Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark are spending their 21st wedding anniversary apart today as royal duties call them to different directions.
The couple, widely admired by royal enthusiasts for their close relationship and commitment to their roles, have separate engagements scheduled on their special day.
Queen Mary will be holding a meeting at the Mary Foundation, a charity she founded in 2007.
The foundation tackles issues close to her heart, including bullying, domestic violence and loneliness.
Queen Mary and King Frederik will spend their 21st wedding anniversary apart.
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Her involvement goes beyond simple patronage, as she frequently takes an active role in its campaigns and projects.
During a poignant speech last month, Queen Mary emphasised the importance of protecting children from violence.
"Violence is never the children's fault. It is our, the adults, responsibility to see, to reach out, to ask and to act. We have to do it for the sake of each child. And we have to do it for each other," she said.
Meanwhile, King Frederik will be presenting the Danish Academy of Science's gold medal to this year's recipient, Hello! Magazine has claimed.
Queen Mary and King Frederik's royal commitments have forced them to mark the milestone separately.
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The King serves as one of the institution's patrons, representing the monarchy at this prestigious academic event.
Mary and Frederik's love story began during the 2000 Sydney Olympics, with the pair meeting at "an exclusive private dinner party", according to Mary's bridesmaid Amber Petty.
Their romance blossomed into a long-distance relationship, with Frederik making secret trips to Australia before Mary relocated to Copenhagen in 2001 to study Danish.
The couple announced their engagement in October 2003 at Amalienborg Castle.
The royal couple married in 2004 and share four children.
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They married on May 14, 2004, with Frederik declaring at the altar: "From today, Mary is mine, and I am hers. I love her, and I will protect her with all my love."
The royal couple now have four children: Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent.
The news follows the brief health issues of Queen Margrethe, Frederik’s mother and former Queen of Denmark.
The 85-year-old former monarch was forced to miss a royal engagement last week after being hospitalised for a cold.
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Denmark's former reigning Queen Margrethe is now 'recovering and in good spirits' after a brief health episode.
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Margrethe is now said to be “recovering and in good spirits” and has left hospital.
An official statement informed that: “Her Majesty is well and is now back in her residence at Fredensborg Palace.”
The formerly reigning Danish Queen, who abdicated in 2024, was Europe's longest serving monarch following the death of Queen Elizabeth.
She had ruled the northern European nation since 1972, marking 52 years on the throne.
The family is also the continent’s oldest ruling monarchy, sitting in Copenhagen for 900 years
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