Queen Mary and husband King Frederik's forgotten tears at royal wedding

August 2024 · 3 minute read

Queen Mary, 52, and King Frederik of Denmark, 55, are marking their milestone 20th wedding anniversary on 14 May, so it will likely be a day filled with celebrations and heartfelt memories.

As they scroll back through their personal wedding album, one thing that will become apparent is the abundance of emotions they felt at the time.

WATCH: On their anniversary, relive King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark's sweetest moments

After months of planning and the eyes of the world watching them, the pressures of exchanging vows can be overwhelming for the royals – it has even resulted in tears from Princess Charlene, Jack Brooksbank and more.

King Frederik, who was then Crown Prince, was among those who was overcome with emotion on his big day. Photos show the groom standing at the altar inside Copenhagen Cathedral in his smart black military uniform as he patiently awaited the arrival of his bride.

As Mary made her way down the aisle on the arm of her father, mathematician John Donaldson, Frederik was spotted welling up and wiping tears from his eyes.

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The bride looked ethereal in an ivory duchesse satin gown by Danish fashion designer Uffe Frank, featuring a 19ft train and an off-the-shoulder neckline. Mary completed her gorgeous bridal look with a delicate antique lace veil once worn by Crown Princess Margareta of Sweden and a diamond tiara gifted by her in-laws Queen Margrethe II and Prince Henrik of Denmark.

The royal bride anticipated the day would be filled with emotion, as she also produced a lace handkerchief to privately dab her nose when she got tearful. King Frederik's heartfelt wedding speech was part of the reason for his bride getting choked up. He reportedly said: "I love you Mary. Come, let us go, come let us see. Throughout a thousand worlds, weightless love awaits".

During their engagement press conference at Amalienborg Palace months earlier, Mary opened up about their love story, admitting it was not all a fairytale and it was sometimes "hard."

"It's hard to say exactly that I'm living a fairytale because at times it's quite daunting and there has been times months and months ago that it's been quite hard," she said.

The couple got engaged in October 2003, and Frederik presented Mary with an emerald-cut diamond flanked by two emerald-cut rubies, a nod to Denmark's national flag.

They had been dating for three years after meeting at the Slip Inn in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics. The then 32-year-old Prince and Tasmanian-born Mary defied the odds and made their long-distance relationship between Australia and Denmark work.

Two decades later, they have welcomed four children Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, and ascended the Danish throne.

The King displayed his emotions once again when he was proclaimed the new monarch at Christiansborg Palace in January. Frederik was seen dabbing away tears on the palace balcony after succeeding Queen Margrethe II following her 51-year reign.

READ: Sarah Ferguson channels unexpected Disney character in wedding photos with two daughters

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