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Deep within the vault beneath Rosenborg Castle, in the land where fairytales were born, thousands of visitors come each day to see the treasures of the Danish royal family.
The highlight is the crown jewels, now reserved for the exclusive use of the former marketing executive who met her prince in a Sydney pub and became Queen Mary of Denmark.
It is a real-life story that sounds so far-fetched even Hans Christian Andersen couldn’t have made it up.
Here is everything you need to know as WHO exclusively takes you inside the royal vault…
What tiaras does Queen Mary of Denmark wear?
While Mary used four tiaras during the 20 years she served as Crown Princess, a trove of new treasures were entrusted to her upon the abdication of of her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe.
“A tiara is much more than just an item of great beauty,” Royal Danish Collection Museum Director Thomas C. Thulstrup tells WHO.
“We’ve all grown up with Disney and the fairytale version of what it is like to be a princess or queen, so a tiara really captures that for the public. But wearing one symbolises continuity, family and tradition, which is what the monarchy is all about.”
Pearl Poiré tiara
Among the treasures that are now Mary’s is the Pearl Poiré tiara. It had been used exclusively by the former Queen for more than 50 years, with Margrethe wearing it in her historic Golden Jubilee portraits in 2022.
Featuring 18 large pear-shaped pearls, this tiara has an estimated value of about $16 million.
It dates back to the 1800s and was handed down by Margrethe’s Prussian ancestors.
While the Pearl Poiré is not part of the crown jewels as such – it is held in the Danish Royal Property Trust – seeing Mary don it for the first time while on a state visit to Norway in May 2024 finally made the transition of the crown feel real to a nation that continued to see Margrethe perform royal duties and serve as regent.
“For Danes, to see it being worn symbolised that Mary was the reigning Queen now,” Thulstrup says.
“Jewels aren’t just chosen to match an outfit – there is a very clear intention behind every choice. They are a form of communication used by the Queen.”
Emerald tiara
The show stopper of the exhibition at Rosenborg Castle is the Emerald Parure tiara that Queen Mary wore in the official portraits to mark King Frederik X’s January 2024 ascension to the throne.
Set with 67 vivid emeralds and 2650 brilliant-cut diamonds, it draws a crowd as it twinkles in the light on display.
Tiaras are reserved for the most formal of functions.
“They are used for Gala A events, which are parties of national importance, such as the New Year’s Royal Banquet, state visits and the like,” Danish jewellery expert Nina Hald tells WHO.
As part of the crown jewels, it is only worn within Denmark.
“It’s not a rule but has become the custom because of how important they are,” Thulstrup says.
Ruby tiara
Born as a commoner in Tasmania, Mary first wore one during her pre-wedding celebrations in 2004, when she was twice seen in the Ruby Parure tiara, which has become the one most closely associated with her thanks to its repeated use.
Commissioned in 1804 to be worn to the coronation of Napoleon, the tiara features 55 rubies and multiple diamonds set in an intricate leaf and berry pattern.
It was passed down through generations of the Swedish royal family before Princess Ingrid, the current King’s beloved late grandmother, took it to Denmark in 1935 upon her marriage to the country’s crown prince, who later became King Frederik IX.
“The first time I was wearing a tiara, I felt it was a great honour but also a bit of pressure,” Mary said in a documentary to mark her 50th birthday.
“Pressure in the sense that it was last worn by Queen Ingrid, who was highly loved and admired by the Danes. So it came with some expectations, I felt. Can I live up to those expectations? Will people think I am doing well? All these thoughts go through one’s head.”
Seeing Mary step out in the tiara and a matching red gown, by Danish fashion designer Uffe Frank, to a gala event on the eve of her wedding was a momentous moment for Hald.
“It was the second time Mary Donaldson wore the entire ruby set, on the last evening of her life as a commoner,” Hald explains.
“By wearing the royal ruby set, she ascended to royal dignity, assuming the responsibility of becoming Crown Princess before the Danish population.”
Gold tiara
It is clear that Mary enjoys wearing jewellery, as well as it being a tool for her royal role.
The Queen dug deep within Rosenborg’s vault to prepare for an official visit to Finland in March 2025, choosing to take a bandeau which had not been seen in public in more than 140 years.
Set with 11 gems collected by Queen Caroline Amalie in Italy, this tiara was made in 1820 and hadn’t been seen in more than a century when Mary breathed new life into it.
Her arrival at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki while wearing Queen Caroline Amalie’s gold tiara caused quite the stir, drawing gasps from the Danish journalists.
“By wearing an older tiara, the Queen brings it back to life and also becomes part of the piece’s history and story,” Thulstrup explains.
Diamond Bandeau
However, Mary is putting her own stamp on the crown jewels in even greater ways.
In December 2024, it was announced that the Queen was adding a new tiara to the collection.
Stones that were part of a heavy and difficult-to-wear diamond belt from the Rose-Cut Diamond Parure were refashioned into a Diamond Bandeau.
“The stones weren’t altered, so it can be put back together, which was important to the Queen,” Thulstrup says.
Edwardian tiara
Gaining its name from the era in which it was made, contrasting platinum and gold gives the tiara an antique look. The Edwardian has an estimated value of around $1 million.
The tiara is made of rose-cut diamonds and old mine-cut diamonds and that date from 1900-1910.
Not even a queen can get away with a tiara every day, so this one has been cleverly redesigned to allow for greater use.
Mary’s Edwardian tiara can be worn as both a headpiece and separately as a necklace for less formal occasions.
Mary purchased the tiara at an auction in 2012 along with a pair of matching earrings.
At the time it was purchased, a stone was missing along with the original frame so it has undergone an extensive repair process since coming into Mary’s care.
Midnight tiara
Mary has also added the Midnight tiara from Danish fine jeweller Ole Lynggaard into her regular rotation, although ownership is retained by brand.
This modern and lightweight creation is set with 1340 brilliant-cut diamonds and 31 specially cut moonstones. It took 400 hours of craftsmanship to create.
Designed by Charlotte Lynggaard for the Tiara – Queen of Jewellery, Jewellery of Queens exhibition at Amalienborg Palace Museum in 2009 that was curated by Nina Hald, it caught the eye of the then Crown Princess, with Mary borrowing it to wear to a family celebration.
She has worn it four times in total, and the brand continues to reserve it for her exclusive use.
“It is a myth that it was made especially for the Queen,” Kamilla van der Velde, Ole Lynggaard’s general manager for Australia and New Zealand, tells WHO.
“People see eucalyptus leaves and wattle because of the association with Mary, which has become a beautiful part of its story.”
The brand credits the monarch wearing their pieces with putting them “on the map” with an international audience.
“There isn’t a day that goes by where someone doesn’t come in the store to talk about the magic of Mary,” van der Velde says.
“We are very proud of our association with her. Denmark or Australia really couldn’t ask for a better ambassador.”
Wedding tiara
Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik gave the diadem as a wedding gift to Mary, who wore it on her big day.
As per royal custom in Denmark, it remains hers to use exclusively during her lifetime.
A plainer tiara was chosen to gift her for versatility reasons as she would go on to receive much more bolder tiaras when she became Queen.
Since her wedding, Mary has had it remodelled to add removable pearls.
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