I’ll admit it: I’ve never paid much attention to Denmark’s Crown Princess Mary. There are dedicated royal-watchers who enjoy all of the royal houses, but I generally limit myself to the Windsors, Bernadottes and Grimaldis. Crown Princess Mary is the Australian woman who married Crown Prince Frederick in 2004, after a three-year courtship and one-year-long engagement. They met in a pub in Sydney, Australia in 2000 and love blossomed. Mary is actually accomplished, and she worked at real jobs before and during their courtship. She’s often compared to the Duchess of Cambridge because of the whole “commoner marrying a prince” thing, but in side-by-side comparisons, Mary does seem like a better/cooler/more accomplished person.
Anyway, Mary and Frederick cover the August issue of Vogue Australia. Mary is sort of a hero (the Duchess Kate of Australia, if you will) in her home country, so it makes sense that they would do an exclusive photoshoot for Australian Vogue. The photoshoot was done by Mario Testino, and Mary and Frederick even included their four kids in one of the photos. They are parents to Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, and twins Vincent and Josephine. Here are some highlights from Mary’s interview:
Whether she considers herself a role model: “I always find it difficult to speak of myself as a role model, you know, because I think it is other people and their impression of you that makes a role model. It’s not something I consciously think about but at the same time I am very aware of my role and my responsibility.”
Her work with the conditions within the fashion industry: “It will take time to create real and sustainable change. If we are talking about the textile and fashion industry, it is one of the most female-dominated industries in the world and yet many of these working women are voiceless. I do use the platform I have built up over the years as a vocal and passionate voice for the empowerment of women and girls and the protection and respect of their human rights to bring attention to this.”
Her foundation deals with issues of domestic violence, bullying and loneliness: “One thing I have always found difficult from as early as I can remember is seeing people who appear to be alone. It has always affected me deeply and I can’t explain why. To see people standing on the outside looking in, who can’t understand why they aren’t part of a community or group. We all have this innate fear of not belonging… We all have a right to belong. The abused woman, the bullied child, and the lonely adolescent feel very, very lonely in the world with their problems and will often never share them.”
I think it’s difficult to make “loneliness” a cause, specifically a royal cause. Lots of people are alone, and lots of people are lonely, but she’s conflating those two things and making it seem like everyone who is alone is pitiable and sad. While “loneliness” is good subject to raise and de-stigmatize, what work is there to be done realistically? As for the rest of it, she sounds absolutely fine. It would be fascinating to see the Duchess of Cambridge do an interview like this at one point, but it won’t happen.
Photos courtesy of Mario Testino for Vogue Australia.
She seems like a very nice, caring woman, but there is nothing exciting about these photos.
Testino should stick to fashion. He is, IMO, no good when it comes to portraiture, which always turns “plastic” in his hands, perhaps because that art form requires something very different from fashion shoots.
Cecil Beaton was a splendid portrait photographer though the ones he did of the BRF are far less interesting than the ones he did of artists, intellectuals and politicians. I also think that Anne Leibovitz has taken some very good portraits – though those she did of QEII aren’t among her best. Perhaps it is royalty with its need for a spotless image that prevents the kind of honesty that marks the good portrait photograph?
I always get the impression that he is trying to recreate the magic of the Diana photos.
Those were stunning even if over-photoshopped. Every picture he takes after those came out seems to be trying to re-create that same joie de vivre of those shots with no consideration to subject matter or any art of photography.
And if all else fails, photoshop to oblivion.
I don’t care third one with kids is awesome, if I were a friend of them I would put that one in my album for sure, those kids around their parents is so cute.
They look very happy and comfortable together. I wonder if George and Charlotte will look that carefree when they get older. I don’t think they will.
Also, I love that she is smart, hard working, classy, gives speeches and does it all in a language she learned as an adult.
I think she’s speaking about domestic violence victims or other disenfranchised persons, recognizing through their voicelessness they feel “on the outside” looking in, and that she wants to use her platform to help those in need in that way if she can.
Her foundation focuses explicitly on domestic violence and bullying – and loneliness is a part of these issues. I just don’t think that she is very articulate in this specific instance.
She is never articulate. Upon visiting Africa once she made a speech about how bad she felt about seeing the poverty and ‘masturbat-i-ng Africans!!!
I can never get over how she speaks such horrendous English despite being an Australian.
I should now leave this thread lest I come off as a Mary-basher.lol .I just find her faux pas v v funny and beyond ridiculous.
