Queen Mary pairs decade-old Australian favourite with historic jewels for opening of parliament in Copenhagen

King Frederik and Queen Mary were the guests of honour at one of the royal family's most important events on Tuesday, the opening of the parliamentary year.

The King, 57, and his Australian-born wife, 53, arrived at Christiansborg Palace just before noon and they were joined by Queen Margrethe II and her sister Princess Benedikte.

The royal family greeted each other with kisses on the cheek and briefly greeted the waiting media, before making their way inside.

Denmark's parliament, known as Folketinget, is located within Christiansborg Palace in central Copenhagen.

The opening of parliament is a tradition upheld by the Danish royals annually, where they listen to Prime Minister Minister Mette Frederiksen's speech, heralding in a new political year.

It takes place on the first Tuesday of October and marks the start of the new legislative year after the summer break.

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Queen Mary wore a cream skirt by Italian designer Lunatica Milano and a navy crepe knit jacket by Australian brand Scanlan Theodore, a piece first seen on the royal in 2016.

She accessorised with plum heels and a handbag and hat by Jane Taylor in the same colour.

Queen Mary's jewels come from an impressive parure (or 'set') known as the Pearl Poiré, which also includes a tiara.

Mary wore the stud earrings and its matching brooch, featuring large white pearls surrounded by diamonds.

The combination of jewels were first worn by Queen Mary during a state visit to Norway in May, 2024, when she also debuted the Pearl Poire tiara.

They were again seen on Mary during a visit to Paris in March, when she paired the jewels with a cream two-piece skirt suit by Dior.

The earrings and brooch, and its tiara, were regularly worn by Mary's mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe including to some of the most important events during her 52-year reign, such as her first official portraits following her accession to the throne in 1972 and her Golden Jubilee in 2022.

The suite of jewels is believed to have been made in Germany around 1825 and belonged to Margrethe's royal ancestors from Prussia, Sweden and the Netherlands.

It came to Denmark through Queen Lovisa, who married the future King Frederik VIII of Denmark in 1869.

The jewels are part of The Danish Royal Property Trust, a collection of pieces reserved for the queen's use only. The trust was created by Frederik VIII and Queen Lovisa in 1910 to ensure important jewels would be passed down through the generations and not sold.

Last week, Queen Mary wore two other historic jewels from the same collection to a diplomatic dinner inside Christian VII's Palace at Amalienborg.

Today's opening of parliament was a reunion of sorts for the Danish royals as last year Queen Margrethe was unable to attend.

The monarch had missed the event because she was on sick leave following a fall.

The 85-year-old continues to join her son and daughter-in-law at events where possible, despite abdicating in January 2024.

Queen Margrethe now spends much of her time at Fredensborg Palace, north of Copenhagen.

Crown Prince Christian, Queen Mary and King Frederik's eldest son and heir, was absent from the opening of parliament due to his ongoing military training.

The 19-year-old is working towards qualifying as a lieutenant in Slagelse, west of Copenhagen, which began in February.

Earlier this year, Crown Prince Christian qualified as a Guards Hussar.

The Crown Prince will celebrate his 20th birthday on October 15.

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