Queen Mary of Denmark seemingly received a stern word of warning from her mother-in-law today as she crouched down to stroke a dog at a royal event.
In the family’s first outing following the death of her father, John Dalgleish Donaldson, Mary, 54, joined Queen Margrethe‘s 86th birthday celebrations in Fredensborg.
The mother-of-four, dressed in a smart, navy suit, stood alongside her husband, King Frederik, Margrethe and Queen Anne-Marie of Greece, Margrethe’s sister, as they waved to well-wishers gathered outside the palace.
In one moment, the former monarch’s dog Tilia appeared and stood next to Mary, and after noticing her, she bent down to stroke the dachshund.
According to a translation from Hello, however, it was met with disapproval from Margrethe, who shook her head to the side and, when translated into English, said, ‘I don’t think this is the right time for that,’ leading Mary to stop abruptly.
Yesterday’s scene is similar to one between Queen Elizabeth II, Margrethe’s distant cousin, and Prince William, when Her late Majesty in 2016 scolded her grandson on the balcony of Buckingham Palace during Trooping the Colour.
The late monarch was seen tapping William on the arm and gesturing him to stand up as he crouched down to tend to a boisterous Prince George. Close examination of the moment appeared to show Queen Elizabeth saying: ‘Stand up William.’
William rose to his feet, looking rather sheepish over the public telling off from his then 90-year-old grandmother.
Queen Mary of Denmark seemingly received a stern word from her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe, at the former monarch’s 86th birthday celebrations in Fredensborg, Denmark, yesterday
Margrethe abdicated the throne in January 2024 after reigning 52 years, and was succeeded by her eldest son King Frederik, and his wife Mary.
At the time, she referenced a successful back surgery the previous February, saying it had given rise to ‘thinking about the future’.
Mary’s brave appearance yesterday comes after the death of her beloved father at 84 years old, which was announced in a statement on April 12.
‘My heart is heavy, and my thoughts are grey. My beloved father has passed away,’ Mary said.
‘But I know that when the grief settles, the memories will brighten my day, and what will remain strongest is love and gratitude for everything he gave me and taught me.’
Denmark’s royal house said Prof Donaldson’s ‘health has been declining over the past few years’ and Mary visited him in late March.
The family will hold a private memorial service at a later date.
Prof Donaldson was a Professor of Applied Mathematics, born in Scotland on September 5, 1941.
The exchange occurred when Mary bent down to stroke Margrethe’s biscuit-coloured dachshund, Tillia
The late Queen Elizabeth II tapped Prince William’s arm with a gloved hand and apparently told him to stand up during the 2016 Trooping the Colour
Pictured: Catherine, Princess of Wales, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, Prince William, Prince of Wales, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh stand on the balcony during the Trooping the Colour in 2016
He moved to Tasmania with his first wife, Henrietta Clark Horne, in November 1963.
The couple welcomed their daughter, Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, on February 5, 1972, in Hobart.
The now-Queen of Denmark arrived in Australia alongside King Frederik X for a six-day state visit running from March 14 to March 19 – the couple’s first official trip to the country since ascending the throne in January 2024.
At the end of that trip, Mary set aside time to visit her father.
The retired mathematics professor had previously missed several significant family milestones due to his frailty – including Princess Isabella’s confirmation and Mary’s own coronation in Denmark.
Royal officials previously confirmed Mr Donaldson was unable to travel long distances because of his health.
Mary herself acknowledged the emotional reality at the time, saying: ‘He is getting to be an elderly gentleman and he is not well enough to take the long trip back to Denmark for a confirmation, but he is with us in our hearts.’