Mary Elizabeth Donaldson was born on February 5, 1972, in Hobart, Tasmania, the youngest of Scottish-born maths professor John Donaldson and university secretary Henrietta Clark Donaldson's four children. The princess-to-be's parents had emigrated from Edinburgh to Australia in the early Sixties, becoming citizens of the country in 1975. An avid athlete at Taroona High School, Mary was captain of the girls' hockey and swimming teams and very involved in equestrian pursuits. She continued her education at Hobart Matriculation College – where she scored a spot on the basketball team – before wrapping up her studies at the University of Tasmania, from which she graduated in 1994 with a Bachelors degree in Commerce and Law. The fresh-faced young graduate dived into professional life, moving to Melbourne, where she accepted a position at an international advertising agency. Her career would eventually lead her into the world of public relations, and culminate in her last pre-royal post as a project consultant for Microsoft Business Solutions in Denmark. Her life was to change forever when she met a sporty young man who introduced himself as "Fred" at a Sydney hotel pub in October 2000. They'd each arrived with a separate group of friends – the King of Spain's nephew, Bruno Gomez-Acebo, was the link between the two cliques – but by the end of the evening Mary and Frederik were deep in conversation, seeming to have eyes only for each other. Over the next three years, the two were often seen together in both Australia and Denmark. However, it wasn't until April 2003 that Queen Margrethe publicly acknowledged the relationship, fuelling rumours of a pending engagement. Six months later the palace announced a royal wedding would take place the following spring.
Despite having to fulfil a demanding series of requirements – she agreed to relinquish her Australian citizenship, convert from her Presbyterian faith to the Danish Lutheran Church, learn fluent Danish and agree to give up her rights to the couple's children in case of divorce – Mary tackled the challenge of her new position with aplomb. On May 14, 2004, the pretty brunette with the captivating smile finally walked down the aisle with her prince. And the bride's wedding ensemble encompassed both her Australian heritage and the history of the family she would now be joining. A gown by Danish designer Uffe Frank was topped off with a veil first used by Crown Princess Margret of Sweden in 1905, and Mary's bouquet consisted of Australian eucalyptus – known as Snow gum – sprinkled among the palace garden's flowers.
Mary's grace, beauty and professionalism have won over her new homeland, with one poll finding that 75 per cent of Danes believed she would make a good queen. It will be no wonder if in the future Danish schoolgirls choose to mimic Mary in the mirror instead of Britney Spears.