Doesn’t she also speak of isolation as part of it? That whether you are in an abusive situation or not, many people withdraw into themselves instead of going out into the world or talking to someone.
That may be an issue she experienced personally. She moved to Paris from Australia, didn’t know anyone there, and didn’t speak French. She was there waiting for Fred to visit, which could be a lonely way to live if she didn’t get out and do things.
Once she moved to Denmark, it was a similar situation. She could be introduced to Fred’s circle of friends, but they were *his* friends. Going out and making friends in a new country where you don’t speak the language? She didn’t really have a job, she was in-limbo as “royal girlfriend but not fiance”. I can see how that could be isolating and lonely.
Um Mary is not a hero here. Do you actually know any Australians? Most Aussies would only have a vague idea of who she is…
LOL +1000
Most people have an awareness of her here but I wouldn’t go so far as to call her a hero.
Maybe it’s a generation thing.? Most people know Mary in my small spect of the world. Plus they had that TV movie on her and Fred last year. My aunt and late nana loved her.
Huh? Most Aussies would know exactly who Mary is! Don’t speak for our great country like we are a pack of fools..
Love Mary Crown Princess of Denmark. She’s classy, she seems geniunely in love with her husband and has such a happy family. Love the pics too. I try to find english info on her from Canada but it’s not that easy.
You´re probably right.
She shall however be Queen of Denmark at some point.
And as a half dane, I do think she has earned some respect!
The ‘our Mary’ tag is just used by silly women’s mags with no story to sell. I doubt whether Australians give a toss. Mary also earned a reputation in Sydney for chasing Frederick for the title, ring etc. Not pretty. No better than Stalker Kate.
These photos are very heavily Photoshopped; she looks way older and harder in the face than these pics.
What?! No, this is incorrect. Not sure that Hero is the right word but she is very well known. Most people know who she is
I think what is important for the writers at celbitchy to know is that Australians don’t have heroes that don’t play sport. No matter of celebrity status, skill, intelligence or talent will make you a hero is Australia unless you are an elite sportsman.
Yes we all know who Mary is but no she’s no hero.
Mary is my favourite princess. She seems like such a warm person. And, if I’m not mistaken, she’s actually from a middle class backroumd, unlike Kate and Maxima who come from a lot of money. Her and Letizia.
Plus, she married the hottest prince, so yay for her.
There are pictures of Queen Margrethe of Denmark at a Mc Donald’s this weekend, so they basically win as the coolest royals out there.
Sophie of Sweden and Letitzia of Spain married the best-looking princes. And if you throw in personality, then Letitzia wins hands down. And both are solidly middle class.
Also, middleclass in Britain is not the same definition as the rest of the world. Class in Britain isn’t about money.
No one would accuse Maxima of being middleclass background no matter how it’s defined worldwide.
Sophia of sweden? She had a very very dubious background. Noone should be compared to her!
Yeah, the Spanish king is also good looking. The swedish one I don’t find hot.
I love her, too. Very down-to-earth, caring, smart, and great fashion sense! No Marilyn moments, fake accents, or excessive vacationing, either.
Meh. I really like the photo of them with the kids… it’s a nice, ‘normal’ photo. None of these are all that interesting, and the light dappling on her face in the first photo annoys me.
I suggest you google her a little more, not the nicest of mothers and tons of work done.
You’re hilarious. One blogger with a vendetta and all of a sudden she’s a bad mother.
Just googled the blog, good lord, that’s one nasty piece of internet space. Why would you take any of that pap seriously?
Mary, like KM, can be a divisive royal. Mary Donaldson is very fond of her position and the attention (and shopping budget) it brings. Makes me look at her sideways most of the time.
I wrote a comment below, so sorry if I repeat myself. But Mary is really only divisive in international circles. She is pretty well-liked by the Danish people.
I always feel like I need to defend her because the hatred she gets is from the outside media and is bizarrely intense! For example, the shopping budget thing? I had never heard of any complaints in the Danish media, so I did a google search. In 12 years, she has overspent her budget exactly twice, and one of those two times was due to her wedding.
I don’t follow the royals, but as I said below, I have seen Mary interact with her kids. Everyone seemed happy and normal and affectionate. I know a five minute walkabout isn’t much, but I do think it’s more than inferring bad motherhood from random pap photos.
She seems genuine and I love that she’s independently accomplished. Kate should take a few notes (if she knows how to take notes?).
