Why Mary Is The Jewel In Denmark's Crown

The evolution of Crown Prince Frederik, the playboy royal who longed to be free, to 50-year-old heir apparent and father winning Danish hearts and minds, has a lot to do with the impressive Aussie by his side. Juliet Rieden investigates the secret to Denmark’s power couple.

- Juliet Rieden

On his wedding day a newly confident, emotional and yes, incredibly dashing, 35-year-old Crown Prince Frederik gave a speech that surprised the world. Rarely had a royal so intimately declared his love in such a public forum and rarely with such unabashed candour about his own failures. “I had only been in Australia two days before our fates were sealed, even though neither of us was aware of it. But your radiance shone clearly for me from our very first meeting. Since then I have been blinded and totally dependent on it,” said Frederik to his new bride, Tasmanian-born Mary Donaldson, with her father looking on and his own parents Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik hanging on every word.

The heir to the Danish throne went on to admit his world was “often lonely” until Mary walked into it. He said he had been craving independence and looking for freedom but with Mary now by his side he couldn’t wait to embrace “responsibility, trust and sharing”. Mary gave him “security, joy and happiness” and now all his doubts had “melted away.” Together they would be an unstoppable force and for Frederik, “A new world is born again with the light of a new day.”

You could almost hear the Danes heave a unified sigh of relief.

Frederik had bravely lifted the lid on the emptiness of his life to date and the pressures of expectation that had weighed heavily on his shoulders, but – looking like the cat that had got the cream – with Mary he had not only found an incredible love, he had seen the light and was ready to take his place in the Danish court.