As Queen Mary of Denmark continues her highly anticipated tour of Australia this week alongside King Frederik, royal insiders reveal there may be a secret and heartbreaking reason behind their momentous visit.
While the official itinerary has seen Mary, 54, and Frederik, 57, represent Denmark across several engagements, which have included a visit to Uluru, Canberra and Melbourne, sources say the tour’s emotional heart lies in its final stop – her hometown of Hobart – where her beloved father, John Donaldson, is said to be facing increasing health challenges.
“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 tells 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.”
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TEARFUL REUNION
The youngest of four children, Mary has always shared a particularly strong bond with her father.
“Mary’s the youngest so she’s always been very close to her dad – she still shares heartfelt photos with him [like the one she posted for her 52nd birthday in 2024]. But it’s been difficult being so far away, helpless, as this kind of frailty takes over her dad.”
The trip has also provided the chance for a rare reunion with her siblings – eldest sister Jane Stephens, a Hobart-based pharmacist, Patricia Bailey, an intensive care nurse, and brother John Stuart Donaldson, a geologist.
“[Eldest sister] Jane has been keeping Mary up to date – she’s definitely the one Mary trusts more than anyone, but Patricia is a rock to that family right now. Her nursing training has saved the day on more than one occasion.”
While Mary will relish in the opportunity to see all of her family, the source adds she’ll be most looking forward to catching up with her only brother, who she shares a special connection with.
“While Mary loves both her sisters, she will always have a very close bond with her brother [John]. They don’t talk all the time and he’s not a fan of the spotlight, but they grew up so close in age they know each other better than anyone.”
TRYING TIMES
For Mary, this return home with Frederick, which marks their first visit to Australia as king and queen and the first Danish royal visit in an official capacity in almost 40 years, is a deeply personal one.
“Their dad’s a real hero to all the siblings. Mary was only 25 when their mum died and he was the one to pick up the pieces and put them altogether.”
“This homecoming isn’t just diplomatic, it’s personal. Mary has always worn her heart on her sleeve and this trip home gives her the chance to be with her father and the siblings who knew her before the crown.”
Mary’s heartbreaking return home comes at a particularly trying time for the queen.
In November, she was forced to relive the traumatic and unfounded rumours that her husband had had an affair with Genoveva Casanova after the socialite took the Spanish magazine who first leaked the photos to court.
The case was settled for $280,000, however the ordeal was said to have left Mary “distraught”.