Kaiser – You should pay attention to Mary. She is pretty much Kate’s soul sister except she seems to work a bit more. She got together with her prince in a pub by rubbing his umm chest!!!!
She is not accomplished… she worked in very low level jobs , rarely managing to hold her job for over a few months..and she stalked and followed her prince much like Kate (except her parents are not as rich as Kate and the prince in this case footed Mary’s expenses during the ‘dating’).After meting Frederick in the pub, Mary enrolled in a STARMAKERs course to be a star!!!!
Now all she does in buy extravagant clothes (often shoplifting them- which means she goes to shops in Copenhagen and takes whatever she likes but doesnnot pay!!!) She really got lucky wth Frederick who is by all accounts not bright and not of sound judgement plus his mother ha a rule of the royal family not marrying locally in Denmark! He had a gorgeous Danish gf before but Mom shut it down for her stupid in-breeding reasons !
It really is delicious gossip…do look her up as I would love your style of writing about her.
He couldn’t marry a Danish woman? Why?
His parents preferred it. Both he and his brothers dated Danish women that knew they couldn’t/wouldn’t end up getting married, solely because they were Danish. It’s absurd.
Mary is pretty fake IMO and the whole “role model” thing is too much. When you live in a castle, get all your bills payed, have a small army of nannies and cooks and clearners and an extremely kind press, it’s not difficult to look good but I wonder who wouldn’t.
Also Mary didn’t work through their courtship. She flew to Denmark and Frederik provided for her (ie the Danish taxpayers did) until the queen more or less forced him to propose. He did get her a “job” (in a company one of his friends owned IIRC), although she rarely worked during that period. Also their first meeting was quite shady – he had a girl friend waiting at home. A girl friend he kept for like half a year after meeting Mary.
You piqued my curiosity too, I wondered why he couldn’t marry someone Danish and read, ‘… for fear that, because Denmark is so small, a Danish in-law or spouse might jeopardize the sovereign’s strictly enforced constitutional neutrality. ‘ A site said that Fred had proposed and the Danish girlfriend Katja accepted, but then they couldn’t marry.
Huh I did not know this…..so Crown Prince Frederik has one sibling, Prince Joachim, who married a woman from Hong Kong (Alexandra), had two kids, and got divorced, and is now married to a woman from France (Marie) and appears to have two more kids.
Speaking of the Danish royals, the current Queen Margarethe is very colorful and offbeat, and if you google her late father King Frederik IX you can see his extensive tattoos of birds and dragons obtained during naval service. His grandson Crown Prince Frederik has a shark tattoo and maybe a few others.
You have caught my interest. How about it Kaiser? Are you keen to spill the royal tea on Mary? I know little about her. She seems like she’s much more devoted and competent in performing her royal duties than Kate but has all of the background baggage to make for complex gossip.
Whenever I see Mary, the first thing that pops to mind is those terrible Starmakers pictures! I think they demonstrate how calculated she was in trying to “snag” Frederick after she met him. But it worked, so good for her?
OMG I had no idea what this was but I googled Mary Donaldson and Starmakers …..WOW. Embarrassing!
THIS. I was coming to say all of this. She’s the same as Kate (if not worse in my opinion)-but has much much better PR.
She also gets called out frequently for letting her children go out looking scruffy and wild when they aren’t being used for a fashion spread. yes, kids will be kids-but she’s got a army of nannies and people for that. It makes it seem like the kids are just for the PR as well.
hehe I’m glad we are stirring the pot. C’mon plz Kaiser.
@Locke Lamora- Adding to what HejHej said- his parents, esp. the Queen thinks that because Denmark is such a small country, the local they marry might be related to them and that may be a genetic issue for the kids later…absurd as it may sound that is how it went and benefitted Mary.
@KJ- yes She was very calculated and remains calculating. During the courtship she made much of loosing her grandmother (as her prince had recently lost his) and bonded on that weak emotional spot… when she moved to Denmark to stalk her prince she abandoned those precious grandmother’s letters..apparantely they were found all torn up in trash. Who does that?!!
Also the night she met Fred, he was with royal friends including King Felipe of Spain (then just the prince) and Mary first tried to flirt with him but he shut it down…can you imagine Mary in place of the ACTUALLY accomplished and stunning Letizia?
Mary should be noone’s rolemodel as she has barely worked in her life and she doesnot even walk the talk ( about not tolerating cheating stated in her engagement interview but her husband cheats on her all the time and she looks the other way)
In-breeding isn’t to be taken lightly especially where royal damilies are concerned.
