Queen Mary of Denmark has quietly arrived on Australian shores, for what is a presumed holiday to visit her family.
In an image obtained by Pulse Tasmania, the royal was spotted shopping at the bustling Salamanca Market in Hobart on Saturday, February 15, effortlessly blending in with locals during the informal outing.
While she was not photographed with her husband King Frederik or their four children Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent, and Princess Josephine, it is believed all but Christian are also in Tasmania for the private family holiday.
Her eldest son is currently in military school back in Denmark where he is training with the Gardehusarregimentet (Grand Hussar Regiment). He is also currently acting as regent from February 7 until February 16, indicating that his parents are out of the country.
Queen Mary last visited Australia in October 2024 alongside her twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent where they visited family and friends.
It is understood that the royal trio attended a family wedding for Mary’s niece at Frogmore Creek Winery in the Coal River Valley in Tasmania on Saturday, October 26.
Local media reported that the mother-of-four was in good spirits, happily speaking with other wedding guests – even posing for personal photos!
After spending time with family in Australia’s southernmost state, the Queen made a top-secret visit to Sydney, where she was spotted by eagle-eyed paparazzi on Wednesday, October 30th.
The 53-year-old was photographed enjoying a walk in the sunshine on the iconic Bondi to Coogee coastal walk in stylish yet functional black shorts, a black top, and a black cap.
She was also seen exchanging some warm hugs with 13-year-old Josephine and even took part in a running race across the sand of Bronte Beach with some friends, including Amber Petty who was a bridesmaid at her 2004 wedding.
The following day, she and Amber were photographed together again, this time enjoying a morning swim at the picturesque Balmoral Beach with other friends.
After spending almost a full week in Australia, the Danish royals flew out of Australia via Sydney Airport.
While Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine were not spotted enjoying a pre-flight swim alongside their mother at Balmoral Beach, they were photographed in casual ensembles later that day as they prepared for their 24-hour trip home to Denmark.
Mary was seen wearing a comfy pair of blue jeans, a laced white shirt, and a large brown handbag.
While the royal has frequently returned home to Australia over the years since marrying into one of the world’s oldest royal families, this was her first visit since she and her husband were proclaimed King and Queen in January 2024.
Before this, Queen Mary last visited Australia in December 2023 for what many royal watchers now view as a final ‘hurrah’ given just weeks later Queen Margrethe II used her New Year’s Eve address to announce she would be abdicating from the Danish throne.
At the time, she and her twins climbed the Sydney Harbour Bridge before they traveled to Tasmania to spend time with their extended family. They then flew to New Zealand where they reunited with the then Crown Prince Frederik.
That time around, King Frederik did not join his wife and children in her home country due to other royal engagements, with Princess Isabella presumably staying with him, and Crown Prince Christian unable to make the journey due to his extended ‘gap year’ experience until December 2024.
Queen Mary’s last official visit to Australia was in April 2023 when she visited Sydney for just one day and took part in several engagements that focused on sustainability and green energy.
Prior to that, she and her husband last toured Australia in an official capacity in 2013.
While it is hoped that the Danish royals will return down under for a royal tour in the months to come, many suspect that they will keep their brief visits personal, and continue to visit family and friends for special events and occasions – as they did in 2022 where the entire family traveled to Hobart for Christmas.
