As Denmark's Queen Margrethe II abdicates the throne&nbsp;and makes way for the new monarch and her son Crown Prince Frederik is set to take over the reins, the country will also be getting a new queen in Frederik's wife, Crown Princess Mary.&nbsp; 
 
While she is a commoner, Australian-born Mary has often been considered one of the most popular royals&nbsp;in the world and lauded for her style and elegance.

Mary Donaldson was working as an advertising executive in Australia when she met the future king while out with friends at Sydney's Slip Inn bar, during the Summer Olympics in 2000. 
 
She only discovered later that he was the crown prince of Denmark and his group of friends was made up of other European royals-- including his younger brother Prince Joachim and cousin Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark. 
 
"The first time we met, we shook hands," she said in an interview several years ago. "I didn't know he was the prince of Denmark. Half an hour later, someone came up to me and said, 'Do you know who these people are?'"

The couple was in a discreet long-distance relationship for nearly three years before announcing their engagement in October 2003. They married on May 14, 2004, in Copenhagen Cathedral.&nbsp;

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They are now parents to four children- &nbsp;Prince Christian, 18, who will one day become king after his father, Princess Isabella, 16, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, who turn 13 next week.&nbsp;

Mary will become queen on January 14, after Margrethe II announced in her annual New Year's Eve speech on Sunday that she would abdicate in favour of her son, citing age and health issues. 
 
New Queen is a trendsetter&nbsp; 
 
Mary made a splash in Denmark from the start, impressing Danes with her ability to learn the Danish language quickly.

A poll published by Danish television TV2 in December declared her Denmark's third-most popular royal, behind the immensely popular queen and Mary's husband Frederik.

She is often compared to Britain's Crown Princess Kate Middleton for her sense of&nbsp;style and long dark locks, regularly making the best-dressed pages of Danish and international magazines.

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She is also known for her work to fight bullying, domestic violence and social isolation, as well as promoting mental health and women's rights.

Mary and Frederik are considered a modern couple&nbsp;who love pop music, modern art and sports, according to historian Sebastian Olden-Jorgensen.

They have tried to give their four children as normal an upbringing as possible, sending them mainly to state schools.

Their first-born, Prince Christian, was the first Danish royal to attend daycare. 
 
They "do not represent a potential revolution compared to the queen", but a careful transition adapting to the times, Olden-Jorgensen said. Mary has made regular visits back to Australia with her husband and children over the years, where she is keenly followed by the media.

(With agency inputs)

As Denmark's Queen Margrethe II abdicates the throne and makes way for the new monarch and her son Crown Prince Frederik is set to take over the reins, the country will also be getting a new queen in Frederik's wife, Crown Princess Mary.

As Denmark's Queen Margrethe II abdicates the throne and makes way for the new monarch and her son Crown Prince Frederik is set to take over the reins, the country will also be getting a new queen in Frederik's wife, Crown Princess Mary. While she is a commoner, Australian-born Mary has often been considered one of the most popular royals in the world and lauded for her style and elegance. Mary Donaldson was working as an advertising executive in Australia when she met the future king while out with friends at Sydney's Slip Inn bar, during the Summer Olympics in 2000. She only discovered later that he was the crown prince of Denmark and his group of friends was made up of other European royals-- including his younger brother Prince Joachim and cousin Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark. "The first time we met, we shook hands," she said in an interview several years ago. "I didn't know he was the prince of Denmark. Half an hour later, someone came up to me and said, 'Do you know who these people are?'" The couple was in a discreet long-distance relationship for nearly three years before announcing their engagement in October 2003. They married on May 14, 2004, in Copenhagen Cathedral. They are now parents to four children- Prince Christian, 18, who will one day become king after his father, Princess Isabella, 16, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, who turn 13 next week. Mary will become queen on January 14, after Margrethe II announced in her annual New Year's Eve speech on Sunday that she would abdicate in favour of her son, citing age and health issues. New Queen is a trendsetter Mary made a splash in Denmark from the start, impressing Danes with her ability to learn the Danish language quickly. A poll published by Danish television TV2 in December declared her Denmark's third-most popular royal, behind the immensely popular queen and Mary's husband Frederik. She is often compared to Britain's Crown Princess Kate Middleton for her sense of style and long dark locks, regularly making the best-dressed pages of Danish and international magazines. She is also known for her work to fight bullying, domestic violence and social isolation, as well as promoting mental health and women's rights. Mary and Frederik are considered a modern couple who love pop music, modern art and sports, according to historian Sebastian Olden-Jorgensen. They have tried to give their four children as normal an upbringing as possible, sending them mainly to state schools. Their first-born, Prince Christian, was the first Danish royal to attend daycare. They "do not represent a potential revolution compared to the queen", but a careful transition adapting to the times, Olden-Jorgensen said. Mary has made regular visits back to Australia with her husband and children over the years, where she is keenly followed by the media. (With agency inputs)

