Some royals save their best tricks for the ballroom. Queen Mary of Denmark pulled one off before lunch.
© Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty ImaOn Tuesday morning, the queen stepped out with Vietnam's first lady Ngô Phương Ly for a visit to a greenhouse farm in Copenhagen’s Østerbro neighborhood. The two then grabbed some lunch. Queen Mary opted for a coat that has been a part of her wardrobe for the past two decades.
With its collar tab and brown leather-trimmed belt, the navy Prada piece could pass for a fresh-off-the-runway find.
Mary first wore the coat in February 2006, at the christening of India Handwerk. It's resurfaced in her wardrobe periodically: in December 2011, in the following January, back again in 2021, and most recently in November 2024, when she unveiled a monument honoring Countess Danner in Copenhagen.
This time, Mary steered the look towards something fresh. She paired it with a vibrant plaid skirt, which brought plenty of personality. She paired the look with comfortable leather boots, perfect for an autumn day spent walking around the city's streets.
© Getty ImagesA state visit built on rewears
The coat was the latest chapter in a state visit Mary has quietly turned into a masterclass in circular fashion. The three-day visit marks 55 years of diplomatic relations between Denmark and Vietnam. President Tô Lâm was received with an official welcome ceremony on Monday, and the queen set the tone immediately, wearing a sophisticated blue tweed dress by Danish designer Lasse Spangenberg. It's a piece she first wore in Estonia this past January.
By evening, King Frederik X and Queen Mary hosted a lavish state banquet at Christiansborg Palace, and Mary, easily one of Europe’s savviest gown recyclers, reached back into her archive for a blue Jesper Høvring gown. This marks her fourth time wearing it. Mary first wore it to the 2014 Bambi Awards in Berlin, where, as our sister website HELLO! reported at the time, she received an honor for her charity work on domestic violence.
© Getty ImagesA tiara with a past
The one thing that wasn’t a rerun was her headpiece. Mary debuted Queen Alexandrine’s sapphire and diamond jewel in a brand-new setting. According to Billed-Bladet, the piece was a wedding gift from Tsar Nicholas II in 1898, and it’s set with eight Ceylon sapphires totaling 33 carats.
The piece stayed with the Rosenborg family for decades before it was sold at auction in 2018, and the Royal Collection acquired it from a private owner in 2024. Working with the Royal Collection and jewelry designers, Mary helped redesign the piece so it can be worn three ways: as a tiara, a necklace, or a brooch.
It’s a fitting centerpiece for a queen whose entire approach to style comes down to one idea: the best pieces never go out of style.
© Martin Sylvest Andersen
