Sick of this shit

After giving birth to her daughter Isabella in April 2007, the Crown Princess had taken a break from overseas duties which would have separated her from her young children. Her visit to New York City, a year after her solo trip to Prague, marked her return to overseas visits with a bang.  Isabella accompanied her parents but remained hidden from public view, just as her brother Christian had during the couple’s trip to Germany in 2006. This was the second time the royals had visited NYC together on official business. Their trip in early 2005 centred around the Hans Christian Andersen bicentennial, while this trip celebrated Creative Nation, a programme promoting Danish industries in the United States. The couple highlighted many successful Danish exports: Mary visited home-wares brand Bodum’s show room and met with children using Danish designed nursery equipment (which Mary said she had in her own childrens’ nursery); together the pair were guests of honour at a Scandinavian cooking display and attended a gala to celebrate Creative Nation. The trip was capped off with a press conference before the royals jetted off to reunite with their son. 

Princess Estelle and Princess Sofia compare their cold hands while standing on the balcony for King Carl XVI Gustaf’s 70th birthday celebrations

Princess Estelle hugs her parents. Nobody commits to a hug like little Estelle

Although Mary had made day trips abroad without her husband, this trip to Prague was her first official solo tour. The visit came almost exactly two years after her tour to London- her first official trip abroad with her husband- and Mary had become a consummate professional in that short time. Alongside the wife of the Czech president, Mary took in the sites of the Central European capital on a boat ride down the Vltava river and a walking tour of the oldest parts of town. She also attended a performance of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra as part of the Prague International Music Festival, tasted locally made Danish pastries, and visited Prague Castle, which had once housed the Holy Roman Emperors. The visit did not attract much media attention, allowing the Crown Princess to enjoy some rare privacy, until a group of Australian tourists spotted the Tasmanian born royal and tried to get close to her. The incident prompted panic from Mary’s security guards, but the royal herself remained her calm and amiable self throughout. 

Ever since their 2004 marriage, the public had eagerly awaited the Crown Princess’s first official tour to her Australian homeland. The moment finally came in early 2005 when the couple visited Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra and Mary’s home state of Tasmania. As the tour covered such a wide geographical area the itinerary was packed with a range of engagements, but Mary still had a special connection with many of the organisations visited: at a ball hosted by the Victor Chang Cardiac Research Institute she gave a heartfelt speech about losing her mother to heart disease; she visited the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and met with her former boss who had become CEO of the organisation; and she launched a live video link between the public squares in her former home of Melbourne and her current home of Copenhagen. She also carried out further engagements for the Hans Christian Andersen Bicentennial, building on her work in London and New York. She gave a reading of The Ugly Duckling to children (as she had in New York) and was officially named an ambassador by her husband (who marked the announcement with a sweet kiss on the cheek). Despite the incredible array of engagements, the highlight was naturally Mary’s return to the place of her birth: Hobart. The visit to Hobart caused media hysteria. Around the time of the couple’s visit, both Prince Charles and Crown Princess Victoria were also in the country but their visits had been overshadowed by the Danish royals. The press dubbed the phenomenon Mary Mania, as thousands of people turned out in Hobart to see their princess come home. Of course, the new Mary was not quite the same Tassie girl they remembered which was perfectly exemplified by the fact she spent a whole day posing for a portrait which would later go on display in Australia. 

Princess Estelle waves to her cousin Princess Leonore and aunt Princess Madeleine at her brother’s christening

Mary carried out several tours in 2008, travelling everywhere from Iceland to Uganda, and completed the year with a visit to Bangkok in November. Mary had visited Thailand once before in 2005 when she attended an event marking the Danish lives lost in the devastating Boxing Day tsunami. This visit was expected to be far more positive as it was celebrating 150 years of diplomacy between Thailand and Denmark. Under a heavy security presence, the couple appeared before the press for a photo call and then visited the embassy to thank the employees who had made the tour possible. Mary’s days were packed with events designed to recognise Thai and Danish industries: she watched displays of traditional music and dance, visited local schools, watched a fashion show from Danish brand Evita Peroni and visited an exhibition of Lego figures. Lego had collaborated with a local orphanage to provide the children with free toys. Mary showed off her usual flair with children when she helped a little boy to make a kangaroo out of Lego, playing to her Australian roots, and laughed off a small child accidentally hitting in the face with an umbrella! In the more formal part of the tours, Mary and Frederik met with King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit, Thailand’s revered monarch and his consort. Bhumibol is perhaps best known to Westerners as being the world’s longest running head of state, serving for even longer than 90 year old Queen Elizabeth II. The visit was deemed to be a success but it had been carefully watched by Danish officials. At the time, Bangkok had been at the centre of political upheaval and airports had been closed due to riots. Although the couple managed to avoid any dangerous areas, they were accompanied by a heavier security presence than usual and opted to take Danish company Danfloss’ private jet home rather than fly on a commercial plane. 

