Queen Mary of Denmark and her husband, King Fredrik, arrived in Australia over the weekend as part of an Official State Visit, and now an insider has revealed the “personal” reasons for the Aussie-born royal’s visit.
The royal couple’s six-day state visit aims to strengthen the relations between the two countries “culturally, economically and in foreign policy”.
An inside source revealed that the real reason behind Queen Mary’s trip was that her father, John Donaldson, is battling a “decline” in his health.
“Mary insisted they wind up the tour in Hobart so she can stay on and spend as much time as possible with her dad,” the source told Woman’s Day.
“At 84, John’s not been able to travel for some time – he was devastated to miss her coronation [in January 2024] – but for Mary, every visit carries more weight as his decline is more visible to her than her siblings who see him all the time.”
The insider added that the Aussie-born royal’s “homecoming isn’t just diplomatic, it’s personal”.
Royal etiquette experts have also pointed out that her father’s ill health might be the reason why there has been a sombre undertone during her appearances.
Etiquette expert Jo Hayes told the Daily Mail that Queen Mary is “no doubt chomping at the bit” to see her father at the end of her official visit because “she doesn’t get to spend much time with him”.
Despite her own personal struggles, “she behaves as she should – as royalty”.
“Mary is a supremely level-headed person,” the expert said, adding: “I would say her inner strength is keeping her steady and anchored in how she’s approaching her father’s declining health.”
The royal couple touched down in Perth on Friday evening, before making their way to Uluru followed by Canberra on Monday. They will head to Melbourne next, before ending their tour in Hobart, Tasmania.
Image: Marek Szandurski / Shutterstock.com
