Queen Mary Of Denmark's Style Transformation Has Left Us Stunned

After 20 years as Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark, the Danish royal ascended to one of the highest titles in the country in January 2024, and now officially bears the title Queen Mary of Denmark. Regal, refined, and powerful are the themes of this newly anointed monarch's fashion sense, but it hasn't always been that way. Just as the brunette beauty's journey to the throne has been years in the making, her sovereign-chic aesthetic is also the product of a decades-long style transformation. 

Born Mary Donaldson in Tasmania, Australia, this people's princess first entered the public eye in the early 2000s when she began dating Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik. The two eventually wed in 2004 and have been together ever since — seeing each other through ups, downs, and many fashion fads. From the low-rise jeans of the early 2000s to the bold patterns and colors of the 2010s to modern-day power suits, Queen Mary's looks have always evolved with the times. Now that she is the queen of her adopted Nordic country, this royal's elegant taste will only continue to grow. Before we showcase her queen-like fashion, let's explore how Queen Mary earned the snappy-dresser status today.

While modern royal watchers might be used to seeing Queen Mary dressed in sequins and sapphires, this monarch made her official debut into the Danish aristocratic spotlight in a much more casual outfit. In 2003, the Australian native — then simply known as Mary Donaldson — was photographed wearing slouchy low-rise jeans in a light wash color and a low-cut creme top as she boarded the deck of the Tasmania Yacht Club. 

With her chunky sunglasses and cappuccino-colored flat sandals, it was obvious that this savvy dresser had dressed appropriately for the casual occasion. All smiles for the camera, this besotted future queen was more than ready to hang on the arm of her then-boyfriend, Prince Frederik of Denmark, as they watched the first race of the Dragon Boat World Championship together. Subtle, yet trendy for the times, this relaxed ensemble introduced the future Queen Mary as a practical, down-to-earth woman, who has a keen eye for the details. 

Things began to change almost immediately when the woman known as Mary Donaldson announced her engagement to Prince Frederik of Denmark on October 8, 2003. Long gone were the wide-legged jeans and flirty midriff that Queen Mary had been photographed wearing just months prior. Instead, the future monarch signaled the end of her girlfriend era and the beginning of her days as a royal fiancée with a sleek, coffee-hued midi dress appropriate for the environment of a formal press conference. 

Seated next to her fiancé at Denmark's Fredensborg Castle, Queen Mary looked as if she had stepped right out of Disney's "The Princess Diaries" as she crossed her ankles politely and showed off her neutral heels fitted with cute black bows. Her simple, coffee-colored dress had little embellishment aside from two thick ribbons cinching in her waist. The old Mary was still shining through, though, as the future queen wore her hair in a fun-loving bumped-up style that was popular for the era. 

Entering your hat era? Maybe don't take inspiration from Queen Mary from her early royal days. Leading up to her 2004 wedding, the bride-to-be was seen attending an event with her future in-laws wearing a tall church hat that almost covered half her face. She paired the forest floor-colored piece with a matching jacket over a cream midi dress.

While this simple and sweet cream gown was the perfect choice for a blushing bride in the bloom of her youth, Queen Mary publicly fumbled when she paired it with such a polarizing color as well as a matronly hat that shielded rather than flattered her face. Despite the thin, green ribbon tied around her headpiece, Mary's look was giving mother-of-the-bride rather than woman in white. 

Altogether, the clunky silhouette of this look was a far cry from the easy, breezy Aussie style the royal was photographed rocking earlier in her public career. However, as cumbersome as this pre-wedding look might be, the switch in textures, shapes, and colors signaled that this former beachy babe was taking her new role as a public servant and role model seriously. 

Queen Mary's royal wedding to King Frederik in 2004 was a stunning highlight in the royal's personal fashion history. In a sentimental move, the commoner-turned-royal chose Danish fashion designer Uffe Frank to craft her once-in-a-lifetime gown, indicating that the future queen truly had embraced her new home country. 

Cut out of a satin fabric in an aged pearl color, this scoop-neck bridal gown is just one of many vintage wedding dress styles that need to make a comeback. Queen Mary's classic look bucked trends of the early 2000s, which saw many form-fitting strapless and spaghetti-strapped gowns. With a sleeved bodice and full skirt, this unexpected royal wedding dress appeared as if it had jumped out of the history books rather than a 2004 fashion magazine, but that's even more of a reason why this gown tops the list of Queen Mary's best sartorial looks. From her 19-foot train to the quarter-length sleeves to the ruffled skirt fitted with Irish heirloom lace, the Danish monarch's wedding dress helped to solidify her sensible yet feminine style. 

In the months after her royal wedding, Queen Mary — who was then known as Crown Princess Mary — could be seen experimenting with colors and patterns. While the aristocrat was photographed in casual, comfortable clothes and neutral tones during the early days of her and Prince Frederik's courtship, now that she was formally ensconced in the Danish royal family, it seemed this newly anointed royal was looking to make changes. 

