Australian-born Mary Donaldson, who will become Queen of Denmark on Sunday when her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, ascends the throne, has been recognised as one of the world’s most sophisticated and well-dressed people.
But the former marketing executive had a long journey from the island state of Tasmania where she was born to Denmark’s royal residence Amalienborg, once taking an intensive eight-week course in deportment and etiquette run by a former model.
Donaldson, now Crown Princess Mary, met the prince in a Sydney pub during the 2000 Summer Olympics held in the city.
The next year, she took part in the course run by Teresa Page, the founder of Starmakers, a personal and professional development firm in Sydney.
Participants on the course, for which Donaldson paid A$1,200 ($804), take lessons on "building confidence, presence and magnetism" and "graceful posture".
Page had no idea Donaldson was dating the Danish crown prince when she was in training.
"Mary did not mention it," she said. Donaldson later moved to Denmark, where the couple married in 2004. They have four children.
On New Year's Eve, Frederik’s mother, Queen Margrethe II, made a surprise announcement that she would abdicate on Jan. 14 after 52 years on the throne.
"I feel very, very proud of Princess Mary," Page said. "It has been her effort and her application that has got her there."
The future Queen was one of Starmakers' better students, Page said.
"Mary was very engaged, very enthusiastic about the knowledge, very attentive and very intelligent.
"She would say things that indicated to me that she really understood what I was teaching, and she loved the personal development aspect of being, having the knowledge to transform yourself."
The Slip Inn pub where Frederik and Mary met is currently flying the Danish flag, while a plaque in English and Danish commemorates their meeting.
"I think that's pretty cool you can meet your Prince Charming in the pub," said passerby Ashley Brown, a horticulturist.
($1 = 1.4934 Australian dollars)
