Today is a holiday in Denmark in connection with Monday after the celebration of the Trinity and the day when a new tradition is born: the whole of Denmark runs the Royal Run - four distances of different lengths (from 1 mile to 10 kilometers) in the largest cities of the country.

The race was successfully initiated by Crown Prince Frederick last year, who competes in different cities in different races by flying from one city to another by helicopter.
Crown Princess Mary ran last year the 10 kilometers alone (53 minutes 10 seconds) in one of the cities and a short distance with her husband and children at the end of the race in Copenhagen.

Denmark wouldn't be Denmark if it didn't immediately try to repeat the success and add bicycles to it.
Today, everyone is running again - both on the most distant islands and in large cities, healthy people and sick people, disabled people, children, adults, old people, families (independent participants - with a runner number, T-shirt, result registration and free photo - are allowed children from three years old) and one by one. In addition, you can ride a bike for the longest distance.

It is on a bicycle that Crown Prince Frederik will overcome it, who - despite the operation last September - was again diagnosed with an intervertebral hernia, muscle strain in one leg and due to pain - despite the enthusiasm of the prince himself - doctors forbade Frederik to run. He will still run a short distance.
Frederick is expected for some time in the group where people who have overcome some circumstances will go (veterans, sick people, very old participants - people who were denied participation by the forecasts).
His family is also involved. Mary runs five kilometers, the children are likely to run a 1.6 km - a family mile, although it is possible that they will participate in a regular mile, where the result, and not just participation, matters

On the eve of the day of the race, late in the evening, unexpectedly for everyone, Frederick himself - not through the secretary - answered questions on Instagram, despite the fact that some of the questions were asked on "you":
How often You do you run and what distances?--Usually I run three or four times a week. Unfortunately, as you know, lately I can not train. Unfortunately.

Do your children show the same interest in running and sports as you do?--Yes, they are very happy to move and play sports.

You will you ride the cycling distance tomorrow (at the Royal Run)?-- I'm riding 10 km tomorrow in Copenhagen. But I will walk one mile with my feet in Aarhus.

Which yours favorite distance?-- My favorite distance is usually between five and eight kilometers. I choose either high intensity or run at a moderate pace - according to my mood.

Are you listening You music when You do you run? If yes, then what?
-- Personally, I prefer to listen to the "music of the street and nature."

Who is yours favorite runner?
--I don't have a particularly favorite runner, but I remember very well how Henrik Zahariyasen ran into the minds of the Danes. Jorgensen's 1985 national marathon record is still memorable.

What is it based on yours love to run?
- The task was to prepare for the marathon for the first time in 1992. That's when I got the hype from running.

What is the most beautiful place you did you have to run?
--I've done many runs in beautiful places--and I always take running shoes with me on trips. Both short and long. Pictured here is me running with Danish students on the China Wall.

How fast You running 5 km?
--I try to keep within 4:45 per kilometer.

Mads six years old asks why exactly You invited us all to run with you?
--I want to share the joy of being active and the joy of moving together with as many Danes as possible. This is how the idea of ​​Royal Run was born.

Why is Royal Run not held this year in Odense?
-- The organizers of the race want to give the greatest number of people the opportunity to participate. For practical reasons, this year's selections fell on Aalborg, Aarhus, Copenhagen/Frederiksberg and Rønne.

Is Mary also running this year?
--My wife will start in Aalborg for a five-kilometer and one-mile route.

Do you have any advice for people who want to start running but who are not fit?
--Put on running shoes and running clothes and start with a brisk walk.

What is the best thing for Your Royal Highness about a good run?
--I get a clarification of thoughts and get a charge of freshness. I recommend.

You was satisfied with the race in the Faroe Islands (June 1st)?
- There was a fantastic atmosphere. It exceeded my expectations, it was nice to receive such support for the Royal Run.

How do you find motivation on days when the mood is running away from the greatest?
--Some days it's harder to find the motivation to run or work out than others. It is worth trying to reduce the distance or slow down on such days, and everything will become much better" .

Just a few decades ago, unequal royal marriages were so rare that they were often equated with at least bad taste, and at most with a revolution that marks the end of the monarchy. But death, as you know, never happened - on the contrary, in many respects it was commoners who allowed modern royal families to avoid overthrow ( read more: How Commoners Saved European Monarchies from Collapse. Today, the marriage of princes and "Cinderellas" is gradually becoming our reality - absolutely legal, fair and, most importantly, inspiring. Which of the most ordinary girls managed to meet a real prince these days and still marry him, we tell.

