Princess Mary: How a young Tasmanian girl became Queen of Denmark
Mary Donaldson first made headlines in the early 2000s, when she was connected romatically to Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark for the first time.
Back then she was just a Tassie-born girl with a striking smile and easygoing nature, but that was enough to win his heart and set her on the path to one day become Queen of Denmark.
Scroll through to see how her royal story began with one night out in 2000, included a huge secret she kept from Australia in 2005, and now enters a new chapter as she prepares to be crowned.
Born in Hobart, Tasmania, on February 5, 1972, Mary Elizabeth Donaldson had a pretty regular Aussie childhood.
The youngest of four children born to Scottish parents Henrietta and John Dalgleish Donaldson, Mary played sport, studied music and did well at school.
In a devastating twist of fate, Henrietta died from complications following heart surgery in 1997. Mary was just 25.
Just a few years later, Mary was living in Sydney where she worked for Kings Cross real estate company Belle Property when the Olympics came to town.
The 2000 Olympics were a huge event for Sydney and on September 16, Mary decided to celebrate the games with a night out with friends.
They headed to the Slip Inn (pictured), a popular Sydney bar and restaurant where a number of European royals were in the crowd that night.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark was one of them.
He was at the bar with his brother Prince Joachim, as well as cousin Prince Nikolaos of Greece, and Princess Martha Louise of Norway. Then-Prince Felipe of Spain was also there and he knew one of Mary's friends, so the two groups mingled.
"The first time we met, we shook hands and I didn't know he was the Crown Prince of Denmark.
"An hour or so later someone came up to me and said, 'Do you know who these people are?'" Mary said of the moment she met her husband in an interview with 60 Minutes years later.
"From the first moment we started talking, we never really stopped talking, and that was part of our geographical distance, everything was through words so it really established a strong relationship to begin with."
Frederik felt the same and asked for her number, sparking a long-distance romance filled with secret visits between Sydney and Copenhagen.
One of those visits included a trip to the Melbourne Cup in 2002, where the new royal couple were quickly spotted by the press.
They hadn't officially announced they were dating at that stage, but it was clear the romance between them was getting serious.
"Despite the geographical distance ... we had a good connection and slowly love grew," Frederik told 60 Minutes.
That same year, he decided to do away with long-distance and invited her to live in Denmark with him.
Mary, of course, said yes.
In 2003, Mary and Frederik stepped out in public for the first time as a couple in her hometown of Hobart.
Just 30 at the time, Mary wore a sheer long-sleeved shirt, baggy blue jeans and brown sandals.
The pair were back in Australia for the 2003 Dragon World Championship, which Frederik was competing in, and managed to squeeze in some time with her family as well.
Many Aussies hoped an engagement announcement would follow soon after...
... and they weren't disappointed!
Mary and Frederik announced their engagement on October 8, 2003 and looked downright smitten during a joint press conference at Fredensborg Palace.
Danish is considered one of the most difficult languages to learn, but Mary had spent the last 18 months in Copenhagen practicing and was able to speak fluently with local press.
Queen Margrethe reportedly advised her future daughter-in-law to learn Danish so she could win over the Danish public in their native language.
She was also happy to show off her stunning engagement ring, which featured a large emerald-cut diamond in the centre, with ruby baguettes on either side.
It's understood that Frederik chose the ring to represent the colours of the Danish flag.
The subtle touch further endeared Mary to the Danish public, who would soon be her people as Crown Princess of Denmark – a title she never expected to hold.
"I don't recall wishing that one day I would be a princess," Mary said shortly after the engagement. "I wanted to be a veterinarian."
The couple ducked back to Australia for one last visit to attend Mary's sister Patricia's wedding on January 17, 2004, before tying the knot themselves.
In true early-2000s style, Mary wore a layered green dress with a matching headband and shawl, paired with strappy gold stilettos.
They were also spotted at the Australian Open in Melbourne a few days later, where Mary opted for more casual styles, like this lace top and black visor.
Meanwhile, Frederik tried a classic Aussie summer treat; a Frosty Fruit ice block.
Then they jetted back to Denmark to finalise wedding plans and prepare Mary for her new life as a royal.
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