Queen Victoria/Albert gave the European royal families medical issues as a direct result of in-breeding. They were 1st cousins and married their children into the royal families of Europe.
One could argue that genetic diseases already existed due to royal families marrying only each other, but marrying the same branch of near cousins wasn’t helpful. And the ones that have publicly admitted to genetic disorders are related directly to Albert and Victoria.
Alexei Tsarevich of Russia being the most extreme example with haemophilia in the early 20th century.
And a more recent example in the 1970s when William of Gloucester, the British Queen’s first cousin, publicly admitted to having porphyria.
The Danish Queen is a direct descendant of Victoria and Albert via their 3rd son. I’d say it’s wise policy to out-breed to dilute the generic inheritance as much as possible if that is the reason for her policy.
Agree LAK – except the girl Frederick was dating was not his cousin and they could have traced their family trees just to be sure…rather than have a blanket rule.
They pushed the foreign spouse for many reasons, one of which was PR. Margrethe thought that a foreign bride would be an unknown, a blank slate. She didn’t realize how the world had changed, nor that Mary would throw away bags of personal papers without shredding them. Goldmine for the reporter who found them, including all her past-due credit card bills.
Okay–sorry but have to say that as a Dane, writing from a Danish IP address, I am constantly amazed at the amount of hatred that Mary gets from the outside world. In Denmark, she is very much loved. She works hard, learned Danish in less than a year (which is tough, Prince Henrik can seriously only muster basic sentences), and is very down to earth.
I have literally been to an event where Mary and her children were happy and relaxed and afterwards a couple photos come out with weird angles and side eyes and the international Royal-sphere jumped on them to prove that Mary is a bad mother.
I am not an avid royal watcher, so perhaps there are some things that I don’t know. But from this average person’s perspective, Mary is very popular and to see these outside attacks on her is weird and confusing.
Jennifer Aniston…?
I had no idea she’s Australian!
I like these pictures way more than Kate’s recent Vogue. I liked that Mary looked into the camera, that she wore a gown and a tiara because honestly, it is what I expect and want to see, and that Frederick and the children were included.
I was excited to see the tiara because it’s a new piece Mary’s only worn a handful of times since buying it at an auction.
The dappled light on her face looks terrible. It makes her face look odd. I am surprised it was used…especially for a cover shot!
I’m not sure how popular she is in Denmark and Australia but she does lots of royal duties. She is always impeccably dressed and conducts herself appropriately.
She’s smarter about her role than Katie Cambridge, but CP Mary definitely isn’t a heavy hitter like her contemporaries, Queens Maxima, Letizia and Rania. She comes across as a bit clueless when it comes to foreign tours, and in her 12 years of being royal, she’s only stayed within her budget once.
In Denmark at least, we never heard much about Marys past. For some reason the Danish tabs never really went there.
I do remember talking about her with an Australian acquaintance some years ago and she absolutely loathed her. I think the term ‘social climber’ was used.
Anyways, it’s no secret she’s very fond of the glamour, the attention and the shopping budget that come with being royal. It’s just a pity she is so devastatingly dull.
The star makers thing is hilarious – and on that same note, she used to have a friend called Amber Petty who was a lot more entertaining than Mary!
If Amber ever writes a book about Mary, I’ll be in line to purchase it. Terrible but true.
Hey, Kaiser! Just wanted to say that though “loneliness” is a literal translation, the Danish word, ensomhed, tends to have more of a “social isolation” understanding in Danish, and is often linked to depression. For example, if you google “ensomhed,” the things that come up are tests from a psychiatric foundation, the Danish Red Cross home page, etc. It’s actually a valid concern in Denmark, since a lot of the culture is focused on hanging out with friends and family.
She’s a Diana wanna-be. Meh…though she’s better than KM when it comes to dedication at work/charity.
At first, I like her because of her beauty and demeanor. But as I observed her thru the years…she seems a little bit changed or maybe it is her true color? She loves attention and sometimes overshadowing her husband, which is not good.
A bit fake and a flirt on my opinion. A show off. I remember Maxima grimaced when she kissed Fred during a royal dinner. I mean its normal, but woman plssss… Don’t make the first move of PDA when its formal event.
She’s a cunning woman and maybe her PR stint before helped her to court the Danish media.
I liked the pic but not the cover.