Queen Mary of Denmark was met with cheers as she greeted a packed crowd outside the War Memorial in Canberra on Monday on the Australian-born royal’s first state visit with husband King Fredrick X.
Queen Mary, who met then Crown Prince Fredrick at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, arrived in Australia on Sunday for the couple’s first official visit since King Fredrick ascended the throne in 2024.
The King and Queen laid a wreath and floral tribute at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and paused at the Roll of Honour for Flying Officer Henry James Brock, a Tasmanian-born officer killed in action on February 27, 1944 and buried in Denmark.
The couple also placed a poppy at the memorial for Flying Officer Geoffrey Herbert Brandon Slinn, who was killed in action over Denmark on November 27, 1944.
The royal couple were welcomed by Governor-General Sam Mostyn and partner Simeon Beckett SC. They were joined on the state visit by members of the royal court as well as a delegation of political leaders, including Danish Climate Minister Lars Aagaard.
They were greeted at Parliament House later on Monday by Anthony Albanese, before a reception at the office of Speaker Milton Dick.
Mr Dick told the Queen though it was the first state visit from Denmark’s monarch in almost 40 years, it was her third time signing the Speaker’s guest book.
A number of Senators and MPs joined for a cross-nation friendship event, including Liberal Deputy Leader Ted O’Brien and Coalition senators Jonathon Duniam, Dean Smith, and Susan McDonald, as well as Labor Bean MP Dean Smith.
The group will travel to Hobart on Thursday.
More than 200 onlookers, including Danes living in Australia, schoolchildren and locals, gathered outside the War Memorial on Monday morning, many waving flowers or Australian and Danish flags.
A large Danish flag was unfurled over the security fencing.
Outside the memorial, the couple made their way around the crowd, shaking hands, speaking with children, and at one point kneeling down to pat a dog.
Among the crowd were Danish backpackers Benedikte Nikolajsen, 20, and Asger Nielsen, 19, from Horsens, who are on a month-long trip to Australia.
Carrying her large backpack, Ms Nikolajsen said the pair were on their way to take the bus to Sydney when they stopped to see the Danish monarchs.
She said while the royal couple were “out and about” in Denmark, they were usually on the other side of the country to the pair.
“We don’t see them a lot like face-to-face, but in the media, we see them a lot,” Ms Nikolajsen said.
“We don’t integrate a lot with them, of course, but they’re just really nice people, so we kind of, when you see them, it’s always a pleasure.”
Yasmin Swifte, from Double Bay in Sydney, was at the memorial to see Queen Mary on her first state visit to her native Australia.
“And, to be able to see them here at such an important national monument is very exciting,” she said.
Ms Swifte described the Queen as “highly educated”.
“She’s so poised, beautiful, elegant and refined, and she’s a true Australian icon,” she said.
Asked how she felt about returning to Australia, Queen Mary said: “It’s very humbling.”
The visit comes at a precarious time for Denmark, a constitutional monarchy, after a months-long campaign by US President Donald Trump to take control of Greenland, a self-governing Danish territory.
The Republican President ruled out the use of the force to take the island in January.
King Fredrick ascended the throne in 2024 following the abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II. The Danish monarchy was first formed in the 8th century.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.news.com.au ’
