Looking back at Queen Mary of Denmark's 2004 royal wedding dress 20 years on

Two decades ago, an Australian woman named Mary Donaldson officially became a Danish princess.

She was aptly wearing a striking tiara as she uttered the vows that would change the course of Denmark's monarchy forever.

This week marks 20 years since the now-Queen Mary and King Frederik tied the knot and became husband and wife in 2004.

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Theirs was a royal love story for the ages. So it was only fitting that Mary's wedding dress was designed with the Tasmanian's unique heritage in mind.

Here, 9honey revisits one of the most famous royal wedding dresses of all time – and the secrets sewn into the glorious fabric.

The unique design

Mary was becoming a member of Denmark's storied monarchy, so her dress needed an element of conservatism.

The gown was handmade by Danish designer Uffe Frank, and was made with ivory duchesse satin and a mother-of-pearl sheen. It was sewn by by Birgit Hallstein, a dressmaker based in Copenhagen.

Mary's dress reportedly concealed a tribute to her late mother, Henrietta ('Etta') Donaldson, who died in 1997. It's believed the royal bride had her mother's wedding ring stitched into the bodice of her dress to sit near her heart.

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Mary has never confirmed this or spoken about the intricate details of her wedding dress.

It was also lined with 31 metres of tulle, making the skirt and train have the appearance of a princess-style ball-gown.

"The skirt contained an impressive eight metres of Irish heirloom lace, folded into panels opening from the hip," Zoe Burke, wedding expert and editor of Hitched, told Express in 2023.

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"The choice of lace represented Frederik's family roots – it had originally been given to his great-grandmother, Crown Princess Margaret of Sweden."

Frank designed the gown with a scoop neckline, a fitted waist and long sleeves. He called the sleeves "Calla sleeves" as they folded like Calla lilies.

Her look was finished with a 19-foot train and she wore an antique lace veil once worn by Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden.

According to reports, Mary's dress may have cost around $76,000 to make.

Though the dress is often regarded as one of the most iconic royal gowns of all time, Mary didn't consider herself a style icon in the early days.

She told Vogue in 2005 after her wedding: "I've never really thought that much about fashion."

"It is important that I look smart and elegant and appropriately dressed for every occasion. I'm still developing my style to fit with my new role."

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Mary's tiara

Mary's wedding tiara was a spectacular choice, a piece that was gifted to her from Queen Margrethe II and the late Prince Henrik of Denmark.

The diamond tiara features five large peaks with six smaller diamond prongs in between, with the tips able to be swapped for pearls.

The tiara complemented Mary's antique lace veil, first worn in 1905 and then again by her mother-in-law in 1967.

She paired diamond and South Sea pearl drop earrings designed by Marianne Dulong with the tiara on her wedding day.

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The bouquet 

Mary wanted her Australian heritage present on her wedding so her bridal bouquet included a flowing trail of eucalyptus, roses and a sprig of myrtle from Fredensborg Palace.

A replica of that bouquet is now on display with Mary's wedding gown at the Natural History Museum.

After the wedding, Mary's bouquet was laid on the grave of her late mother, Henrietta, in Scotland.

Mary's three bridesmaids, which included her sisters Jane and Patricia and her close friend Amber, were dressed in deep red to honour the Danish flag.

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