A matter of weeks after her visit to Bulgaria, Mary visited Uganda on behalf of the Danish Refugee Council (DRC). Mary and Frederik had visited Africa privately during their honeymoon, but this was her first visit to the continent for official purposes. The visit focused on the Northern part of the country which has been devastated by civil war since the 1980s. She started the visit in Kampala, meeting with the sexual education group Straight Talk and visiting an organisation supporting children with HIV/AIDS. The Crown Princess was instantly popular with the children. They raced towards her and embraced her before showing her all of their favourite toys; one little girl named Claire didn’t leave her side the entire time. The children gave her a beaded bracelet with her name on it as a touching gift. On her second day she visited the Lama refugee camp in Moyo which the DRC works closely with. Mary was shown the camp by a resident and was brought to tears by the emotional stories of the refugees. She visited a further refugee camp for internally displaced people in Gulu. Mary delighted the media and the local people by dancing with the children at the camp, before visiting the health centre serving the community. The trip ended with Mary working alongside the Danish Demining Group to find out more about their mine clearing project. As the future Queen walked around in protective gear, the press drew immediate comparisons to Princess Diana’s iconic landmine clearing photographs. Luckily, unlike Diana, Mary has had many years to grow her own interests in Africa and has since visited the continent many times. 

After visiting recent EU members Romania in October 2007, Mary and Frederik visited another recent addition the Union during their trip to Bulgaria in September 2008. The couple were invited by the Bulgarian president who they had met when he made a state visit to Denmark in 2006. During this visit, Mary and Frederik had been appointed Commanders of the Order of Stara Planina, Bulgaria’s honour for those who have contributed to “bilateral relations and international cooperation.” The couple certainly earned their honours on their first day of the tour as the focus was on diplomacy. They met with the President, First Lady, and the Prime Minister before visiting Alexander Nevski Cathedral. The second and third days of the tour focused on Bulgaria’s cultural and historical sites. This was part of Bulgaria’s efforts to take over the running of UNESCO, which they achieved in 2009 and have held for the last 7 years. They visited the National Historical Museum, took a walking tour of Plovdiv which is one of the world’s oldest cities, and visited the Troyan Monastery. The visit didn’t garner as much attention as their foreign tours often do, but it contributed positively to Bulgarian-Danish relations and successfully promoted Bulgaria as a source of culture and progress to UNESCO decision makers. 

The Crown Princess’ two day visit to London was her first overseas tour in almost two years and coincided with her husband’s expedition to the North Pole with Crown Princess Victoria and Crown Prince Haakon. The royals often visit the British capital privately, as Mary’s close friend Caroline Fleming is based there (Mary is godmother to Caroline’s daughter Josephine), but this visit was all business. The trip was designed to promote Creative Nation, a week of events highlighting Danish culture and businesses in other countries. The Crown Princess and her husband represented Creative Nation once before during their 2007 visit to New York City but this visit was far more hotly anticipated as the UK is one of Denmark’s largest export markets.  Mary opened the visit with a tour of the Summer Fair featuring stalls hosted by several Danish Small to Medium Size Enterprises. The royal was a lucrative customer for the businesses- her impact on Danish industry has been dubbed the Mary Effect- and so the entrepreneurs were eager to present her with gifts, including a bed for the family dog Ziggy. The next day, the Crown Princess visited BFI Southbank to launch a children’s film project modelled on the Danish Film Institute’s popular Film-X programme. After a spot of lunch at the Danish Embassy, the Crown Princess visited an exhibition on sustainable Danish architecture. The visit ended at the Royal Academy of the Arts, where Crown Princess Mary and her husband’s aunt Princess Benedikte opened an exhibition on Danish artist Hammershoi. The Crown Princess was no doubt happy to get back to her young children, but the visit provided some opportunity to escape the realities of life as a mummy. Mary had revealed at the BFI that she was more used to watching the Teletubbies with Christian than watching any grown up movies!  

