The special reason why Queen Mary wore this red ballgown as she and King Frederik visit Latvia

Queen Mary has worn one of her most show-stopping gowns as she and King Frederik were the guests of honour at a state banquet during a whirlwind visit to Latvia.

It was the King and Queen's first visit to the Baltic country since the change of throne in Denmark in January, 2024.

The royal couple arrived in the capital, Riga, on Tuesday and met with the country's president at his official residence, Riga Castle.

They were welcomed with a guard of honour before moving on to the Latvian Occupation Museum, which charts the history of Latvia under the Soviet and German regimes from 1940 to 1991.

Afterwards King Frederik and Queen Mary were shown around the historic city centre, including the famous Art Nouveau quarter which was recognised on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1997.

The city has the world's largest concentration of Art Nouveau architecture, with 800 buildings featuring the nature-inspired motifs.

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Queen Mary wore headband by Jane Taylor and a navy dress made by Soeren Le Schmidt, most recently seen in May for King Frederik's birthday.

The celebrated Danish designer was behind the white outfit the Queen wore when her husband was proclaimed King of Denmark.

She accessorised with pearl and diamond earrings, and a matching brooch, from the Pearl Poiré parure (or set), which are part of The Danish Royal Property Trust – a collection of jewels 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.

Later in the evening, the King and Queen attended a state banquet where Frederik spoke of the enduring ties between Denmark and Latvia, including the two other Baltic countries Estonia and Lithuania, which they will soon visit.

Denmark never recognised the Soviet annexation of the Baltic countries and in August 1991 was among the first to re-establish diplomatic relations after secession from the Soviet Union.

"Our values, our democracies, our freedoms are at stake," King Frederik said.

"We feel it now. With the return of unrest on our continent, the threat has once again stepped out of the shadows.

"The war is raging in Ukraine and spreading insecurity in Europe. We are filled with disbelief and sadness at the similarity to what we thought was behind us – and we walk a fine line between facing the danger and avoiding sowing unnecessary fear."

The King was awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Knights of the Cross, Latvia's highest military order. Queen Mary received the Grand Cross of the Order of the Three Stars.

In return, King Frederik appointed Latvia's president a Knight of the Order of the Elephant, Denmark's highest order of chivalry.

The King and Queen wore their new orders to the state banquet, pinned to their outfits.

Queen Mary was dressed in a red gown by Soeren Le Schmidt which she first wore to the New Year's gala on January 1, in 2018.

She also wore the Edwardian tiara and earrings, which she had purchased at auction in 2012, which includes red spinels and diamonds.

Queen Mary's red outfit was no coincidence, instead it was an example of diplomatic dressing at its best: the red of the gown was a nod to the colour of Latvia's flag.

Red is also the main colour of Denmark's flag. When King Frederik proposed to Mary in 2002, he presented her with a ruby ring flanked by two white diamonds, mirroring the Danish flag.

The King and Queen are due to leave Latvia on Wednesday following another day of engagements, including a visit to a military training camp.

Frederik and Mary first visited Latvia together in December, 2018, as Crown Prince and Crown Princess.

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