'Nothing is left to chance': Real reason why Queen Mary didn't wear a tiara for the Australian state banquet in Canberra

Queen Mary's decision to forgo a tiara for a black-tie dinner during the Australian state visit caused shock and disappointment for many royal watchers.

But there was a simple, and very reasonable, explanation as to why the Danish Queen chose to wear a golden brooch in her hair instead of a grand headpiece.

According to a Danish insider, Mary's sartorial move "makes sense" because when it comes to the protocol-savvy Tasmanian-born royal, "nothing is left to chance".

Queen Mary and her husband King Frederik X are currently in Australia for the first and only state visit of the monarch's reign.

Frederik was proclaimed King of Denmark, and Mary as his Queen, on January 14 2024 when his mother Margrethe II abdicated the throne after 52 years.

The royal couple chose Australia for their first state visit outside of Europe, signifying the importance of our country not only to Denmark but also to Mary as her place of birth and where she grew up.

They are travelling with a contingent of 55 Danish business focused on strengthening economic ties with Australia in the areas of sustainability, renewable energy and the green transition.

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The six-day tour began in Uluru on Saturday and will end on Thursday in Mary's former hometown, Hobart.

The second leg of the tour was in Canberra where the royal couple did their first walkabout of the tour at the Australian War Memorial.

The King and Queen were welcomed to the nation's capital on Sunday with a ceremony at Government House, followed by a state banquet – the most formal event on the tour.

Hosted by Australia's Governor-General, Sam Mostyn, the dress code was black tie and most royal watchers had expected Queen Mary to wear a tiara.

Had she done so, it would have been the first time Mary had worn a tiara on Australian soil.

But it was not meant to be.

Instead, the Queen wore a brooch as a hair clip designed by Danish fine jewellery house Ole Lynggaard.

The delicate piece of jewellery is from the 'leaves collection' and is crafted from 18 karat yellow gold with 117 pavé-set diamonds. The leaves contain a mixture of rose and yellow gold. A similar version of the brooch is available for sale for $39,900.

Mary wore the brand's 'winter frost' earrings with smoky quartz drops.

Long-time royal correspondent for Danish magazine BILLED BLADET, Marianne Singer, said the Queen's choice to leave her tiara at home was deliberate.

Singer said she was "not surprised".

"It makes sense, because the host [of the dinner] was the Governor-General of Australia, who serves as King Charles's representative in the Commonwealth country, and not a head of state," Singer told nine.com.au.

"Therefore, the royal couple naturally adjusts their attire for the state banquet so that it aligns with the host.

"Of course, these details are coordinated in advance between host and guests before the visit takes place. Nothing is left to chance."

Following the change of throne King Frederik and Queen Mary carried out state visits to Denmark's close neighbours including Sweden, Norway and Finland.

They've also had state visits to the three Baltic countries: Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania.

"If, for example, the host had been a royal or a president, they would have matched the head of state in their appearance, and in that context the Queen would almost certainly have worn a tiara," Singer said.

Queen Mary wore a tiara to all of the previous state visits except the one she and the King did in France in April, 2025.

As France abolished its monarchy during the French Revolution in the 18th Century, wearing a tiara would not have been appropriate.

For the state dinner held at the Élysée Palace in Paris, and hosted by President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron, Queen Mary wore jewels by Ole Lynggaard then, too.

Last year, its general manager for Australia and New Zealand, Kamilla van der Velde, spoke to nine.com.au about the Midnight tiara created by the brand and worn exclusively by Queen Mary. The brand was established in 1963 and has held a Royal Warrant since 2008.

For the Australian banquet, Queen Mary re-wore a mint gown by her long-time Danish designer Jesper Høvring.

The gown was first seen on Mary, when she was Crown Princess, in 2010 to the wedding of Sweden's Crown Princess Victoria. Back then it had a gold lace overlay over the shoulders.

"It had the gold lace top for the wedding because she couldn't have naked shoulders for the church, and later on we took the lace top off," Høvring told nine.com.au in 2022 from his boutique in Frederiksberg, just outside of Copenhagen.

It was later transformed into a one-shouldered gown with a long train that fell down Mary's back and worn in 2011 for a charity event in Melbourne.

Since then, the gown has been modified several times in keeping with Mary's passion for sustainability.

Queen Mary last wore the gown, with its new lace overlay, to the wedding of Jordan's Crown Prince Hussain and Princess Rajwa in 2023 before bringing it out again for the state banquet in Canberra.

Queen Mary has already showed off a range of carefully-curated looks across the Australian tour, with her wardrobe including a mix of Australian and Danish brands.

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