Meet Denmark's future queen, Australian-born Mary Donaldson who is a commoner

A rebellious teen turned "woke" family man, Denmark's future king Crown Prince Frederik is the embodiment of the country's relaxed, liberal monarchy.

Passionate about the environment, he has discreetly imposed himself in the shadow of his hugely popular mother, Queen Margrethe II, championing Denmark and its drive to find solutions to the climate crisis.

"When the time comes, I will guide the ship," he said in a speech celebrating his chain-smoking mother's half-century on the throne in 2022.

"I will follow you, as you followed your father" in leading the thousand-year-old institution, Prince Frederik added.

But this measured assurance is a far cry from his younger self. 
 
"He was not strictly speaking a rebel, but as a child and young man, he was very uncomfortable with the media attention and the knowledge that he was going to be king," said Gitte Redder, an expert on the Danish royal family.

He only "gained confidence in his mid-20s," she told AFP.

- Lonely and tormented - 
 
A lonely and tormented teenager, Frederik resented his parents for neglecting him as they fulfilled their royal obligations.

He sought solace in fast cars and fast living, and was considered a spoiled party prince in the early 1990s.

But that view began to change after he graduated from Aarhus University in 1995, the first Danish royal to complete a university education.

His time at college included a stint at Harvard in the United States, where he was enrolled under the pseudonym Frederik Henriksen. 
 
The fake surname was a nod to his father, French diplomat Henri de Monpezat who became Prince Consort Henrik when he married Margrethe.

But Frederik -- who speaks English, French and German -- really began to mature into his role during his time training in the three branches of Denmark's military.&nbsp;

The prince served in the navy's Frogmen Corps -- where he was nicknamed "Pingo" (Penguin) -- one of only four of the 300 recruits to pass all of the tests in 1995.

In 2000, he took part in a four-month, 3,500-kilometre (2,175-mile) ski expedition across Greenland.

- Complementing the queen - 
 
His daredevil side has landed him in hospital after sledging and scooter accidents, but his popularity has soared, boosted by the Royal Run, annual fun runs across Denmark he began in 2018. 
 
"He is a sportsman, he attends concerts and football matches, which makes him even more accessible than his mother," royal expert Redder said.

"I don't want to lock myself in a fortress. I want to be myself, a human being," he once said, insisting he would stick to that even after taking the throne.

He met his wife Mary Donaldson, an Australian lawyer, in a Sydney bar during the 2000 Olympic Games.

They have tried to give their four children as normal an upbringing as possible, sending them mainly to state schools.

Their eldest, Prince Christian, who recently turned 18, was the first Danish royal to go to daycare.

The couple have gradually taken on many royal duties in recent years as the queen entered her eighties, "but very slowly and depending on the queen's health", said historian Sebastian Olden-Jorgensen. 
The couple are "modern, woke, lovers of pop music, modern art and sports," he added.

They "do not represent a potential revolution compared to the queen", but a careful transition adapting to the times, he said.

