Queen Mary of Denmark Gives 'Game of Thrones' Vibes in New Portrait Showing Her Debut in Emerald Crown Jewels (2024)

New royal portraits of King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark have been revealed —and they just might remind you of a hit HBO show.

On April 25, the Danish Royal House released official gala portraits of the royal couple. Their joint photo was accompanied by one individual snap each of King Frederik, 55, and Queen Mary, 52, in their gala finery — the King in the Navy’s full dress uniform and the Queen in a deep green gown with lace sleeves and a high neck. The pictures were published in connection with the change of reign on Jan. 14, when Queen Margrethe abdicated on the 52nd anniversary of her accession and her eldest son became monarch.

"The portrait shows Their Majesties in gala with the Order of the Elephant on chains, and the portrait can henceforth be seen hung in, among other places, state institutions, including at Danish embassies and consulates around the world and on Danish vessels," the court said in a statement. They added that the portraits were taken by Steen Evald in the Green Room in the Royal Reception Rooms at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.

Queen Mary of Denmark Gives 'Game of Thrones' Vibes in New Portrait Showing Her Debut in Emerald Crown Jewels (1)

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The portraits also mark Queen Mary wearing something historic from the royal vault for the first time: the Danish crown jewels!

Queen Mary accentuated her green gown in the emerald set, comprised of a tiara, necklace, earrings and a large brooch that can be divided into three parts.

Queen Mary's soft smile, elegant updo and extravagant jewels in the portrait look straight out of Game of Thrones, which aired on HBO (now known as Max) from 2011 to 2019.

Queen Mary of Denmark Gives 'Game of Thrones' Vibes in New Portrait Showing Her Debut in Emerald Crown Jewels (2)

The crown jewels, which do not leave the country, also include three other sets that are "at the disposal of the Queen of Denmark" and typically displayed at Rosenborg Castle.

"The Danish crown jewels are the only ones in the world that are both exhibited as museum objects and, at the same time, worn by the country’s queen," the Danish Royal House said. The court added that the set traces back to 1840 and was a gift from King Christian VIII to his wife, Queen Caroline Amalie, likely for their silver wedding anniversary.

Some of the stones were sourced from the collection of Queen Sophie Magdalene, and the garniture is highlighted by neoclassical themes — "flower vines, bows and curled frames or cartouches, inspired by the French crown jewels of the time."

Queen Mary of Denmark Gives 'Game of Thrones' Vibes in New Portrait Showing Her Debut in Emerald Crown Jewels (3)

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The crown jewel debut wasn’t the only new jewelry moment for Queen Mary. The royal also wore a brilliant diamond miniature portrait of her husband the King, with whom she shares four children: Crown Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 17, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, 13. It is set in a bow of the Order of Dannebrog ribbon.

"For generations, there has been a tradition that female members of the Royal Family wear a miniature portrait of the sovereign. Thus, in her time as Crown Princess, the Queen wore a portrait of Queen Margrethe," the court explained. "In connection with the succession of the throne, The Queen has received a miniature portrait of The King."

The image of Frederik in military uniform is by the British artist Tom Mulliner and set in an heirloom frame that was made for Empress Amelie of Brazil and later passed down through the Danish royal family.

Both Queen Mary and King Frederik wore the Order of the Elephant on chains, signaling their positions in Denmark’s highest honor of chivalry. As monarch, Frederik is the sovereign of both the Order of the Elephant and the similarly distinguished Order of Dannebrog and donned several historical pieces for the first time.

Queen Mary of Denmark Gives 'Game of Thrones' Vibes in New Portrait Showing Her Debut in Emerald Crown Jewels (4)

The oldest pieces of royal regalia that King Frederik wore were an Order of the Elephant charm dating back to 1671, the Order of the Elephant’s breast star from about 1770 and the breast star of the Order of Dannebrog, made after a change in rules to the order in 1808.

The elephant, chain and breast stars are typically displayed at Rosenberg Castle, like the crown jewels Queen Mary wore. The regalia that King Frederik sported are presented alongside the King’s badges of rank like the crown, scepter, orb, coronation sword and anointing ampulla — a royal parallel to some of the objects used in King Charles’ coronation ceremony at Westminster Abbey in May 2023.

At his side, King Frederik carried a naval officer’s saber that belonged to his late grandfather, Queen Margrethe’s father King Frederik IX.

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Queen Mary of Denmark Gives 'Game of Thrones' Vibes in New Portrait Showing Her Debut in Emerald Crown Jewels (5)

On Jan. 14 — the 52nd anniversary of her accession — Queen Margrethe signed a declaration of abdication at Christiansborg Palace, making her eldest son the new King Frederik X. His wife became Queen Mary and their eldest son became Crown Prince Christian, taking the King’s former styling, while the couple’s three younger children all moved up a spot in the line of succession.

