmark on the royal yacht the
Dannebrog, then to
Greenland and to the
2004 Athens Olympics. In
2005 during the celebrations for the 200
th Anniversary of
Hans Christian Andersen, the royal family was involved in related events throughout the year. Frederik and Mary marked it in
London,
New York and in Australia, where Mary was made Honorary HCA Ambassador to Australia in the Utzon Room of the
Sydney Opera House. Since becoming Crown Princess of Denmark, Mary has made a number of international visits and Frederik and Mary participated in the reburial ceremonies for Empress
Maria Feodorovna in Denmark and
Saint Petersburg. In the context of
immigrant issues in Denmark, Mary has visited the disadvantaged migrant areas of Vollsmose (2006) and Gellerup (2007). Mary has played an active role in promoting an anti-bullying program based on an Australian model through the auspices of Denmark's
Save the Children. Mary is also involved in a new campaign to raise awareness and safe practices among Danes about skin cancer through
The Danish Cancer Society. Mary is also an active patron of Denmark's third highest earning export industry, the fashion industry. In September 2007 Mary formally established the Mary Foundation, with capital from public and private donations, to advance cultural diversity and encourage a sense of the right to belong and contribute to society for those who are socially isolated or excluded.
As a native English-speaker Mary's main priority from the time of her engagement was to master the
Danish language. Mary has acknowledged this has been a challenge for her in several interviews at the time of her engagement and marriage.
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
5 February 1972 - 14 May 2004: Miss Mary Elizabeth Donaldson
14 May 2004 – 29 April 2008 Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
29 April 2008 – present: Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat
Her official title in Danish is Hendes Kongelige Højhed Kronprinsesse Mary af Danmark, Grevinde af Monpezat
Honours
Knight of the Order of the Elephant (R.E.), Denmark
Order of Saint Olav, Grand Cross, Norway (No.St.0.1.)
The Order of Stara Planina, 1st cl., Bulgaria (Bu.S.P.1.)
Order of the Polar Star, Grand Cross, Sweden (Sv.N.Stj.1.)
The Order of the Southern Cross, Grand Cross, Brazil (Br.S.K.1.)
Arms
A new coat of arms has been designed for Mary (as Crown Princess and holder of the Order of the Elephant, see also Heraldry Australia). It has been hung in the Chapel of the Royal Orders at Frederiksborg Castle. The coat of arms and its details are not yet published on the Crown Prince Couple's official website.
Residences
The official residence of the Crown Prince family is The Chancellery House, an early 18th-century house within Fredensborg Palace, 40 km (25 miles) north of Copenhagen. It was previously the home of Frederik's maternal grandmother, Queen Ingrid. They also have a temporary apartment in Copenhagen at Amalienborg while renovations are completed on their permanent city residence, Amalienborg's Federik VIIIs Palace Frederik VIII (or Brockdorff's Palace) which was also the home of the Crown Prince's maternal grandparents, Frederik IX and Queen Ingrid, formerly Princess Ingrid of Sweden.
Patronages
Since 2004 Crown Princess Mary has steadily worked to establish her relationships with various organisations, their issues, missions, programs and staff. Mary's patronages range across areas of culture, the fashion industry, humanitarian aid, support for research and science, social and health patronages and sport (golf and swimming). The organisations for which she's patron have reported positive outcomes through their relationship with Mary and there are various reports in the Danish media and on some of the websites of the organisations themselves about Mary being quite involved in her working relationship with them. Mary is currently involved in supporting anti-obesity programs and vaccination for children in the European Union through the World Health Organization, Regional Office for Europe.
Mary's current patronages include cultural organisations (External Link)(External Link)(External Link), the Danish fashion industry (External Link)(External Link), humanitarian aid (External Link), research and science(External Link)(External Link), social, health and humanitarian organisations (External Link)(External Link)(External Link)(External Link)(External Link)(External Link)(External Link)(External Link)(External Link)(External Link) (see Crown Princess Mary's inaugural speech for WHO Europe) and sporting organisations(External Link)(External Link)
Crown Princess Mary is also the Honorary Life Governor of the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute based at the Garvan Institute/St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney, a member of the International Committee of Women Leaders for Mental Health and a member of various sporting clubs (riding, golf and yachting). Mary lends her support to a number of other 'one off' Danish causes, industry events and international conferences convened in Denmark.
The Mary Foundation
On 11 September 2007 Crown Princess Mary announced the establishment of the Mary Foundation (External Link) at the inaugural meeting at Amalienborg Palace. The Foundation's aim is to focus on co-operative community initiatives to advance the understanding of cultural diversity and the principle of the right to belong. The intitial funds of DKK 1.1 million were collected in Denmark and Greenland and donated to Frederik and Mary as a wedding gift in 2004. In addition the Mary Foundation has a capital base of DKK 73.6 million comprising donations from eight co-founders. Crown Princess Mary is the chairman of eight trustees. See the press release announcing objectives, participants and other details about how the Foundation will function. The Mary Foundation aims to improve lives compromised by environment, heredity, illness or other circumstances which can isolate or exclude people socially. By creating opportunity and giving a sense of affiliation and belonging to community, the Foundation intends to improve individual lives and those of families.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Mary Donaldson'.
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