Princess Mary of Denmark.Photo: Hasse Nielsen
Princess Mary of Denmarkis celebrating a milestone birthday — and chose a special set of jewels for her official portraits.
Princess Mary of Denmark.Hasse Nielsen
The tiara and matching jewelry have afascinating history, dating back to the 1804 imperial coronation of Napoleon Bonaparte at the Notre Dame cathedral in Paris, France. Désirée Clary, the wife of Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte who was once engaged to Bonaparte, wore the newly acquired jewels at the coronation as she followed Empress Josephine down the aisle, carrying her veil and handkerchief on a pillow.
Princess Mary and Prince Frederik of Denmark.Hasse Nielsen
Denmark’s future king met his Australian bride in a relatable way: at a bar! The couple met at a Sydney pub when the prince was visiting Australia during the 2000 Summer Olympics. They managed a long-distance relationship until Mary moved to Denmark in December 2001. They married in May 2004 and have four children: Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 14, and 11-year-old twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent.
Princess Mary’s 50th birthday will be spent privately with family. Due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a gala dinner planned to mark the milestone was canceled.
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There will also be exhibitions at both Koldinghus and Frederiksborg Castle, as well as the opening of the Crown Princess Mary Centre at the University of Copenhagen.
Princess Mary recently spoke withEurowomanmagazine, sharing the advice her mother, who died when Mary was just 25, gave her.
“My mother always said, ‘You can only be yourself.’ She was absolutely right about that,” the princess said. “I have reminded myself of those words when I have occasionally had the experience that I was about to lose myself. For my life has offered great changes — joys and sorrows — that I had to go through.”
Mary added, “There are several landmark events: the grief of losing my mother. The joy of even becoming a mother. My time at university. To meet Frederik. To get married to the Crown Prince and become the Crown Princess for the Denmark and the Danish people that I love so much. And maybe to be 50 — who knows?”
source: people.com