Frederik has said that he sees himself complementing his mother, a polymath who is an accomplished writer and artist.

"You paint, I exercise. You dig for buried objects from the past, I buried my head in order not to be recognised during my time in the armed forces. You are a master of words. I am sometimes at a loss for them," he joked during the queen's jubilee celebrations.

A rebellious teen turned "woke" family man, Denmark's future king Crown Prince Frederik is the embodiment of the country's relaxed, liberal monarchy. Passionate about the environment, he has discreetly imposed himself in the shadow of his hugely popular mother, Queen Margrethe II, championing Denmark and its drive to find solutions to the climate crisis.

A rebellious teen turned "woke" family man, Denmark's future king Crown Prince Frederik is the embodiment of the country's relaxed, liberal monarchy. Passionate about the environment, he has discreetly imposed himself in the shadow of his hugely popular mother, Queen Margrethe II, championing Denmark and its drive to find solutions to the climate crisis. "When the time comes, I will guide the ship," he said in a speech celebrating his chain-smoking mother's half-century on the throne in 2022. "I will follow you, as you followed your father" in leading the thousand-year-old institution, Prince Frederik added. But this measured assurance is a far cry from his younger self. "He was not strictly speaking a rebel, but as a child and young man, he was very uncomfortable with the media attention and the knowledge that he was going to be king," said Gitte Redder, an expert on the Danish royal family. He only "gained confidence in his mid-20s," she told AFP. - Lonely and tormented - A lonely and tormented teenager, Frederik resented his parents for neglecting him as they fulfilled their royal obligations. He sought solace in fast cars and fast living, and was considered a spoiled party prince in the early 1990s. But that view began to change after he graduated from Aarhus University in 1995, the first Danish royal to complete a university education. His time at college included a stint at Harvard in the United States, where he was enrolled under the pseudonym Frederik Henriksen. The fake surname was a nod to his father, French diplomat Henri de Monpezat who became Prince Consort Henrik when he married Margrethe. But Frederik -- who speaks English, French and German -- really began to mature into his role during his time training in the three branches of Denmark's military. The prince served in the navy's Frogmen Corps -- where he was nicknamed "Pingo" (Penguin) -- one of only four of the 300 recruits to pass all of the tests in 1995. In 2000, he took part in a four-month, 3,500-kilometre (2,175-mile) ski expedition across Greenland. - Complementing the queen - His daredevil side has landed him in hospital after sledging and scooter accidents, but his popularity has soared, boosted by the Royal Run, annual fun runs across Denmark he began in 2018. "He is a sportsman, he attends concerts and football matches, which makes him even more accessible than his mother," royal expert Redder said. "I don't want to lock myself in a fortress. I want to be myself, a human being," he once said, insisting he would stick to that even after taking the throne. He met his wife Mary Donaldson, an Australian lawyer, in a Sydney bar during the 2000 Olympic Games. They have tried to give their four children as normal an upbringing as possible, sending them mainly to state schools. Their eldest, Prince Christian, who recently turned 18, was the first Danish royal to go to daycare. The couple have gradually taken on many royal duties in recent years as the queen entered her eighties, "but very slowly and depending on the queen's health", said historian Sebastian Olden-Jorgensen. The couple are "modern, woke, lovers of pop music, modern art and sports," he added. They "do not represent a potential revolution compared to the queen", but a careful transition adapting to the times, he said. Frederik has said that he sees himself complementing his mother, a polymath who is an accomplished writer and artist. "You paint, I exercise. You dig for buried objects from the past, I buried my head in order not to be recognised during my time in the armed forces. You are a master of words. I am sometimes at a loss for them," he joked during the queen's jubilee celebrations.

Frederik, Denmark's 'woke' and popular future king to replace Queen Margrethe II who abdicated

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Meet Denmark's future queen, Australian-born Mary Donaldson who is a commoner

Frederik, Denmark's 'woke' and popular future king to replace Queen Margrethe II who abdicated