Queen Mary of Denmark reveals 'illness prevented' her from attending engagement

Queen Mary of Denmark's engagements were canceled this week. Her Majesty, 53, was due to attend the Danish Heart Association's 2025 awards ceremony on Wednesday. However, the engagement was marked as canceled on the Danish Royal House's official program. 

© Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Ima

The Royal House's communications department confirmed to B.T. that the cancelation was because the Queen had fallen ill. The Royal House's communications department told the outlet (translated to English), "Her Majesty the Queen, like many others right now, has become ill, and therefore unfortunately cannot participate in the Heart Association's award ceremony."

In a message on Instagram, Mary shared that an "illness prevented" her from attending the ceremony. Alongside a photo of artwork addressed to her, as well as a picture of flowers, the Queen penned (translated to English): "Thank you for your thoughtfulness. What a lovely surprise to receive this bouquet and drawings, even though illness prevented me from participating in the Danish Heart Association's event 'Together for the Heart'. I had been looking forward to presenting the Heart Award together with the heart children Alma and Ellen and to meeting some of the young people living with heart disease. Hopefully we can meet again."

Mary added, "As patron of the Danish Heart Association, I would like to congratulate the healthcare staff at Denmark's three largest children's heart clinics on receiving the Heart Award 2025 - thank you to you and to all those who make a difference in the heart field every day."

The royal mom of four was scheduled on Friday, March 14, to participate with the Mary Foundation in the opening of the National Knowledge Center for Early Intervention and Family Research at the University of Copenhagen and SDU, but the engagement was also canceled. 

© Kongehuset

Four days before her first engagement was canceled this week, Mary visited the Guard Hussar Regiment barracks with King Frederik, and their younger son Prince Vincent and daughters Princess Isabella and Princess Josephine. There, the royals reunited with Crown Prince Christian, who arrived at the Guard Hussar Regiment (Gardehusarregimentet) last month to begin his military service. 

The Royal House shared photos of the royal family's reunion on Instagram, writing (translated to English): "For over a month, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince has been serving as a conscript at the Guard Hussar Regiment in Slagelse. The company's families were today invited to a visit day at the barracks, where the Royal Family had the opportunity to experience the Crown Prince in his new surroundings and meet the rest of his fellow recruits 🪖."

"It is a long tradition that members of the Royal House serve in the Armed Forces," the caption continued. "His Majesty the King has himself completed military service, and in 1988 the King was, among other things, a platoon commander at the Guard Hussar Regiment."