In 2000, during the Olympic Games, Princess Mary, then Mary Donaldson, was living in Sydney. One night in the middle of his once-in-a-lifetime sporting event, the 28-year-old Tasmanian-born advertising executive decided to go to the local bar, the Slip Inn, with his roommate. Little did she know that it would be the night that would change her life forever.
Crown Prince Frederik and his friend Prince of Asturias (current King Felipe of Spain) were also heading there. However, Mary’s roommate and the Spanish royal family were already acquainted, so the two friendship groups were to be combined. The two hit it off immediately, even though Mary didn’t know who her prince was at first. “The first time we met, we shook hands,” she told Australian comedian Andrew Denton in a 2005 interview. “I didn’t know he was the Prince of Denmark. Half an hour later, someone came up to me and said, ‘Do you know who these people are?’ Soon after, they exchanged numbers and a long-distance relationship began.
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.