Harry and Meghan (UK)

He is a British prince

She is an actress

That’s who didn’t spare the dusty rules of royal marriages at all: on November 27, 2017, one of the most popular princes in the world, Harry of Wales, officially introduced his dear bride, American actress Meghan Markle, to the whole public. The profession in cinema, divorce, ignoble origin and, of course, racial affiliation - it would not be an exaggeration to say that at some point the “tolerant” and “democratic” world seemed to have gone crazy, hypocritically commenting and discussing in every way the skin color of the future duchess.

But the wedding took place - moreover, it took place on a truly royal scale, chaining millions of people around the world to TV screens and computer monitors. The union of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex still haunts many guardians of archaic values ​​and standards - but, fortunately, neither Queen Elizabeth nor her grandson Harry, who seems to be sincerely in love with Megan and is very happy to be next to her.

Haakon and Mette-Marit (Norway)

He: Crown Prince of Norway

Her: waitress

They got married in 2001 after a scandal. The royal family of Norway is more than supportive of misalliances - at one time, King Harald V married a girl, Sonya, a saleswoman from a store, who later became everyone's favorite Queen of Norway. So the problem was not at all in the simple origin of the future crown princess, but in her too “dark” past. The thing is that at the time of the meeting with Haakon, Mette-Marit was already a mother. The girl raised her little son, born out of wedlock, and even from a drug dealer. Moreover, Mette-Marit herself experimented with banned substances in her youth, and even the liberal royal family of Norway could not accept such a biography.

But Haakon was adamant, arguing that Mette was his destiny ( read also: Crown Prince Haakon: why the future king of Norway is our hero. And the parents gave up, sincerely rejoicing for the happiness of their son. And then there was popular approval. On the day of their wedding, the girl was constantly crying with happiness, carefully hugging either her husband or her son. Subsequently, this genuine sincerity and sensitivity of the crown princess touched the common subjects, who today not only approve the choice of the heir, but also leave the right to privacy for the eldest son Mette-Marit, who today lives his own life outside the royal palace.

Frederik and Mary (Denmark)

He is the Crown Prince of Denmark

She: Customer Service Specialist

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark has always been famous for his love of love and inconstancy - models replaced actresses, and actresses - models, but at such a speed that the parents of the future king were seriously worried. Still: the years go by, but the child still cannot decide on the choice of a life partner, and besides, it seems that he is looking for her not at all where the future king should have looked for a wife. One single meeting changed everything: in one of the many bars in Sydney, the prince saw her! Australian Mary Donaldson was completely focused on her career, not even thinking that someday, perhaps, she could become queen. It is believed that she knew absolutely nothing about the life of an ordinary guy Fred, who was introduced to her at a party. If this is so, then one can only assume what a surprise for her was the "profession" of her lover.

Despite the far from noble origin of the future daughter-in-law, the Queen of Denmark and Prince Henrik were enthusiastic about the idea of ​​their son finally marrying, but with caution: before giving their blessing, the crown prince’s parents obliged the girl to change citizenship and religion, as well as renounce the rights to future marriages. children in the event of a divorce. Beloved Fred immediately agreed - and now, on May 14, 2004, in the Cathedral of Copenhagen, an ordinary girl Mary Donaldson receives the title of Her Royal Highness Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess Monpeza, as well as the iron prospect of becoming Queen of Denmark in the future.

Emmanuelle and Clotilde (Italy)

He is the Prince of Venice

She is an actress

On September 25, 2003, Emmanuel Filiberto de Savoy, Prince of Venice and Piedmont, a representative of one of the oldest European dynasties, known since the 11th century, married a young French actress Clotilde Courau. The wedding ceremony took place in the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Angeli, in which in 1896 the marriage of the groom's great-grandfather, the future King of Italy, Victor Emmanuel III, took place.

As they say, Emmanuel's parents were not happy with the choice of their son - in the future daughter-in-law they were embarrassed not only by the lack of blue blood, but also by the profession of a young Frenchwoman (publicity, as you know, is different), as well as her leftist views. Clotilde herself admitted that all her life she could not stand all the modern aristocracy, believing in "nobility in the heart." So the romance between the prince and the actress unfolded according to all the laws of the genre - from hatred to love. They had been dating for three years when Clotilde became pregnant by the heir. “Many believed that Clotilde did it on purpose,” the prince admitted in an interview. “But these days, a baby can’t come if you don’t want it.” He proposed to her in the spring, and in the autumn the couple got married. The bride was six months pregnant, but their wedding, which was attended by about 1,200 people, still went off with pomp.

