Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark in Sydney, Australia in 2013.Photo: Getty Images
The two kept their relationship secret for over a year. However, in November 2001, a Danish tabloid reported that Frederick was dating an Australian named Mary Donaldson. At the time, the Danish royal family declined to comment. However, rumors began to swirl incessantly, and three months later, Mary and Frederick’s relationship was confirmed. By early 2003, Mary moved to Copenhagen to work for a subsidiary of Microsoft. In September, the palace officially announced the engagement.
Before her wedding, Mary received de facto “princess lessons” from Frederick’s courtier, Sir Chamberlain Pell-Thornit, which included a crash course in language and history.
On May 14, 2004, the couple married at Copenhagen Cathedral. Mary wore a long-sleeved ivory silk wedding dress by Danish designer Uffe Frank and an Irish lace veil. A reception for 400 people was then held at Fredensborg Palace on the island of Zealand.
Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and his bride Crown Princess Mary on their wedding day in May 2004.Photo: Getty Images
Throughout the courtship, the media focused on Mary’s “commoner” status, sliding door the nature of their first encounter; Twenty years later, as Mary prepares to wear her crown, it’s a story of all-conquering love that still resonates today, even as rumors grow about the couple’s marriage.