The Danish royals have arrived at the Uluru Kata Tjuṯa Cultural Centre, as King Frederik and Queen Mary begin Denmark’s first state visit to Australia in 40 years.
Denmark’s King Frederik and Queen Mary were greeted by traditional owners at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Cultural Centre.(AFP: David Gray)
The trip from March 14 to 19 will include stops in the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and Tasmania, and is aimed at strengthening ties in the renewable energy, offshore wind, and energy-efficient urban development sectors.
A large delegation representing 55 Danish renewable energy companies will be in tow.
The royals arrived in Central Australia on Saturday afternoon.(NT News)
While it is Tasmanian-born Mary’s fourth official trip to Australia as a Danish royal, it is the couple’s first since they were crowned king and queen in 2024.
Frederik and Mary were proclaimed king and queen of Denmark in January, 2024. (Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via Reuters)
The couple will spend one night in the Northern Territory before heading to Canberra.
King Frederik X and Queen Mary arrive at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Cultural Centre.(AFP: David Gray)
They started their visit in Central Australia with a greeting from the traditional custodians of Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa, the Aṉangu, who performed a traditional inma, or ceremonial dance.
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They then meet trainees from the National Indigenous Training Academy before taking in the sunset at Uluṟu.
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Speaking at the sunset viewing site, Queen Mary said it was great to be home in Australia.
“To start the visit here in the centre of Australia is quite something, to experience Uluru for the first time and to meet with the Anangu,” she said.
“To hear a little bit about their spiritual and cultural connection to the land, it’s been a really great start to what will be an exciting visit here.” Inma is a performance of traditional dances and songs that are an integral part of Anangu culture.(AFP: David Gray)
Tomorrow the couple will visit the sacred Muṯitjulu Waterhole, at Uluṟu’s base.
These activities form part of the trip’s focus on “nature and conversation elements”.
From Central Australia, the couple will head to Canberra with a jam-packed itinerary, highlighted by a 21-gun salute at Government House on Sunday and a dinner hosted by Governor-General Sam Mostyn.
The fairytale story
Mary was 28 years old when she was catapulted into the spotlight after meeting Prince Frederick in Sydney.(Supplied)
Mary’s fairytale life story no doubt contributes to her wide appeal as a royal, especially to Australians.
How a girl from Hobart marries a prince
Raised in Hobart, Tasmania, she worked in advertising and lived a normal life until she met her then-prince charming, now king, Frederik, at a bar in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics.
They married in 2004 and have four children.
Mary is known for her charity work and in 2007 established the non-profit Mary Foundation to combat social isolation, bullying and domestic violence.
Known for her minimalist, functional fashion choices, Queen Mary advocates for sustainable couture and showcases Danish designers.
The couple have visited Australia many times over the years, including this visit to Sydney in 2013 as crown prince and princess.(AAP. Rob Griffith)
Uluru a popular destination for royals
The Danish royal trip evokes memories of March 1983, when princess Diana and her husband, now King Charles, visited Uluṟu.
Diana and Charles at Uluru in March, 1983.(Reuters)
The Diana craze was at its peak, and while the royal obsession has subsided through generations, Queen Mary may induce another sort of quiet mania.
The political climate was heated in 1983, when Aboriginal land rights and the growing republican movement were in focus.
Marking 40 years since Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa returned to Anangu
The global setting of this royal visit is volatile, with a war in the Middle East raging and continuing climate scepticism.
The most recent high-profile royal trip to Uluṟu was in April 2014, when Prince William and Kate Middleton toured Australia.
The Duke and Duchess did not follow in the footsteps of William’s parents, who controversially climbed Uluṟu against the wishes of traditional owners, opting instead for a walk around its base.
The Prince and Princess of Wales visited Uluru in 2014 as the duke and duchess of Cambridge.(Reuters: Phil Noble)
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