When the couple married in the Church of Our Lady, Copenhagen Cathedral, in 2004, Mary's father appeared wearing a Scottish kilt. He emphasized her Scottish roots in his speech, claiming that his clan had once helped expel the Norsemen from the Hebrides, off the northwest coast of Scotland.
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Mary, who was born and educated in Hobart, Tasmania, made clear her connection to the land of her parents and ancestors through the official coat of arms she created when she married Frederick in 2004. It features specific heraldic symbols for Scotland (the black boat) and Clan MacDonald (the eagle).
Her father married British crime novelist Susan Moody after his wife's death. He was Dean of the University of Tasmania, and a visiting professor at the University of Oxford.
Mary renounced her Australian and United Kingdom citizenship, held through her Scottish-born parents, when she married Frederick.
Danish media, enjoying the international attention, explained that Mary had become the first Australian to become queen anywhere – suggesting that her supporters at home were delighted.
The end of another royal era
If the royal news here in Copenhagen couldn't get any further, another bombshell was announced on Tuesday: Marie's hairstylist, Søren Hedegaard, will resign after 23 years in the position on January 14 — the day she becomes queen.
He followed the couple through thick and thin, traveled with them on official visits abroad, and was behind Mary's extravagant hairstyles on both private and formal occasions at home.
“It has been a wonderful and unforgettable 23 years, full of memories and friendships that I will always carry in my heart. My life has always been colorful and changing, and I hope it continues to be so in the years to come,” he wrote.
“On 14/1/2024, after 23 years of working as a hairstylist to Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Mary, I will be passing the baton on to the next generation.”
The 68-year-old said he now invests his energy and passion into his work as creative director at STUHR, one of Copenhagen's leading salons. “My craft is the blood of my heart. So my job… is also where I will put all my energy and love for my craft in the future.
Bookmakers do not pay “Abdication” bets.
More than 300 Danes were left reeling after bookmaker Danske Spil said it would not pay out money to those who bet on Queen Margrethe's abdication on New Year's Eve.
In Denmark, it is customary in many homes to guess what the Queen says in her annual New Year's speech, with the gambling company betting on hundreds of words or names. The favorite word this year was “peace.”
The word abdication paid 15.00 Danish kroner ($3.25), so if a gambler placed 100 kroner, he would get 1,500 kroner ($325.35) if the queen said the word.
The only problem? She didn't say the actual word.
“We have many words that have the same meaning,” said Peter Emek Rasmussen of Danske Spil (National Lottery). “And if we start paying for this, why not pay for similar words that you came up with?
“We listed 'resignation' as one of the words you could play with, but that's not what she said. She said something about 'wanting to resign'. And we didn't have it.” What word paid the most? Zelensky, the company paid more than 1 million kroner to 1,310 people who tipped it.
New relationships will be built
Marie will also become Queen of Greenland and the Faroe Islands on January 14, a role that has not always been easy for the Danish monarchy.
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Greenland is an autonomous region of Denmark located in the North Atlantic Ocean between North America and Europe. It is the largest island in the world and is mostly covered in ice, making it the least populated country in the world. It is home to fjords, icebergs and glaciers, making it an attractive destination for tourists.
Greenland relies heavily on Denmark when it comes to finance and defence. Then-Prime Minister Kim Kielsen's call in 2019 for a new relationship between the two countries – he pointed to inequality, shipping routes and access to natural resources – increased calls for full independence among the people of Greenland.
Queen Margaret maintained a close relationship with both regions, making annual trips there on board the royal yacht. Danish media noted that her abdication was not mentioned in her New Year's speech in Greenland or the Faroe Islands.
Paul Krarup, editor-in-chief of Greenlandic sermetsiak, He said that the island's residents are closely following the transitional phase.
Colorful houses in Pamiut village, Sermersooq, Greenland.credit: Scientific
“The interesting thing is that no matter how much Denmark was reprimanded, it never got past the queen,” he said.
There is speculation that Mary will be sent on a magical attack into the regions early to ensure a strong relationship.
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