Crown Princess Mary is only a week away from becoming the new Queen Consort of Denmark. The accession to the throne of her husband and future King Crown Prince Frederik will prompt several changes within the Danish royal house.
Moreover, royals in Denmark and abroad will need to bear in mind royal protocol and adopt it in line with the new ranking. Among the key rules linked to the protocol is how to greet members of royal families in accordance with their importance.
Australian-born Princess Mary has become known around the world for her plunging and deeply respectful curtsy, performed any time she was in the presence of a higher-ranking royal.
After she becomes Queen, however, she will no longer be required to curtsy to other Danish royals, being lower-ranking than her.
Hello! magazine royal expert Danielle Stacey noted the soon-to-be Queen Consort may still curtsy to other queens and kings, but that would not be a mandatory requirement.
She said: “When Crown Princess Mary becomes queen, she will be of a higher rank, so the days of Mary’s beautiful curtsy may become a thing of the past.
“If Mary greets another royal in future, typically two queens would not curtsy to one another, but she may decide to display the traditional greeting as a sign of respect, particularly if it’s a state visit.
“The Crown Princess also revealed in an interview that she learned how to curtsey from her then fiancé Crown Prince Frederik before she met Queen Margrethe for the first time!”
Among the royals around the world who will need to curtsy to Princess Mary after she becomes Queen is Kate, Princess of Wales.
The two princesses share a warm bond and a keen fashion sense and have publicly met multiple times over the years.
Most recently, Kate met Mary in Denmark in February 2022, when the Princess of Wales was undertaking a solo trip to the country focused on her early childhood development work.
The world learned Princess Mary and Prince Frederik are soon to become Queen and King on New Year’s Eve, as Queen Margrethe II included her plans to abdicate in her end-of-year speech.
Explaining her abdication plans are linked to her health, the Danish monarch said: “In February this year I underwent extensive back surgery. It went well, thanks to the skilled healthcare staff who took care of me. Of course, the operation also gave rise to thinking about the future – whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation.
“I have decided that now is the right time. On 14 January 2024 – 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father – I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son Crown Prince Frederik.”
Future King Frederik won’t have a formal coronation, but will be proclaimed the country’s new sovereign by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen.
