The heartbreaking reason for Queen Mary of Denmark’s much-anticipated Australian tour has been revealed.
The Aussie-born royal, who is married to King Frederik X of Denmark, arrived Down Under over the weekend alongside her husband as part of an Official State Visit to strengthen the relations between the two countries “culturally, economically and in foreign policy”.
However, an insider has shed light on the real reason behind Mary’s Australian trip, revealing that her beloved 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,” a 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 adds that Mary’s “homecoming isn’t just diplomatic, it’s personal”.
Her father’s ill health is most probably weighing on the royal’s mind, hence why a royal etiquette expert has pointed out a sad undercurrent during her appearances.
Jo Hayes told the Daily Mail that Mary is “no doubt chomping at the bit” to see her father at the end of her official visit, particularly because “she doesn’t get to spend much time with him”.
However, despite the hidden sadness beneath the surface, “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.”
Last week, Mary and Frederik’s travel plans were thrown into doubt after international air traffic lanes were impacted by the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.
A spokesperson for the Danish Royal Family revealed that some changes had been made to the couple’s travel itinerary as a result.
“The royal couple’s visit to Australia will be carried out with a few adjustments that will be announced later,” a representative told Danish publication B.T.
Despite making a few tweaks to their travel plans, the couple confirmed that they were still going ahead with their visit between March 14 and March 19.
“The dates of the visit will not be changed,” the spokesperson confirmed.
The royal couple touched down in Perth on Friday evening before making their way to Uluru, where they visited the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Cultural Centre and were greeted by senior Anangu, who are the traditional landowners.
They watched an Inma ceremony, which is a song and dance that connects Anangu to their ancestors, before being welcomed by the regional director of the National Indigenous Training Academy Phill Pallas.
On Monday, Queen Mary and King Frederik were then met with cheers from a packed crowd outside the War Memorial in Canberra, before making their way to Parliament House to be greeted by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
The Danish royals will head to Melbourne next, before finishing their tour in Hobart, Tasmania.