Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik are preparing to take the Danish throne after Frederik's mother Queen Margrethe announced her plans to abdicate in her New Year's speech.
While they have been residing in several stunning royal residences in Copenhagen since their royal wedding in 2004, many have wondered whether Mary would want to return to her native Australia. So will the couple's homes, which they share with their four children Prince Christian, Princess Isabella and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, change following their ascension to the throne?
© GettyWe take a look inside their property portfolio, from Mary's Tasmania childhood home to the Sydney home where their love story blossomed and their Danish castle summer house…
Amalienborg Palace
© Ole JensenLet's start with their primary residence at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen, which consists of four seemingly identical palaces.
Mary and Frederik moved into Frederik VIII's Palace in the northeastern part of Amalienborg in 2010 following five years of internal and external renovations. As well as making functional changes such as replacing the radiators and the entire heating system, the couple also put their stamp on the interior decorations, including selecting ten Danish artists such as John Kørner and Kathrine Artebjerg to paint modern artworks on the palace's walls and ceilings.
From abstract walls to glittering chandeliers and classic wooden floors, the family home has been revealed in a few social media photos shared by the Danish Royal household on Instagram. Take a look…
© InstagramHallway
Fans got a peek at the impressive rococo-style interiors in a photo of Crown Princess Mary and two of her guests standing in a hallway in front of an imperial staircase.
The split stairs, or bifurcated stairs, have marble flooring and a lavish gold balustrade, while the deep red walls add a regal yet warm touch.
© InstagramMeeting room
Mary's meeting took place at a glossy walnut oval-shaped table in a room with opulent gold accents and a painting of flowers in a vase hanging on one wall.
© InstagramStudy
While participating in a Zoom meeting, Mary showed off her lavish home office, which she personalised with four black-and-white portraits of her children as babies.
The royal sat at a wooden desk topped with stacks of books and paperwork, a phone charger and a candelabra. In the background, Mary has a glass-fronted wooden cabinet to store more paperwork, while on the other side of the desk, a large sash window floods the room with natural light.
© InstagramStudy
Another virtual chat with Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Crown Princess Mette-Marit of Norway saw the royal couple sitting at a round white table with a large fireplace next to them and a wall covered with abstract grey and blue wallpaper.
© Oliver Foerstner/imageBROKER/ShutterstockGarden
Amalienborg's 1,660 square-metre gardens were remodelled by landscape gardener Jacob Fischery. It features a 1,300 square-metre lawn and a 40-metre swimming pool for their children to enjoy.
Fredensborg Castle
© Martin Sylvest/EPA-EFE/ShutterstockDuring the summer, Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik traditionally travel to The Chancellery House, a Baroque-style building attached to Fredensborg Castle via the stable buildings and the church. It was the royal couple's marital home following their May 2004 nuptials, until Frederik VIII's Palace was renovated.
© Ian WaldieBuilt in 1731 by architect J.C. Krieger, who was also responsible for the main palace, it boasts many of the original features, including stucco ceilings, panelled doors, decorative wrought iron fittings and high wall panels.
© Eric TRAVERSYellow lounge
According to the Kongehuset website, "The Chancellery House’s architecture and interiors are in Baroque style with references to the French régence style."
Very few photos have been revealed inside their private home, but the palace boasts a yellow room with a mustard sofa and matching floral wallpaper.
© Eric TRAVERSLibrary
The couple have also been pictured in their French library, which is decorated with a striped sofa, blue walls and plenty of books.
© InstagramGarden
Outside, a walled garden features wild purple flowers that bloom in spring and summer.
Mary's Tasmania childhood home
Mary was born in Hobart, Tasmania, and she described herself as a down-to-earth child. “I was a T-shirt-and-shorts girl, known to go barefoot,” she told the Financial Times.
She reportedly lived at 3 Morris Avenue in Taroona, which was built in 1969 and features four bedrooms and two bathrooms. Large windows and wooden floorboards offer a classic interior, while views of the sea are an added perk for tenants.
The 2005 biography, Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, described the home as a red brick house "well protected from curious eyes" with greenery shielding the patio on top of the garage. "Enormous pink rose bushes line the drive" of the home on Morros Avenue, which is a "lively road in the middle of an attractive new settlement."
A house listing suggests her childhood home was sold in 2000 for $166,000 (around £87,000) and is now being rented. Mary later moved to Melbourne and Sydney, where she met Crown Prince Frederik.
Mary's temporary Sydney home
Very little is known about Princess Mary's former homes, but she was thought to stay at 27 Ebsworth Rd when visiting Sydney as a child with her father.
Set on one storey, the three-bedroom home sold for $1.8 million (£950,000) in 2011, before being renovated into a two-storey property with a pool that was snapped up for $3.9 million (£2 million) six years later.
Sydney 'haven' where Mary met Frederik
© PoolHowever, the story goes that Mary was living in Bondi Junction when she met her future husband at the Slip Inn.
Her house in Porter Street became a private space – or a "haven" according to Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark journalists, Karin Palshoj and Gitte Redder – where the couple's relationship blossomed away from the public eye.
