The surprise abdication of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has allowed for the ascension of two relatively young royals — her son, King Frederik X and his wife, Queen Mary — causing a worldwide pique in interest in the couple many are comparing to our own William and Kate.
Queen Mary, 51, first married into the Danish royal family in 2004, but it has taken nearly 20 years for her presence to cause such a worldwide flurry of attention. Her newly minted position as Queen Consort has added an extra layer of notability to the royal, and many are finally noticing her careful — and familiar — approach to royal dressing.
This was particularly prominent at the coronation, where Queen Mary set a slew of Google searches in motion after she stepped out in a crisp, chic white gown by Danish designer Soeren Le Schmidt. “Beyond grateful,” the designer wrote on Instagram. “Thank you for choosing me.”
Visually, it was a treat, but it's the symbolism that really sets it apart from a regular royal outfit.
The gown's unpigmented hue is, according to royal experts, supposed to signify the "renewal and the purity of the Crown," and, when paired with her ornate red jewellery, also represents the colours of the Danish flag.
Queen Mary's appearance on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace post-coronation this Sunday evoked memories of the 2011 Royal Wedding, where Kate and Will waved to adoring fans from the gallery of Buckingham Palace. Queen Mary and King Frederik X even shared a kiss on the lips, too, in what felt like nearly an exact parallel.
Mary's Soeren Le Schmidt dress doesn't feel too dissimilar to items worn by the Princess of Wales, either. The pointed shoulders are a Kate favourite — just look at anything she's worn by The Vampire's Wife, or some of her typical Alexander McQueen suiting — and the white draping is reminiscent of Kate's pleated, alabaster McQueen gown, which she's worn twice while in attendance at the BAFTAs. The pair have even worn the exact same Beulah London dress before, though thankfully a year apart and not at the same public appearance.
But which came first, the chicken or the Fabergé egg? As much as Mary's monarchic style might feel Kate-inspired to some Brits, it's apparently the Princess of Wales who is taking lessons from Queen Mary, not the other way around. Dubbed "Kate's blueprint", Mary was linked to the Danish royal family long before Kate even set foot in Buckingham Palace.
According to some sources, Kate is "channeling" her sartorial choices, and she and William will be "studying" the Danish royals' response to the shock abdication of Queen Margrethe II, should King Charles III ever want to sack it all in. There's a lot to pay attention to here, and the outfits seem to be speaking volumes. So watch out for any red, white and royal blue dressing from the Princess of Wales soon — there may be some already in the pipeline.
