The Danish royals have arrived at the Uluru Kata Tjuṯa Cultural Centre, as King Frederik and Queen Mary begin Denmark’s first state visit to Australia in 40 years.

Queen Mary and King Frederik X shake hands with traditional owners at Uluru Kata Tjuṯa Cultural Centre Queen Mary and King Frederik X shook hands with traditional owners at Uluru Kata Tjuṯa Cultural Centre, before making their way into the centre for a private guided tour and conversation.(ABC News)

The trip from March 14 to 19 will include stops in the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania, and is aimed at strengthening ties in the renewable energy, offshore wind, and energy-efficient urban development sectors.

A large delegation representing 55 Danish renewable energy companies will be in tow.

A couple descend a flight of steps from an aeroplane on tarmac. The royals arrived in Central Australia on Saturday afternoon.(NT News)

While it is Tasmanian-born Mary’s fourth official trip to Australia as a Danish royal, it is the couple’s first since they were crowned king and queen in 2024.

A man in military dress wipes his face King Frederik wipes away tears as his family join him on the balcony. (Ritzau Scanpix/Bo Amstrup via Reuters)A man crying while his family stands next to him King Frederik is moved to tears by the crowds. (AP: Martin Meissner)A man and a woman hold hands Mary joins Frederik on the balcony after his proclamation. (Reuters: Wolfgang Rattay)A group of people waving on a balcony Frederik and Mary have four children. (Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix via AP)

The couple will spend one night in the Northern Territory before heading to Canberra.

They started their visit in Central Australia with a greeting from the traditional custodians of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa, the Aṉangu, who performed a traditional inma, or ceremonial dance.

Three Indigenous women in headbands and matching, dark outfits stand and prepare to dance near a building in the outback. A traditional Inma was performed by the Anangu.(ABC News)

They will also meet trainees from the National Indigenous Training Academy before taking in the sunset at Uluṟu.

A crowd of people sit on chairs outside a building in the outback. King Frederik and Queen Mary watched the inma as rain lightly fell.(ABC News)

Tomorrow the couple will visit the sacred Muṯitjulu Waterhole, at Uluṟu’s base.

These activities form part of the trip’s focus on “nature and conversation elements”.

From Central Australia, the couple will head to Canberra with a jam-packed itinerary, highlighted by a 21-gun salute at Government House on Sunday and a dinner hosted by Governor-General Sam Mostyn.

The fairytale storyA dark-haired woman and a dark-haired man cuddle up together. Mary was 28 years old when she was catapulted into the spotlight after meeting Prince Frederick in Sydney.(Supplied)

Mary’s fairytale life story no doubt contributes to her wide appeal as a royal, especially to Australians.

How a girl from Hobart marries a prince

As Denmark’s royal couple, King Frederik and Australian-born Queen Mary, tour the queen’s homeland, we look back at how their romance began.

Raised in Hobart, Tasmania, she worked in advertising and lived a normal life until she met her then-prince charming, now king, Frederik, at a bar in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics. 

They married in 2004 and have four children.

Mary is known for her charity work and in 2007 established the non-profit Mary Foundation to combat social isolation, bullying and domestic violence.

Known for her minimalist, functional fashion choices, Queen Mary advocates for sustainable couture and showcases Danish designers.

A bearded man with grey hair smiles as he watches a dark-haired woman wave to a crowd on a cordoned off city street. The couple have visited Australia many times over the years, including this visit to Sydney in 2013 as crown prince and princess.(AAP. Rob Griffith)Uluru a popular destination for royals

The Danish royal trip evokes memories of March 1983, when princess Diana and her husband, now King Charles, visited Uluṟu.

A smiling woman and man — Diana and Charles - stand on a grassy plain at the foot of Uluru. Diana and Charles at Uluru in March, 1983.(Reuters)

The Diana craze was at its peak, and while the royal obsession has subsided through generations, Queen Mary may induce another sort of quiet mania.

The political climate was heated in 1983, when Aboriginal land rights and the growing republican movement were in focus.

Marking 40 years since Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa returned to Anangu

When you drive towards Uluṟu and see the stark, red monolith on the horizon, or stand at its base and look up at its striking enormity, time stands still.

The global setting of this royal visit is volatile, with a war in the Middle East raging and continuing climate scepticism.

The most recent high-profile royal trip to Uluṟu was in April 2014, when Prince William and Kate Middleton toured Australia.

The Duke and Duchess did not follow in the footsteps of William’s parents, who controversially climbed Uluṟu against the wishes of traditional owners, opting instead for a walk around its base.

A smiling woman and man stand in front of Uluru. The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Uluru in 2014 as the duke and duchess of Cambridge.(Reuters: Phil Noble)