In one of Queen Mary's more adorable ensembles from the early 2000s, the future queen wore a midi-length, silk, lilac gown with a series of 1960s mod-inspired patterns. From stripes to polka dots to floral-inspired geometric shapes, this charismatic gown showed that Mary was in an experimental phase.

Far different from her girlfriend-era jeans and t-shirt as well as her more mature looks from the fiancée-era, this piece was a charismatic choice for a new royal, whose life in the limelight was only just beginning. Even better, Queen Mary chose to wear this bold gown to an exhibition at London's Royal Academy of Arts titled "Ancient Art to Post-Impressionism." With this eccentric dress, it seems her Andy Warhol and Bridget Riley-inspired look was right on the money.

In 2005, Queen Mary of Denmark put a royal twist on maternity fashion with a monochromatic ensemble. With her husband by her side, the pregnant princess attended a fashion show during the 25th Copenhagen International Fashion Fair dressed in gold silk trousers, a matching top, and a knee-grazing duster coat with embroidered orange details along the chest. 

The ensemble was sophisticated, yet practical, keeping in line with the royals' down-to-earth brand. With royal women having a history of abiding by punishing traditions while pregnant and newly postpartum — like Princess Diana and Princess Catherine emerging from the famous Lindo Wing just hours after giving birth — Queen Mary's elevated take on what was essentially silky pajamas showed that she was carving out a new way of life for herself as a future queen.

Just as the billowing gown she wore during her royal wedding marked a turning point in this former commoner's fashion journey, it seems bringing her first child into the world (a baby boy named Prince Christian, born on October 15, 2005) sharpened Queen Mary's fashion priorities — which is to say, comfy chic once again became the royal's go-to aesthetic. 

With this seductive number from 2009, Queen Mary of Denmark gave us a masterclass on how you should style a strapless dress for a night out. Four years after giving birth to her firstborn and two years after the birth of her second child, Princess Isabella,, the then-Crown Princess of Denmark was ready to bid adieu to her maternity looks and revisit a more exotic fashion palette. 

What better opportunity to debut such a daring gown than a date night with her husband in New York City attending The American-Scandinavian Foundation Dinner? Her strapless column dress was a splatter of different colors and patterns, combining red, purple, blue, brown, white, and more. There were no zebras, cheetahs, or snakes in sight, and yet Queen Mary's figure-hugging gown gave the impression of a woman living life on the wild side. 

Her gown trailed slightly behind her, giving it a black-tie feel, and emphasized her strong shoulders with its empire-style bust line and lack of straps. With Prince Frederik at her side, the future queen looked mature and self-possessed while still leaning into the natural sexiness of her colorful number. 

As beautiful as Queen Mary of Denmark looked in this unique, gauze-like gown, she certainly wasn't making any lists of the best dressed at the royal wedding of Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and Daniel Westling. Her strapless, textured dress would have killed on an avant-garde runway, but its off-white color was just a bit too close to bridal white, making it an inappropriate choice to wear as a wedding guest. 

Despite Queen Mary's growing confidence in fashion, that evening on June 18, 2010 marked a low point in her sartorial journey. With her brunette hair perfectly tousled and her drop-waist gown serving dystopian glamour, this ensemble called to mind a "Star Wars" heroine. However, the sexiness of the silhouette and the eggshell hue of the cloth were just a bit too much for the occasion. Far from the unfussy gowns and trousers-shirt combos of Queen Mary's fashion past, this experimental look just so slightly missed the mark.

Queen Mary of Denmark found her footing when it came to wedding-guest fashion when she attended the Roman-Catholic ceremony of Prince Albert of Monaco and Charlene Wittstock in Monaco in July of 2011. Fit for the French Riviera heat, the then-princess' one-shoulder gown was a tropical hot pink color. It seemed this sartorially playful royal was ahead of the cure when it came to Barbie-inspired fashion. 

Simple in its cut, but bold in color, this charismatic number was right on theme for the casino and champagne-filled principality that is Monaco. Queen Mary's column dress complimented her tall and thin figure, while the thick, dark pink ribbon wrapped around her torso created the illusion of an hourglass figure, proving that this royal had truly learned the beauty of dressing for one's body shape. 

Queen Mary paired her saucy one-shoulder number with a clutch bag of a darker red, simple diamond earrings, a bracelet, and an impressive tonged tiara that served as the centerpiece for her otherwise simple low-bun hairstyle. From her accessories to the details of the gown itself, this vivid ensemble would have been right at home inside a Barbie dream house.

Queen Mary meant business when she visited her home country of Australia for a state visit on November 23, 2011. Dressed in an all-white power suit, the then-Crown Princess of Denmark looked chic-business as she attended the official opening of an initiative titled, "State of Green – Join the Future. Think Denmark."