The change of reign was sparked by Queen Margrethe’s shock announcement on New Year’s Eve that she intended to abdicate on her accession anniversary, and she became the first Danish sovereign to voluntarily step down from the throne in nearly 900 years.

Queen Margrethe opted to retain her title and recently posed for new portraits for her 84th birthday on April 16.

Queen Mary of Denmark Gives 'Game of Thrones' Vibes in New Portrait Showing Her Debut in Emerald Crown Jewels (6)

Queen Mary of Denmark Gives 'Game of Thrones' Vibes in New Portrait Showing Her Debut in Emerald Crown Jewels (2024)

FAQs

Who is the Danish royal family Queen Mary? ›

Queen Mary of Denmark
Mary
Tenure14 January 2024 – present
BornMary Elizabeth Donaldson 5 February 1972 Queen Alexandra Hospital, Battery Point, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
SpouseFrederik X ​ ( m. 2004)​
IssueChristian, Crown Prince of Denmark Princess Isabella Prince Vincent Princess Josephine
5 more rows

Where was Mary Crown Princess of Denmark born? ›

Mary Elizabeth, Her Majesty The Queen of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat, was born on 5 February 1972, in Hobart, Tasmania. Formerly Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, she was educated at the Sandy Bay Infant School; Waimea Heights Primary School; Taroona High School; and Hobart Matriculation College.

Who is Princess Mary of Denmark's mother? ›

Who is Queen Mary? ›

Queen Mary was the daughter of Francis, Prince and Duke of Teck, and Princess Mary Adelaide of Cambridge, granddaughter of George III. She married King George V in 1893 and they had six children. Queen Mary's early life was not particularly princess-like.

What religion is Queen Mary of Denmark? ›

Lutheran

What happened to Princess Mary of Denmark? ›

Following the abdication of Queen Margrethe II, her son - Crown Prince Frederik - has ascended the throne as Denmark's new monarch. His wife Crown Princess Mary has officially become Denmark's newest queen - making her the first Australian-born queen of a European monarchy.

Why is Queen Mary of Denmark so popular? ›

However, it is not merely Mary's work that has endeared her to Danes but her demeanour too. She has become known as warm, easygoing and hardworking. An optimal combination for any royal!

Is Queen Mary fluent in Danish? ›

In fact, Mary has long since renounced her Australian (and British, via her Scottish parents) citizenship. She retains only the slightest trace of her original accent and speaks fluent Danish.

Who was Prince Frederik's girlfriend? ›

In late 2001, Danish royal magazine Billed Bladet sent a journalist to Sydney to find out about Frederik's "secret Australian girlfriend". They broke the news that it was Mary Donaldson, a "pretty, outgoing, gifted and perhaps future crown princess".

What happens to Queen Consort when King died? ›

So, what would happen to Camilla's title if King Charles were to pass away? Basically, she'd retain the Queen title in some capacity but would go from Queen Consort to Queen Dowager.

How tall was Queen Mary? ›

Today some visitors to the Palace have to duck to get through the low doorway – it reminds us that when this room was built in the 1500s, people were a bit shorter than they are now. Mary was very unusual for her time – she grew to be six feet tall. She may have needed to duck to get in here too!

Did Queen Mary have a child? ›

After Philip's visit in 1557, Mary again thought she was pregnant, with a baby due in March 1558. She decreed in her will that her husband would be the regent during the minority of their child. But no child was born, and Mary was forced to accept that her half-sister Elizabeth would be her lawful successor.

Is the Danish Queen related to the English Queen? ›

Elizabeth and Margrethe were not only friends, they were also third cousins. Both are great-great-grandchildren of Queen Victoria and also of Denmark's King Christian IX, whose daughter was Elizabeth's great-grandmother, Queen Alexandra (Queen Consort of Edward VII).

Was Queen Mary of Teck a nice person? ›

Despite Mary's austere public image and her strait-laced private life, she was a caring mother and comforted her children when they suffered from her husband's strict discipline.

Who is Mary from the royal family? ›

Mary, Princess Royal (Victoria Alexandra Alice Mary; 25 April 1897 – 28 March 1965) was a member of the British royal family. She was the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, the sister of Kings Edward VIII and George VI, and aunt of Elizabeth II.

Who was the illegitimate Danish princess? ›

Sigrid Svendsdatter (died after 1066) was a Danish princess, the illegitimate daughter of King Sweyn II of Denmark. She married Obotrite Prince Gottschalk (died 1066), who was in service of Canute the Great since 1029, and who was assisted by her father in regaining his father's principality.

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