Today, the couple are raising two daughters and remain the main stars of Italy: Prince Emmanuel actively advocates the restoration of the monarchy, and Princess Clotilde not only supports her husband, but she herself still shines in films, despite the royal title.

William and Kate (UK)

He is a British prince

She: web designer and marketing specialist

Before the grand wedding, which the whole world was watching with bated breath, the relationship of the future spouses was very unstable - Prince William, just like his younger brother Harry, did not differ in constancy and liked to have a meal with friends, not even planning to marry before his thirty years. His faithful friend Kate Middleton, whom William met at the university, was even nicknamed by journalists as "Waiting for Kathy." It is true: Catherine, indeed, quite meekly endured all the entertainment and long journeys of the prince, but at some point she unexpectedly ended the relationship herself.

After the break, William was caught more than once communicating with other women, and yet the “comeback”, followed by the engagement and wedding, occurred precisely on his initiative. Rumor has it that the far-sighted grandmother Elizabeth contributed to the marriage of her grandson - after all, the responsible and serious Kate was very impressed with her, even if the girl was of non-blue blood. Not without the influence of authoritative mother Katherine, as they say ( read: ). In 2011, the wedding took place, which put an end to William's endless throwing and forced him to settle down. Now the royal couple is raising three children and is definitely very happy.

Abdullah and Rania (Jordan)

He is a Jordanian prince

Her: bank clerk

Rania Faisal Al-Yassin was born into a family that had nothing to do with the monarchy. The parents of the future queen, Palestinians by origin, lived in Kuwait, and Rania, who dreamed of starting her own business, received her education at the American University of Cairo. After studying, the girl moved to Jordan, getting a job at the local Citibank, where, thanks to a lucky chance, she met her betrothed.

Laurent and Claire (Belgium)

He is a Belgian prince

She is a surveyor

Prince Laurent, the youngest son of the sixth king of Belgium Albert II and Queen Paola, married late: at the time of his marriage to Claire Coombs in 2003, he was 39 years old. In addition, the chosen one of the royal offspring was a girl of humble origin and, moreover, a very modest, but, of course, an important profession: Claire is a surveyor by education.

According to the most common version, the couple met in Provence, where the prince participated with great enthusiasm in the construction of a shelter for difficult teenagers, and Claire worked as an appraiser and led a more than romantic lifestyle - she traveled the world, drank wine in the evenings on the terraces of local cafes, enjoyed freedom and life in a small French town. Another version of the story of their acquaintance says that the lovers met while visiting a mutual friend, and not in the most fabulous setting: the prince helped his friend wash the dishes, and Claire ... just offered to help. But, one way or another, His Highness fell in love with a girl and, completely forgetting about bachelor habits, called her to marry.

How his august parents reacted to the choice of the prince is not known for certain, but it seems that even if they were embarrassed by Claire's ignoble origin, they still did not strongly oppose this marriage. After all, in the royal family, Laurent always had a reputation not only as an inveterate bachelor, but also as a real enfant terrible, so his marriage to such a modest and intelligent girl inspired great hopes. The local press, by the way, regularly divorces lovers, believing that in fact Princess Claire is not happily married. However, on the surface, Their Highnesses come across as a well-satisfied couple raising three adorable children.

Felipe and Letizia (Spain)

He is the Prince of Asturias

She is a TV journalist

The future spouses met on the set of a report about a sunken tanker - and the prince fell in love at first sight, just a few months later making an offer to the journalist ( read: "From dating to the ring: how long you need to wait to marry a prince"). This wedding was followed by the whole world. What a thing: not only can the bride not boast of a noble birth, but also divorced. However, it seems that the royal family simply had no choice: Crown Prince Felipe gave his parents an ultimatum: either a wedding or renunciation of the throne. Fortunately, Letizia's first marriage took place without a wedding (so, at least, the subjects were reassured), so even the Catholic Church did not object to the wedding of the future king of Spain with a divorced woman.

Today, King Philip VI and his wife Letizia remain the embodiment of a family idyll (the couple have two children). True, the Queen of Spain now and then shocks the public - either she will make a scandal with her mother-in-law, or she will pick up a completely non-protocol outfit for an official event. Well, a former journalist, Letizia definitely knows how to get the attention of ex-colleagues.

Fumihito and Kiko (Japan)

He is a Japanese prince

She is a psychologist

Fumihito, Prince Akishino, is still second in line to the Japanese throne after his older brother. The rules in the Japanese imperial family are strict: here misalliances, if they are allowed, are extremely rare and only in relation to sons. In addition, if the bride "came out of the people", then, at a minimum, she must correspond to the role of the princess financially. So, for example, the current Empress Michiko, although she could not boast of a noble origin, her father headed a large flour-grinding company. Fumihito's older brother married the daughter of the famous diplomat Hisashi Owada, who even represented Japan at the UN.