Despite Australia being her home country, the royal wasn't about to kick her feet up or catch some waves. No, Queen Mary was clocked in. With a long-sleeved, double-breasted blazer and flared white trousers, this outfit sent the message to onlookers that its wearer was still a foreign ambassador. Queen Mary paired her monochromatic outfit with snakeskin pumps and a matching snakeskin clutch, keeping the silver jewelry to a minimum. 

This CEO-inspired look was an unexpected choice from a dresser who had previously flocked to more classically feminine silhouettes. Still, Queen Mary proved that she wasn't afraid to take a few risks or jeopardize her previous pretty princess image. With this chic ensemble that took direct inspiration from corporatecore, the new fall fashion trend, this Danish blue-blood proved that some risks do, in fact, pay off.

Hats haven't always been Queen Mary's best friend, with her oblong topper from 2004 loudly missing the mark. However, the royal revisited this style in 2012 when she attended the wedding ceremony of Prince Guillaume and Hereditary Grand Duchess Stephanie of Luxembourg wearing a wide-brimmed, asymmetrical gray hat.

Glamorous, yet muted, this smokey-hued accessory had the appearance of being made out of crushed velvet and paired nicely with her peplum style burgundy dress, which was one of the most hotly-sought after dress styles in the early 2010s. Queen Mary brought it all together with matching wine-colored heels, a clutch bag (which seems to be her favorite way of transporting the keys to the castle), and delicate drop-down earrings in a ruby hue. 

With such simplified accessories, Queen Mary and her stylists allowed her hat to take center stage for the occasion. Crafted in a more recognizable shape and style than her hats of the past, this topper called to mind the Italian sophistication of a Borsalino hat and showed that the Danish royal was correcting her past fashion mistakes and clearing a path for a stylish future.

Queen Mary set a new example for moms when she was seen frolicking in the grass with Princess Josephine, her youngest daughter, in the summer of 2013. The royal rebuked the classic mom-jeans look with a summery, slouch-shoulder dress in a striking midnight blue. Princess Josephine, one-half of a set of twins the queen gave birth to on January 8, 2011, was seen adorably following her mother in a matching light blue dress.

The future queen cut a relaxed and joyful figure in this drop-waist midi-length dress that she paired with strappy white heels and dangly gold earrings. The length and loose fit of the dress made it perfect for running after her little ones in the garden of Grasten Castle, while the peek of skin around the neckline and her eye-catching accessories showed royal watchers that there's a way to remain glamorous even if having taken on the mantle of being a mom. 

The Crown Prince and Princess of Denmark arrived in style at the 2014 Bambi Awards in Berlin, with then-Prince Frederik looking strapping in a black tuxedo and the future Queen Mary stealing the limelight in a sparkling sapphire gown. The royal harkened back to the styles of Old Hollywood with her draped, off-the-shoulder neckline and trumpet-style dress.

Clinging to her hips before flaring out around her ankles, this dynamic number was the perfect choice for a red carpet, as the starry-night hue contrasted perfectly against the crimson floor and surely twinkled beautifully in the lenses of the paparazzi's cameras. Channeling the likes of Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich, Queen Mary showed that this sophisticated mom can also hold her own in the realm of high glam. Her accessories got the memo, too, as Queen Mary's dangling diamond earrings, multi-band silver bracelet, and simple sapphire clutch looked like antique pieces that could have originated at a 1930s movie premiere.

In December 2023, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced that she would be abdicating the throne. The news meant that her son and daughter-in-law — Prince Frederik and Princess Mary — would soon be ascending to the highest title in the land. In her first public appearance since the announcement, Princess Mary wowed in a long-sleeved red velvet gown. 

As she arrived at a New Year's party held at Amalienborg Palace on January 1, 2024, the soon-to-be-queen looked like a competent and alluring matriarch dressed head to toe in a red so deep it almost appeared to be a royal Tyrian purple. Along with her traditional royal wares, the aristocrat paired her Birgit Hallstein dress with the gorgeous Danish Ruby Parure Tiara and a J.Furmani bag in a wintery silver. With this high-effort look, it's clear that Queen Mary desired to send a message that the country would be in good hands with her at the helm.

Queen Mary officially took on the title of Queen of Denmark on January 14, 2024. While you might expect her level of glamour to skyrocket upon the arrival of this new crown, it seems the monarch has, instead, settled into a much more slouchy, chic aesthetic. The queen of Denmark was photographed attending The Hubertusjagt Drag Hunting Event on November 3, 2024, wearing an expertly layered cold-weather outfit alongside her daughter, Princess Josephine.

In addition to her wide-brimmed heather gray hat, Queen Mary sported velvet, forest-green trousers, a white turtleneck, a plush grey vest, and — to top it all off — a double-breasted charcoal coat. These grayscale items came together beautifully and presented an image of a queen who is comfortable in her own skin. With a hand dangling out of one pocket, Queen Mary looked as if she had returned to the slackened silhouettes she was known for in the early 2000s, coming full circle in her fashion transformation.