Stepping out onto the balcony of Copenhagen’s iconic Amalienborg Palace last week, Queen Margrethe of Denmark was eager to show the thousands of cheering well-wishers below that she was recovering swiftly from recent back surgery.
And as Danes breathed a sigh of relief to see their monarch back in the public eye, her daughter-in-law Princess Mary is also thrilled that Margrethe, 83, is back on her feet – for multiple reasons.
WATCH: Princess Mary’s children make fun of her Aussie accent
Our sources say that Mary, 51, feels the Queen’s recovery has bought her more time before she, as future King Frederik’s wife, has to step into the top job.
“Everyone was on tenterhooks during the Queen’s surgery, with every contingency plan in place, as is protocol, including accession,” reveals a palace source. “As unlikely as it was, given the incredible doctors working on Margrethe, Mary was suddenly on alert.”
Thankfully, the Queen got the all clear, meaning Mary was free this week to undertake her first official visit to Australia since 2013! She’s stopping in Sydney, along with Vanuatu and Fiji, to highlight climate change issues in the Pacific.
“Most of it is business, but Mary plans on spending every non-working moment soaking it all up – the smells, the sounds … even the cackling kookas!” says a friend of the Tassie-born royal.
WATCH: Princess Mary and Prince Frederik dance together at lavish royal event
“No-one is more relieved than Mary and Fred that the Queen is doing so well.”
“She looked incredibly sprightly on the balcony, so the pressure’s off – for now. Mary is free to enjoy her time Down Under.”
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