But Fumihito, who, however, married before his brother, chose a girl who was not at all wealthy as his wife. With Kiko Kawashima, the daughter of an economics professor, the prince met in his first year at Gakushuin University and, as usual, proposed to her very soon. True, the lovers had to wait for the wedding for another three years - until all the formalities (including reputational ones) were resolved and until the Council of the Imperial House gave permission to create a new branch in the dynasty. Fumihito and Kiko got married in 1990. The couple have three children: the youngest of them, Prince Hisahito, is currently the direct heir to the Japanese throne, since his uncle, the crown prince, has no sons.

Willem-Alexander and Maxima (Netherlands)

He: Crown Prince of the Netherlands

She's an economist

At the mere thought of this misalliance, it is impossible not to break into a smile. After all, where is the Netherlands, and where is sunny Argentina, which gave the Dutch their most smiling and emotional queen? The likelihood that the two would ever meet was running wildly towards zero. And, nevertheless, a significant acquaintance happened.

He is the crown prince of the Netherlands, she is a simple Argentine girl with big ambitions in the banking sector. However, was Maxima really that simple? Their wedding to the last remained an intrigue - and the snag was by no means the origin of the future queen. The thing is that her father served as a minister under the dictatorial regime of Jorge Videla, which means that he was indirectly involved in the terror that reigned in those years. But, fortunately, in the end, the Parliament of the country decided that children are not responsible for their fathers, and agreed to the wedding. True, Maxima's father was never invited.

One way or another, the Argentine married a Dutch prince, and in 2013 she officially became a queen consort - and one of the most popular royal persons in the country and the world (

In 2018, at the presentation of the ceremonial portrait of Crown Prince Frederik in honor of his 50th birthday, the Danish heir looked extremely pleased and happy: he laughed merrily, applauded the artist Ralf Heymans and gently hugged the children, proudly posing against the background of the canvas for reporters.

This portrait of the future king will definitely go down in the history of the Kingdom. A wrinkled face, a thoughtful look and a slight smile - the heir, the oldest in Danish history since 1660, tenderly looks at his wife and children reflected in the mirror, and on his right side, as if a reminder, a portrait of his mother, Queen Margrethe II is reflected . The monarch, as they say, even today, at her 79 years old, is not going to abdicate and plans to rule until the end of her life, as her ancestors did.

“Some fifty years ago, the heirs had to just sit and wait for their turn,” the crown prince told writer Jens Anderson, author of Frederik’s biography “Under The Beam”. – Sitting and waiting until their dad or mom - basically dad - leaves this world ... Now everything is different. I am completely calm about this (to waiting for my turn - ed.) - calmer than once in his youth. And one must think that the prince is not at all disingenuous here, because his growing up and becoming as the heir and future king was indeed difficult and worthy of a separate story.

The boy who wanted to be an astronomer

The eldest son of Queen Margrethe had two karmic qualities that largely determined him as a person: he was incredibly sensitive and very handsome. The boy felt like a hostage of his origin as a child - even his name reflected only the requirements of the royal protocol and nothing more. Margrethe and Henrik, the parents of the heir, were obliged to choose one name from ... two - either Christian or Frederick.

Their son became Frederick, and their son's son subsequently received the name Christian. The clearly measured and monotonous conveyor belt of the Danish kings, suddenly interrupted by the coming to power of a woman, was supposed to return to the former regime of endless Christians and Fredericks, one by one replacing each other.

She and Joachim grew up as classic royal brothers - the heir (and Frederick became them very early - only 4 years old) and "spare" ( read also: In the shadow of the Crown: the fate of the "reserve" princes and princesses of Great Britain). As children, they did not understand much what this meant, but they clearly saw that their childhood seemed to belong not to them, but to someone else. “I often asked myself: “Why do I have to do all this? Why can’t I just be myself?” the Crown Prince recalls. The answer to this question was given to him by his father, the late Prince Henrik. One day he sat down in front of his little sons and said directly to them: “No, you are not equal among yourself, because Frederick will one day become king, and you, Joachim, are his brother, but you will not be king. I will raise you equally, but only one of you will be special. And you, Frederic, must remember that from now on you have a great responsibility until the end of your days.

