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Queen Mary of Denmark made her first public appearance since the death of her father, Professor John Dalgleish Donaldson, on Thursday. She was seen alongside her husband, King Frederik, as well as Queen Margrethe and Margarethe’s younger sister, Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, outside of the Fredensborg Palace. The family was gathered together for a concert celebrating Queen Margrethe’s 86th birthday today.
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Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Queen Margrethe and her dog Tilia, King Frederik, and Queen Mary at Denmark’s Fredensborg Palace.
The Royal House of Denmark confirmed Donaldson’s death earlier this week, noting his “health has been declining over the past few years.” He was 84 years old. Along with an official announcement from the palace, Mary also shared a more personal statement: “My heart is heavy, and my thoughts are grey. My beloved father has passed away. But I know that when the grief settles, the memories will brighten my day, and what will remain strongest is love and gratitude for everything he gave me and taught me.”
Queen Mary last visited her father in March, when she and King Frederik went on a six-day official tour of Australia, which included a stop in Mary’s hometown of Hobart.
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Queen Mary wore a dark navy suit, which is traditionally acceptable as a respectful alternative to black for royals while in mourning.
Donaldson was born in Scotland on September 5, 1941, and graduated from the University of Edinburgh with honors in mathematics and physics. He and his first wife, Henrietta Clark Horne, married in 1963 and emigrated to Tasmania, where they raised Mary and her three siblings. After Henrietta’s death in 1997, Donaldson remarried Susan Horwood, an English crime novelist who publishes under several pen names.
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Mary seen arriving at Copenhagen Cathedral with her father in 2004.
Donaldson walked Mary down the aisle at her May 2004 wedding to then-Crown Prince Frederik wearing a kilt in honor of his Scottish heritage, and attended the christening of their first child, Prince Christian, in 2006. A private funeral service is expected to be held later this month, following the upcoming confirmation of Frederik and Mary’s twin children, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, which is scheduled for April 18.
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.