Australian Mary Became the Queen of Denmark and a Style Icon 0 10

Queen Mary attended the Change Award and Into Innovation Award ceremony at the Copenhagen Opera House.

Her Majesty arrived at the event in a velvet pantsuit, which she paired with pointed black high-heeled pumps and a black top with a V-neckline. The queen had her light chestnut hair down and beautifully styled, she wore expressive evening makeup and adorned her neck with a necklace and earrings with stones. Mary also had a rich red manicure, a sparkling ring on her finger, and she carried a bouquet of flowers and an embroidered clutch.

Prior to this, Her Majesty visited the Dandora dump in the eastern part of Nairobi, Kenya, where about 2,000 tons of waste are received daily, as part of her trip to the country, and received a briefing from officials about the state of this dump.

The place is quite unusual for a royal. Mary arrived there in a khaki shirt and black pants, which were tucked into high rubber boots. The queen wore a leather belt at her waist, a hair tie on her wrist, and she practically forwent jewelry, wearing only one thin gold necklace that was barely noticeable.

Mary (born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, February 5, 1972, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia) is the queen consort of Denmark, the wife of King Frederik X of Denmark, and the daughter-in-law of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.

After Margrethe II abdicates the throne in favor of her son Frederik on January 14, 2024, Mary will become the first queen consort of Australian descent. Mary's parents emigrated to Australia from Scotland in 1963. Mary Elizabeth is the youngest of four children of John and Henrietta Donaldson, named after her grandmothers on her paternal and maternal sides. Mary's father, John Donaldson, is a professor of applied mathematics who has taught at the University of Tasmania in Australia, in the USA, South Korea, and the UK. He currently lectures at the University of Copenhagen and Aarhus University in Denmark. Mary's mother passed away in 1997 due to a failed heart surgery.

Mary began her education in elementary school in Texas, where her parents worked. In Australia, she graduated from Hobart College in Tasmania and then studied commerce and law at the University of Tasmania (1989–1994). Mary also obtained professional certificates in marketing and advertising. After graduation, Mary worked at advertising agencies DDB Needham and Mojo Partners in Melbourne and Young & Rubicam in Sydney. After moving to Denmark, she worked for a while at Navision/Microsoft Business Solutions in Copenhagen.