Striking power suits by day, glittering ball gowns by night (and polka dots along the way) – so is the tried-and-tested royal dressing formula, but it’s not just unique to the Princess of Wales.
This combination, Queen Elizabeth II of Denmark, can be called Kate’s plan. He served very well for Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, who will become Queen Consort of Denmark, inherited by her husband, Crown Prince Frederik, following Margrethe’s abdication on January 14. throne.
This rise will mark the latest step in her evolution from flip-flop-wearing Australian girl to Denmark’s flamboyant, beloved public figure (a poll last week showed she was highly rated by 85 percent of the Danish population). For her style leanings, she deftly combines Scandi labels (Ganni, By Malene Birger, Ole Yde and Cecilie Bahnsen) with high-street discounts and a few major investments (including at least six Chanel handbags and a crocodile Hermès Birkin, reportedly worth). $44,500).
Fashion designers love it; Erdem Moraloğlu said she “always looks modern and beautifully comfortable”, while Tommy Hilfiger praised her “very sophisticated, European style”. But the person paying the closest attention may be the Princess of Wales. The duo share more than just a glossy brunette blowout and a knack for tailoring, and the years have only cemented their doppelganger status. As the late Karl Lagerfeld said in 2010: “Kate is like Mary’s little sister.”
Like Kate, who is 10 years her junior, Australian-born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson was of non-royal origins. When Mary met the Prince of Denmark at Sydney’s Slip Inn bar during the Summer Olympics in 2000, the future princess was “a T-shirt-and-shorts girl who was known to go barefoot”. Financial Times in 2022.
She made headlines in 2003 when she kissed the prince in public for the first time at the Tasmanian Yacht Club, wearing baggy, washed jeans, a low-cut white knit top and flip-flops. They were quickly herded to the back of the closet. In October of the same year, she launched her transformation into royalty, ready with her engagement announcement outfit; Light brown, above-the-knee dress by Danish designer Kenth Fredin. She completed the look with Valentino heels and, most importantly, a 1.5-carat emerald-cut diamond and double ruby engagement ring (she has since added two diamonds to it). The following year, Danish designer Uffe Frank designed her six-metre-long ivory satin train wedding dress.
But what shed the most light on Mary’s style secret were her wedding earrings by Marianne Dulong; The brand was co-founded by Mary’s longtime stylist, Anja Camilla Alajdi. Alajdi was said to be “irritated” by speculation that her brand was using the opportunity for product placement, and reportedly said: “Did they believe that such things go together like that? Of course the Crown Princess doesn’t wear jewelery she doesn’t like, and she also matches other brands. Georg Jensen, Ole Lynggaard Jewels CPH et al.”
Still, Alajdi can be credited in part for the high-low wardrobe approach taken by Princess Mary – and has since become synonymous with the Princess of Wales. According to Royal Fashion tracking site UFO No More, Mary’s wardrobe statistics prove this: She has at least 34 shirts from Hugo Boss and 13 Zara hanging in her wardrobe, along with 18 Prada shirts and 47 dresses from the Italian fashion house. Step inside the former Duchess of Cambridge’s and expect to find suits from H&M or Zara, as well as many suits from Alexander McQueen.
Despite her focus on high street shopping, Princess Mary has a keen interest in sustainability; Definitely when it comes to style decisions. She is herself a patron of the Global Fashion Agenda, a Copenhagen-based NGO with “the ultimate vision of a net-positive fashion industry for people and planet.” She first started working with the model in 2009 and is a regular speaker at the Copenhagen Fashion Summit. Speaking in 2021, he doubled down on his support for rewearing and buying second-hand, saying: “If you look at how we consume fashion today, we see a much bigger market for second-hand, recycled, upcycled products… that’s another.” a value because it tells the history of the product: who wore it before, where it was, what its journey was.”
Although she has been praised for this environmental work, the royal family came under criticism in 2016 after the family’s Christmas stamp featured some family members wearing seal fur, including some of her four children with Prince Frederik. PETA condemns them for ‘supporting’ [of] terrible fur industry” and “We sent Crown Princess Mary a warm faux fur scarf.”
As the countdown to her new role progresses, the question arises as to whether Princess Mary will once again change her style accordingly. On New Year’s Eve, she certainly stepped up the glam in a plunging, burgundy Birgit Hallstein gown in her first public outing since the announcement, as she attended a banquet at Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen. Whatever she wears, be sure the Princess of Wales will take notice.