Shortly after celebrating Princess Isabella’s 1st birthday, the Crown Princely couple were back to royal duties with a visit to Iceland. There is a long history between Denmark and Iceland: Iceland was part of the Kingdom of Denmark for over 100 years until gaining independence in 1918 and, until 1944, both countries were ruled over by Danish monarchs. Although their relationship has thawed since the 1940s, Danish is still taught to all children from the age of 12 and is spoken by many in Iceland. The 4 day tour was packed with plenty of memorable, diverse experiences. They visited a school to see Danish being taught, attended a gala dinner, rode Icelandic horses, and even visited a genetic research institute! Many of the stops on the tour were designed to mark the historical connection between the two countries: they visited royal stones engraved with the monograms of King Christian IX (Frederik’s great-great-great grandfather), King Frederik VIII (Frederik’s great-great grandfather) and King Christian X (Frederik’s great grandfather); they explored a church with an altar table gifted by Queen Louise (Frederik’s great-great grandmother); and they attended a reception on board the Danish Vædderen ship which patrols Danish territories Greenland and the Faroe Islands. The visit made plenty of headlines in both Denmark and Iceland. The Crown Princely couple- already known for their public affection- looked like two young tourists in love while visiting the Gullfoss Waterfall and the famous Geysir hot springs. It appears Icelandic waterfalls bring out the romance in royal couples, as Victoria and Daniel would later celebrate their anniversary at one in 2014. Despite the tour being planned meticulously, there were hiccups. During a visit to a school, Frederik was asked if he’d ever had “homosexual fantasies” by a brave teenage boy. Although the Icelandic First Lady quickly tried to back track, Frederik answered the question sensitively and diplomatically which no doubt diverted some embarrassing headlines! 

Just a month after visiting New York City, the Crown Prince and Princess made a two day trip to Romania. The couple were invited to visit by the Romanian President in an attempt to foster relations between the two countries. Romania had been made a full member of the European Union in January 2007 and was keen to strengthen relationships with more long standing members. The Danes already have a personal connection to Romania as their former head of state, King Michael I, is the son of Princess Helen of Greece and Denmark and is godfather to Frederik’s first cousin Princess Theodora of Greece. The visit started in Bucharest, where the couple met the President and visited the Museum of Art Collections. They celebrated the existing relationship between the two nations by attending a reception for the Danish community at the Danish Embassy, before visiting the Victor Babes Hospital to meet with children suffering from HIV/AIDS. Since this visit, the Crown Princess has visited countries across the world to spread the word about HIV/AIDS and to represent patients. The second day gave Romania a chance to show off to their royal guests! They travelled to Transylvania to visit Sibiu and Sighişoara. The former had been named the European Capital of Culture for 2007, a title Copenhagen had held in 1996 and which will return to Denmark in 2017, while the latter is the crown jewel of the ancient, medieval areas of Transylvania and is the oldest occupied fortress town. 

Mary and Frederik have made many visits to the States over the years but this 5 day visit in Summer 2010 was their visit official tour to the nation’s capital city: Washington D.C. The primary purpose of the visit was the 50th anniversary of the Danish Embassy and the couple attended a Constitution Day celebration at the embassy for Danes in the city. But of course they took in many other public engagements while abroad. As expected, many of their visits celebrated Danish achievements and the Danish-American relationship. They attended an exhibition about, and a premiere of, the film The Wild Swans. The film was based on a piece by Danish icon Hans Christian Andersen (Mary had been an ambassador for his bicentennial celebrations) and features costumes and set designs by none other than Queen Margrethe herself! They also made a poignant visit to Arlington Cemetery to lay a wreath at the tomb of pilots who lost their lives in Danish airspace and met with a group of young children who had studied Danish culture through a partnership with the Embassy. Alongside these diplomatic engagements, the couple managed to find time to honour their personal and charitable interests. They share an interest in children and health which they displayed during visits to a youth centre for underprivileged children and an event on youth diabetes, and Mary followed up her recent visit to Helmand Province with a tour of a military hospital. Perhaps most notably, Mary attended the Women Deliver conference as part of her role as patron of the UN Population Fund. This name may be familiar as Mary recently hosted the Women Deliver 2016 conference in Denmark, earning international praise for her passion for women’s rights. 

