Denmark’s Crown princess Mary visits Copenhagen Zoo as the building of ‘Mary’s Australian Garden’

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark visited Copenhagen Zoo today to welcome the beginning of a garden named after her.

Along with two of her children, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, Princess Mary, who is soon to celebrate her 50th birthday, took a day to see the animals and speak to experts.

The building of Mary’s Australian Garden is now underway, and is meant to create more space for new and existing species in the zoo, including the cockatoo, Kookaburras and rock-wallabies, all animals found in her native Australia. 

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and her twin youngest children, Princess Josephine, left, and Prince Vincent, centre, being welcomed into the new facility at Copenhagen Zoo

The Princess is pictured feeding penguins at the zoo, after speaking to staff about the new facility named after her, 'Mary's Australian Garden'

The Princess is pictured feeding penguins at the zoo, after speaking to staff about the new facility named after her, ‘Mary’s Australian Garden’

Princess Josephine, 11, pictured with her mother, Princess Mary, who is turning 50 on Saturday

Princess Josephine, 11, pictured with her mother, Princess Mary, who is turning 50 on Saturday

Mary will turn 50 on Saturday, and to celebrate, the Zoo sang birthday songs and marked the beginning of the garden named after the Crown Princess.

Pictured wearing a navy blue and light grey winter coat, complete with a silver brooch and cranberry coloured roll-neck jumper, Mary looked elegant as she spoke to Zoo staff and watched the animals in their environments.

She also donned a matching navy and red fedora hat, as well as natural makeup, and her warm brown hair in light beachy waves.

Her twins, Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, 11, stood alongside their mother as they potted a new tree, fed penguins, and spoke to zoo manager Mads Frost Bertelsen.

The glamourous princess donned a navy blue fedora hat with red detail to match her blue checkered winter coat and cranberry-coloured roll-neck jumper underneath

The glamourous princess donned a navy blue fedora hat with red detail to match her blue checkered winter coat and cranberry-coloured roll-neck jumper underneath

Mary's Australian Garden is the Zoo's newest facility for Australian animals, one of three, which plan to raise the standard for how animals are kept in the future. Pictured speaking to zoo manager Mads Frost Bertelsen, right

Mary’s Australian Garden is the Zoo’s newest facility for Australian animals, one of three, which plan to raise the standard for how animals are kept in the future. Pictured speaking to zoo manager Mads Frost Bertelsen, right

Mary’s Australian Garden is the Zoo’s newest facility for Australian animals, one of three, which plan to raise the standard for how animals are kept in the future. 

Donations from the Augustinus Foundation and the Knud Højgaard Foundation have allowed the zoo to execute its master plan to help bring visitors and zookeepers even closer to the animals.

As the patron of Copenhagen Zoo, it was a great way to take another step closer to the Princess’s 50th birthday on Saturday 5 February.  

Princess Mary was born in Australia to Scottish parents, and was raised in Hobart, capital of the country’s island state, Tasmania.

As the patron of Copenhagen Zoo, it was a great way to take another step closer to the Princess's 50th birthday on Saturday 5 February

As the patron of Copenhagen Zoo, it was a great way to take another step closer to the Princess’s 50th birthday on Saturday 5 February

The building of Mary's Australian Garden is now underway, and is meant to give more room and well-being to new and existing species in the zoo, including Aussie animals like the cockatoo, laughing bird and rock-wallabies

The building of Mary’s Australian Garden is now underway, and is meant to give more room and well-being to new and existing species in the zoo, including Aussie animals like the cockatoo, laughing bird and rock-wallabies

And she met her beloved Crown Prince Frederik at Sydney’s Olympic Games in 2000, when he was at a bar with his brother, Prince Joachim, his cousin, Prince Nikolaos of Greece and Denmark, and the then Prince of Asturias and Princess Märtha Louise of Norway.

They got chatting after realising the Prince of Asturias was familiar with Mary’s flatmate, and Prince Frederik was not identified as a royal until after they met.

She made the move from Australia to Denmark in 2001, and in 2003, the Danish prince and the Aussie soon-to-be-princess became officially engaged in October 2003. 

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