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Images of the Queen and King Frederik X during their six-day State Visit travelled swiftly around the world. But, here in Australia, the reaction felt deeper than curiosity. It was personal.
Because there is something uniquely compelling for Australians about watching Mary on the world stage—and it’s not just her clothes, poise, or even her fairytale trajectory from Tasmania to the throne.
For years, Mary’s Australian identity has been treated as a charming footnote.
The girl-next-door who met a prince in a Sydney pub and lived happily ever after.
Even without the royal twist, it reads like a modern rom-com.
But this State Visit made something unmistakably clear: her upbringing isn’t an anecdote. It’s the foundation of her success.
Mary’s warmth, clarity and emotional intelligence — plus her genuine ability to connect without performing — don’t all feel traditionally royal. These qualities feel distinctly Australian.
Every time she steps into a global room, she carries a version of Australia that is instantly recognisable: grounded, capable, quietly confident.
She doesn’t need to declare it. She simply embodies it.
Officially, she represents Denmark. But in practice, she offers Australia something we rarely articulate: soft power that we never planned for, but benefit from all the same.
The ambassador role Australia never appointed
From the outset, Mary approached royal life not as a performance but as a system to master.
She didn’t merely adopt Danish language, protocol, and court customs — she absorbed them.
She transformed herself into a fluent insider capable of navigating an institution centuries in the making.
That skill, moving seamlessly between worlds without leaving a trace, is what diplomats call soft power in action.
Unlike Australia’s official channels, where influence is often measured by formal agreements or ceremonial visits, Mary operates in the moments in between: state receptions, cross-cultural exchanges, subtle symbolic gestures.
In these moments, she shapes perception and builds goodwill without a word of lobbying.
Australia has never been particularly strategic about soft power.
Our influence tends to be accidental, like a sporting hero or a Hollywood export.
Mary is the exception.
Through decades of careful cultivation, she has become an ambassador Australia never appointed but instinctively claims, embodying the nation’s values abroad with a credibility few official channels can match.
There’s a reason Australians slip into calling her “Our Mary”, or why the country descends into Mary-mania every time she returns home.
I’ve followed her journey for more than two decades, first as a wide-eyed royal watcher, and now as WHO’s royal expert and reporter.
I saw that connection up close during her visit to the Australian War Memorial on March 16, where hundreds gathered for the chance to meet her.
That crowd was eclipsed only by the farewell in Hobart: the city where she was born and raised.
It wasn’t just nostalgia or fascination that brought the masses out, but recognition.
Mary embodies the version of Australia we like to believe we are: warm but not overbearing, confident but not arrogant, capable without needing applause.
She carries that identity lightly, never as performance or as brand.
And when she brings it into global spaces, Australia benefits by association.
A Queen who outperforms the job
Mary holds an approval rating of around 85 per cent in Denmark (according to a December 2024 poll) and it’s an extraordinary achievement for any public figure.
Judging by the reception she receives in Australia, and the overwhelmingly positive headlines about the State Visit, she would likely rival that here.
It’s a level of trust many leaders would envy, including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, whose approval ratings sit significantly lower at just 35 percent, according to an Australian poll from March this year.
But what makes Mary so effective is that she doesn’t behave like a traditional ambassador.
She doesn’t lobby or insert herself into political debates.
Instead, she embodies values, like steadiness, empathy, clarity, that transcend politics entirely.
In a global landscape where many royal houses are struggling for relevance, Mary stands out as someone who understands the assignment.
She knows when to speak, when to listen, when to step forward and when to step back.
In an era of overexposure, that restraint is its own form of power.
How Queen Mary benefits Australia
Mary has quietly strengthened the connection between Australia and Denmark in ways that are both symbolic and tangible.
Around 27,000 Danes travelled to Australia in 2024, the same year Queen Margrethe’s abdication made Frederik King and brought renewed attention to Mary’s story.
Campaigns like Tourism Tasmania’s ad in Danish newspaper Politiken — “Down here, our views are fit for a Queen. Just ask yours” — capitalised on that connection.
Trade and cultural ties also continue to deepen, particularly in areas like green energy.
But Mary’s influence extends far beyond statistics. Her global reputation as both a style figure and a humanitarian reflects back on Australia in ways we rarely measure.
When she speaks about gender equality, when she champions health initiatives, when she represents Denmark with quiet authority — Australia is part of that story.
She is a reminder that Australians can operate on the world stage with intelligence, humility and emotional fluency.
At a time when national identity often feels fragmented, Mary offers something rarer: a version of Australia that feels cohesive. Even aspirational.
The quiet luxury of loving Queen Mary
Part of Mary’s appeal is that she is not our queen and that’s exactly how we like it.
Australia’s relationship with the British monarchy has always been complicated, shaped by history, identity and ongoing republican debate.
While record numbers do turn out to see the British royals when they venture this way, protests often cast a shadow over proceedings. During Mary’s visit, there were no protests.
Denmark is not tied to our colonial past. Australia taxes don’t fund Mary’s life. We are free to enjoy the spectacle without the scrutiny.
Mary offers Australian’s all the allure of monarchy — without the political cost.
Why Queen Mary is our best ambassador
Mary will never hold an official Australian diplomatic title and she doesn’t need one.
She has become something far more powerful: a global figure whose discipline, credibility and humanity reflect the best of Australia.
She is the ambassador we never appointed.
And yet, she continues to represent us — quietly, consistently and exceptionally well.
For a queen who belongs to Denmark, she remains unmistakably one of us. And she never forgets where she came from.
“It is always a joy to come back to Australia,” she said in a speech at a State Banquet in Canberra. “As a former Australian, there is something special about coming back to the place I was born and grew up, and had a large part of my adult life.”
She is out local girl who did good. And proudly remains our most effective export.
Read more expert opinion and analysis in WHO’s The Royal Verdict with Kylie Walters here.