In November 2009, Mary made a top secret two day visit to Helmand Province in Afghanistan one year after her husband visited the area. The Crown Princess had requested to visit the Danish military personnel in the country to learn more about their lives serving overseas and the Speaker of the Danish parliament was keen to accommodate her on one of his visits. She donned military uniform throughout the trip but this wasn’t her first time in the soldier’s kit; She had completed an officers’ course in the Danish Home Guard earlier that year, earning the rank of lieutenant. Mary and her companions travelled to the Armadillo base to learn about the living conditions of the soldiers and their daily activities, before the royal met with the Mayor of Gereshk (a town in Helmand). On the second day, the group toured Camp Bastion and heard more about the situation in Afghanistan before travelling to Kandahar to meet with Danish medical staff. The visit came at a sensitive time. Denmark’s participation in the war in Afghanistan was highly controversial and the deaths of soldiers had hit the front pages in the year before. Mary’s visit offered the people stationed there some much needed solidarity and support from representatives of their homeland.

After carrying out several tours as a couple, Mary and Frederik finally joined Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik on their first official overseas tour as a foursome in 2009. The choice of venue- Vietnam- was a poignant one as Henrik had spent his early years in the country and still speaks the native language. He took his fellow royals on a tour of his childhood home and pointed out the spots where he had spent his early years playing. While Mary was used to carrying out tours alongside her husband, she spent much of this visit by the side of her mother-in-law Margrethe, showing clearly how strong the bond between the two women had become. The tour itself was fairly typical for royal delegations. There were plenty of opportunities for diplomacy as they attended state banquets with the president and met with Danish people living in Vietnam at the embassy. The tour celebrated Danish achievements in Vietnam- the opening of a Bang & Olufson store and the base of Danish company Maersk- and also gave the host a chance to show off to their famous guests with a traditional bike ride through Hanoi, a concert from Vietnamese rock bands, and a tour of Ho Chi Mihn City. The tour ended with a press conference which saw the royals laugh and joke with one another. The bond between Mary and her in laws was plain to see and obviously continues in to the private life, as the foursome stayed on for a holiday together after the official itinerary was completed. 

Mary had visited New York twice on behalf of the royal family, but her March 2009 tour was the first time she had taken in other US cities as Crown Princess. The tour got off to a rather dramatic start when their plane was delayed due to a false bomb threat. After a scary experience, the couple started the tour with two days in Chicago where they were treated to a number of events tapping in to their personal interests. Mary channelled her passion for Danish production at a Danish Design event promoting the country’s entrepreneurs including jeweller Georg Jensen who has designed a number of pieces for the Crown Princess. She also attended a climate and energy conference due to her and her husband’s shared interest in sustainability. The tour then took them to Omaha, Nebraska. They visited Grand View University which was founded by Danish immigrants. The campus had been visited by Frederik’s grandparents 70 years before and his parents 33 years before, meaning Mary and Frederik were sustaining a family tradition. They also celebrated the 125th anniversary of Dana College, where Frederik was given an honorary doctorate. After saying goodbye to Nebraska, the pair travelled to Colorado to open a new factor for Danish wind turbine company Vesta and to attend a private lunch with business leaders of the climate and energy sectors. Finally the tour ended in their favourite spot: New York City. The couple attended the American-Scandinavian Foundation’s annual gala. Scandinavian royals have long had a connection with the Foundation: Crown Princess Mette-Marit and Crown Prince Haakon were guests of honour at the gala in 2010 and Sweden’s Princess Madeleine, King Carl XVI Gustaf, and Queen Silvia would help them celebrate their centenary in 2011. The tour garnered a lot of attention, mostly due to Frederik’s unlikely accessories. Having broken his leg, the Crown Prince was spotted in crutches throughout the trip!

Princess Estelle helps to prepare the holy water at her brother Oscar’s christening