In a candid new interview, Queen Mary has opened up about the loneliness she felt after leaving Australia for Denmark, and the grief that left her feeling more isolated than ever.
Speaking to Danish children’s newspaper Børneavisen, the 54-year-old said language was a big hurdle when she first moved overseas.
Queen Mary on feeling ‘left out’ after moving to Denmark
“When I moved to Denmark, I didn’t really know the language,” she recalled. “When you don’t know the language and you’re sitting at a dinner, or playing a game and can’t really follow, you feel a bit left out.”
Mary said the little things made all the difference. A person who stopped to explain what was going on, or spoke a bit slower, instantly made her feel included. As her Danish improved, the feeling faded.
But it was the loss of her beloved mum Henrietta ‘Etta’ that left her feeling the most alone.
“I’ve also felt a bit left out,” the Queen admitted. “It has been especially in certain situations. For example, when I lost my mother, I felt very alone.”
Mary was just 25 when Etta died in 1997 after complications from heart surgery. Her father John died earlier this year, on April 11.
Now, an insider tells Woman’s Day the homesickness has never really gone away.
Queen Mary’s homesickness for Australia
“Mary will never stop missing Australia and her family back home. The smells, the birdsong, the incredible food,” the insider says. “And yes, it was difficult when she first relocated to Denmark and felt stunted by the language when she so wanted to leave an impression.”
They say Mary also worries her children aren’t getting a taste of their Aussie roots, and wishes they’d done something like Princess Ingrid of Norway, who has studied at the University of Sydney.
“It’s always been a delicate dance because her children are part of a Royal lineage whereas she’s just ‘passing through’, so they have to show unquestioning loyalty to Denmark,” the source explains. “She understands that but she would love to see them experience more of her home country.”
The insider says home is where Mary goes to recharge.
“Years ago when her father’s health started to decline, Mary had protocol in place that had her on a plane at a moment’s notice. While that’s not needed now, she still has carte blanche over when and how often she goes home. It’s a salve and even Frederik admits she always comes back revitalised and invigorated.”
The insider also claims there’s a lot riding on those trips.
“Frederik knows that if he puts one foot out of line again, he’ll have his own runaway bride on his hands,” they say. “Australia is where she always goes to lick her wounds, but her greatest fear is one day she’ll never come back.”
Loneliness is a cause close to Mary’s heart. She chairs the Mary Foundation, which works to tackle social isolation and help people, especially kids and young people, feel included.
In her chat with Børneavisen, she said being left out of a group is a horrible feeling, and one she knows well.
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