Queen Mary Skips a Tiara and Embraces the Brooch Trend

Queen Mary in a mint gown holding hands with King Frederik — (Image credit: Kongehuset/Instagram)

King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark are embarking on an extra-special royal tour this week as they visit Mary's homeland of Australia, and they enjoyed a glamorous night in Canberra on Sunday, March 15. Wearing a Grecian-inspired mint green gown that she wore to Australia 15 years ago, Queen Mary looked every inch the royal—but she skipped a tiara in favor of an on-trend brooch in her hair.

The couple met at a Sydney pub during the city's 2000 summer Olympics, and this month, they returned to Australia for the first time as king and queen. Brooches were the hottest trend in menswear at the Oscars on Sunday night, and for their state banquet at Government House in Canberra, Queen Mary leaned into the brooch phenomenon with a favorite piece from jeweler Ole Lynggaard.

The design features gold leaves accented with diamonds, and the Danish queen has worn it as both a brooch and hair ornament to events like King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden’s 70th birthday banquet. She wore her hair down, sweeping it back on one side to show off the brooch and her dangling gold floral earrings.

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King Frederik in a military uniform holding hands with Queen Mary, wearing a mint gown — Queen Mary wears an old favorite gown in the gardens at Government House in Canberra, Australia.

Queen Mary, in a mint green gown, and King Frederik smiling at each other — Queen Mary wears a brooch in her hair in lieu of a tiara.

Queen Mary wearing a mint green gown posing next to King Frederik — King Frederik and Queen Mary pose at Government House.

Queen Mary's Jesper Høvring gown might look familiar to longtime royal watchers because she wore it to an event in Melbourne, Australia in 2011—but this time, she pulled a Princess Kate by updating the dress with a new design element.

The queen borrowed from her brooch's design by adding a sheer lace overlay to the dress, with the fabric featuring gold floral and leaf-themed beading that draped across the bust and down one arm.

This isn't the first time she updated the dreamy mint gown. Queen Mary debuted the style in 2010 at the wedding of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel of Sweden, and it originally was strapless with a lace overlay instead of one-shouldered.

Queen Mary wearing a mint green gown standing with King Frederik in a military uniform — Queen Mary originally wore the gown to Crown Princess Victoria's 2010 wedding.

Queen Mary wearing a one-shouldered mint gown — Mary wore the gown again for a 2011 visit to Melbourne, altering it to be a one-shouldered style.

"For me, Australia has held a very special place in my heart ever since I slipped into that bar and lost it in a conversation that has never ended," King Frederik said in a speech at the banquet.

“Australia is our second home," he continued. "Whether we come here for a family visit or a state visit, we feel both excited and entirely at ease.”

Kristin Contino is Marie Claire's Senior Royal and Celebrity editor. She's been covering royalty since 2018—including major moments such as the Platinum Jubilee, Queen Elizabeth II’s death and King Charles III's coronation—and places a particular focus on the British Royal Family's style and what it means.

Prior to working at Marie Claire, she wrote about celebrity and royal fashion at Page Six Style and covered royalty from around the world as chief reporter at Royal Central. Kristin has provided expert commentary for outlets including the BBC, Sky News, US Weekly, the Today Show and many others.

Kristin is also the published author of two novels, “The Legacy of Us” and “A House Full of Windsor.” She's passionate about travel, history, horses, and learning everything she can about her favorite city in the world, London.