Queen Mary and King Frederik marked the first anniversary of their reign on Tuesday, with the Danish palace sharing a touching behind-the-scenes video from Frederik’s historic accession day.
The video captured an emotional Frederik preparing to step out onto the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen for his proclamation.
He was seen embracing his brother, Prince Joachim, while his eldest children, Crown Prince Christian, 19, and Princess Isabella, 17, blew him kisses.
In a heartfelt moment, Queen Mary was also seen sharing a warm hug with her older sister, Jane Stephens, who was dressed in a purple coat.
Danish media confirmed that Jane had flown in from Australia to attend the momentous ceremony ahead of Frederik’s accession.
Watch the moment: https://cdn.jwplayer.com/previews/EV5pes8C
Mary, 52, is the youngest of four children. In addition to Jane, born in 1965, Mary has another older sister, Patricia Anne Bailey (born 1968), and a brother, John (born 1970).
The Queen Consort grew up in Hobart, Tasmania, with her Scottish parents, John Dalgliesh Donaldson and Henrietta Clark Donaldson. The family moved to Australia in 1963, before Jane’s birth.
Mary’s father, John, is a Professor of Applied Mathematics, while her late mother, Henrietta, worked as the Executive Assistant to the Vice Chancellor at The University of Tasmania. Sadly, Henrietta passed away in November 1997 following complications from heart surgery when Mary was 25.
John later remarried British crime novelist Susan Horwood, who writes under the pen name Susan Moody, in 2001.
On her wedding day in 2004, Mary’s father walked her down the aisle to Frederik, with her sisters Jane and Patricia as bridesmaids.
Jane has three children with her husband Craig Stephens, while Patricia also has three children, two from her first marriage to Ken Woods. Mary’s brother John and his wife Leanne have a daughter.
As for Frederik and Mary’s own children, Crown Prince Christian is set to begin military training next month as part of his gap year. Their second child, Princess Isabella, will turn 18 in April before her high school graduation, while their twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, just celebrated their 14th birthday.
