From tears during a secret trip Down Under to a cryptic Instagram post: the signs Princess Mary was about to become Denmark’s first Australian Queen

Australia’s Crown Princess Mary will become Queen of Denmark on January 14 – and there were some subtle signs that the popular royal was about to become Australia’s first-ever monarch.

Queen Margarethe II used her annual New Year’s Eve speech on Sunday to announce that she would abdicate the throne, making Prince Frederik (55) her successor and Mary (51) the queen consort.

The 83-year-old monarch, famous for her chain-smoking and flamboyant sense of style, was the longest-serving monarch in Europe after the death of Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.

This may have been the reason that Mary took her family on a quiet and almost secret holiday to Australia and New Zealand in early December.

On December 6, Mary landed in Australia with her twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, both 12, before climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge together.

The trip was also used to signal that Mary and Frederick were very much united, after rumors of the prince’s alleged ‘affair’ with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova rocked the royal family.

Princess Mary then jetted off to Queensland, where she reunited with Frederik and Princess Isabella, 16, for a much-needed escape from the spotlight.

Frederik attended the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Dubai, where he attended the opening of the SIDS: A Just and Equitable Energy Transition Towards a Climate-Resilient Future Conference, spoke at How to Decarbonize the Hard-to-abate Sectors, and attended the conference at a Danish reception.

Mary’s previous visit Down Under was in 2023 for her first official engagement in a decade.

This time, however, the Tasmania-born royal kept things personal and made sure he caught up with family and friends away from prying eyes.

Mary was snapped shedding a tear as she said goodbye to friends on the Queenstown airport tarmac

The personal visit was her last bit of peace before she ascended the throne in two weeks.

On December 20, after returning to Denmark, Mary shared a post on the Mary Foundation website and Instagram page hinting at her future “success” and big things to come.

The letter touched on loneliness and the need for positive human connection during the holidays, but offered hints at something bigger.

In the run-up to the announcement, Mary was spotted holidaying in Australia and New Zealand with her family during her most low-key visit Down Under.

She added, “And at the same time, so much has happened that it’s impossible to put it all into words.”

‘We will soon end 2023 and go on Christmas vacation with gratitude for everything we humans can do when we do it together. We need each other if we want to succeed.’

In addition to the powerful message, a beautiful photo of the royal family in the snow was posted.

She wore a purple jacket under a warm woolen shawl and smiled softly at the camera.

In November, rumors swirled about an alleged ‘affair’ between Prince Frederik and Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova after they were photographed on a night out in Spain.

Although the accusations could have been enough to end many relationships, Mary and Frederick adopted a “business as normal” attitude during their royal engagements.

The couple maintained a united front to emerge as strong contenders for the future king and queen.

Rumors circulated in November of an alleged ‘affair’ between Prince Frederik and Genoveva Casanova, but he and Mary maintained a united front as they made official arrangements.

On Christmas Eve, Mary and Frederik were seen holding hands as they entered Aarhus Cathedral for a Christmas Eve church service.

The royal couple were all smiles as they stepped out alongside Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, before celebrating Christmas Day at Marselisborg Castle with Queen Margrethe.

The Danish royal family was shocked by photos published in October showing Prince Frederik enjoying an evening in Madrid with the 47-year-old socialite.

While Spanish magazine Lecturas published the photos and claimed the couple had spent the evening at a bodega in the Spanish capital, where they watched flamenco dancing and dined until the early hours, Genoveva hit back at ‘malicious’ rumors that she was in a relationship with the heir to the Spanish capital. the Danish throne.

Since the photos emerged, Princess Mary has remained tight-lipped about her husband’s dinner with the socialite.