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Frederik and Mary at Buckingham Palace reception© Getty

Crown Princess Mary travels abroad without Crown Prince Frederik

The royal was born in Hobart, Tasmania

Danielle Stacey
Online Royal CorrespondentLondon
December 6, 2023
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Crown Princess Mary has travelled to Australia ahead of the festive season, according to Danish media.

The Hobart-born royal, 51, has been joined by her youngest children, 12-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.

Danish magazine Billed Bladet reports that the royal household's Lene Balleby confirmed Mary's travel plans to visit family and that she will later be joined by her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, and their 16-year-old daughter, Princess Isabella.

The couple's eldest child, Prince Christian, who turned 18 in October, will remain in Denmark for education purposes.

Future king Christian is in the final year of his upper secondary education at Ordrup Gymnasium.

Mary is the youngest of four children born to Scottish parents – John Donaldson and Henrietta, who sadly died in 1997.

She has two older sisters, Jane and Patricia, and an older brother, John. Her father remarried in 2001 to English novelist Susan Moody.

Crown Princess Mary with her father John Donaldson on her wedding day© Getty
Mary with her father John Donaldson on her wedding day

Mary met Danish Prince Frederik at the Slip Inn pub during the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.

But Mary, who worked in advertising at the time, was completely unaware that the man she was talking to was a member of the Danish royal family.

"The first time we met we shook hands. I didn't know he was the prince of Denmark. Half an hour later someone came up to me and said, 'Do you know who these people are'?" she revealed in a 2005 interview about meeting Frederik.

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary at DAC Danish Architecture Center© Getty
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary hosted the Spanish royals for a state visit last month

In October 2003, the couple's engagement was announced by the palace.

Mary and Frederik married on 14 May 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral, with the royal bride wearing a boatneck style gown designed by Danish fashion designer Uffe Frank.

The bride's bouquet included a nod to her home country with Australian eucalyptus.

LISTEN: The challenges of marrying into the British royal family

Mary was also gifted a diamond tiara from her in-laws, Queen Margrethe and the late Prince Henrik.

The royals are set to celebrate Christmas in Denmark, spending the holidays at Marselisborg Palace in Aarhus with Queen Margrethe.

Danish royal family© EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Mary and Frederik with their four children

They will also be joined by Frederik's youngest brother, Prince Joachim and his wife, Princess Marie, and their two children, Count Henrik and Countess Athena, who will all fly over from Washington DC in the US, where they are currently based.

 Joachim's eldest son, Count Felix, will join the family on Christmas Day, but Count Nikolai will be spending Christmas abroad as he is currently studying in Sydney, Australia.

The Danish palace shared a very festive video of Crown Princess Mary, Crown Prince Frederik and their children decorating the Christmas tree at their home, Amalienborg Palace.

See who else joined them in the clip below…

WATCH: Mary and Frederik decorate Christmas tree with children

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