How Queen Mary of Denmark is setting the style tone for modern royals
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There is a new fashion mood at Copenhagen’s Christiansborg Palace. Eccentricity, as was favoured by the last Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, has left the building. The new Queen Mary has arrived, ushering in a new era of “austere elegance”.
The first official gala portraits of the new Queen and King Frederik X project exactly the modern image of royalty that they hope to showcase to the world. The couple, whose accession took place on January, have weathered rumours of the King’s infidelity and now put on a united front – they look stronger and glossier than ever.
Their styling is immaculate, a perfect marriage of non-negotiable tradition and contemporary touches. Queen Mary, particularly, has long set a modern royal style template – her ability to appear relevant and glamorous while never looking inappropriate is said to have inspired younger-generation royals across Europe, from Queen Letizia of Spain to the Princess of Wales.
For the new photographs the Queen turned to a trusted Danish designer, Birgit Hallstein, to make a bespoke look for her. Her dress featured traditionally regal fabrics – silk velvet and lace – but in a figure-flattering, red carpet-worthy silhouette. The rich green colour was matched to the Emerald Parure set from the Danish crown jewels, which Queen Mary wears for the first time in this portrait.
“Her Majesty Queen Mary is setting the tone for a certain elegant way of dressing,” Hallstein tells The Telegraph. “She likes simple design – classic with a twist of interesting details. She has an intuitive sense of elegance.”
Royal fashion fans on social media compared the new dress to one of the last gala looks worn by Queen Margrethe II in November 2023. This was the last time that Her Majesty was able to wear the Emerald Parure set – sitting Danish queens have access to four sets of crown jewels, which, unusually, remain on display to the public in The Treasury at Rosenborg Castle when they are not being used. Queen Mary prefers to play down the dazzle slightly, setting the emerald necklace in among her higher lace neckline.
The structure of Queen Mary’s gown tells us a lot about the techniques she likes her dressmakers to employ, to achieve that regal-modern balance. The solid bodice, the razor-sharp fit, and the waist definition all add to the overall sharpness.
Proportion is vital when designing for the Queen, Hallstein reveals. “Especially when it comes to ballgowns, she has been focused on slim silhouettes, visible waistlines and materials that leave her with a feeling of austere elegance,” she says. “With all of her outfits, we preferably include a belt to put her waistline in focus.”
Hallstein is one of a handful of Danish designers who the Queen now relies on – 35 year-old Soeren Le Schmidt created the white dress worn by Queen Mary for her husband’s proclamation, while Jesper Hovring and Rotate Birger Christensen are two contemporary ready-to-wear names who she turns to for day engagements.
“She does take an interest in Danish designers, which is nice, but she also wears many international brands as well,” observes Hallstein, noting that the Queen’s full repertoire spans the aspirational – Bottega Veneta and Max Mara – to the accessible – Zara and Massimo Dutti. “Her Majesty’s way of dressing is very Danish – strict and simple. But then again she is very much into fashion and what’s new.”
It’s this mix – a hedging of bets – that adds to her appeal with all corners of the public audience. It also makes her relatable. As Hallstein puts it; “She’s a modern woman, although she is a Queen.”
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