For the crown prince, as his younger brother later recalled, his father's words were a turning point. Perhaps, subconsciously, he understood that he was not like everyone else, but when you are only 5 or 6 you want, first of all, to be the beloved child of your parents, and not the ward of an endless staff of nannies and teachers. Father, however, (apparently remembering that he is raising the future king) was too strict, and mother was amazingly indifferent to their lives. “I have never had any illusions about my gift of motherhood,” Her Majesty admitted in 1998. “By nature I am not too restrained, and with small children one must always be very patient. The boys had a hard time with it.”

Frederick grew up as a very shy and sentimental boy, which, of course, went against his father's ideas about what the future king should be like. Henrik, who was said to be very ashamed of his status as prince consort rather than king, paid particular attention to the discipline and education of his sons. Thoughtfulness and daydreaming of the eldest offspring irritated him - Frederick, as if in response, was irritated every time someone mentioned his origin and future fate.

“I want to be an astronomer,” the 10-year-old heir replied to French journalists when they asked the boys, either jokingly or seriously, what they would like to become. "Yes, it's a wonderful hobby item," Queen Margrethe hastened to reply with a smile after an awkward pause hung in the air.

Escape from reality

Shy and unsociable, Frederick began to actively socialize only when he entered a regular school (until the age of 12 the boy was homeschooled). It was here that the heir discovered his love for sports and extreme sports, which, I must say, became even stronger in him when the crown prince entered the army and where, in his own words, he “matured” a little.

At 21, he was sent to the University of Aarhus, where his mother once took a course. “Some of my mother’s advisers decided:“ Great, the heir should learn government and other related disciplines, ”Frederick himself said many years later. However, the young man himself had nothing against political science. In addition, in Aarhus, freedom was finally waiting for him: no parents and their supervision, no servants, no representative duties ...

In September 1989, Frederic came to the University to study political science. It was a grandiose event: dozens of photographers and reporters came to Aarhus for the heir to show the public how the crown prince goes to college in a beautiful suit and with textbooks. However, student life soon took its toll: costumes quickly changed to T-shirts and jeans, and textbooks to alcohol and dancing.

The prince finally got what he wanted - freedom. It was as if he was no longer a member of the royal family, becoming the most ordinary guy. So, at least, it seemed to him.

“I was my own master,” the crown prince recalled. “I felt that this city was my refuge.” However, the press did not think so. Frederick now and then fell into the lens of the paparazzi in the midst of parties and outright drinking. The heir did not limit himself in anything, having established for himself, in fact, only two taboos - drugs and long bouts.

The Crown Prince continued to study until 1995, even spending a year at Harvard, but it seemed that he could not mature psychologically, each time testing himself for strength and trying to get out of the shadow of the Crown. Moreover, parties were far from his only way to escape from reality and inhale a breath of freedom. Frederick continued his military service, ran marathons, took part in competitions. And in 2000, the crown prince completely amazed everyone when he took it and went on a dangerous expedition to Greenland. “Every morning I came out of the tent and looked into the distance, hearing nothing but silence,” Frederick said of the experience. He did not take with him any phone or other means of communication with his family, effectively cutting himself off from the whole world for several months.

Love changes everything

While his younger brother lived peacefully in the castle with his first wife Alexandra and raised two heirs, Frederick still seemed unable to find himself. British Prince Harry of Wales will face something similar later: deprived of parental support and love early, he tried to forget himself at parties and in the arms of beautiful girls. In the case of Prince Frederick, there was also the constant sense of responsibility of the heir, hanging over him like a sword of Damocles.

Frederic was incredibly handsome - with an open childish smile and an adult trained body. It is not surprising that the most spectacular girls in Denmark were included in the list of his passions. On one of them - the Danish rock singer Maria Montel - the crown prince even seriously considered marrying, but then, as you might guess, the queen intervened, who, having learned about the lifestyle of a celebrity, immediately gave her son an ultimatum: either a girl or the throne. Actually, in the same way, Her Majesty got rid of absolutely all her unwanted daughters-in-law: neither model Katya Storkholm nor fashion designer Bettina Odum passed the royal qualification.

“Usually Frederick flourished where no one could recognize him - where it was impossible to meet a secular audience,” said one of the prince’s university friends. So the heir to the Danish crown met the love of his life - Mary Elizabeth Donaldson.

Today, many doubt the chance of this meeting - it all sounds too fabulous. Before an ordinary advertiser named Mary met the heir to the Danish Crown, she also accidentally stumbled upon a fortune teller in a local market in Sydney, who predicted that she would soon meet an influential foreigner. “I then thought that all this was very funny, but it doesn’t matter,” the crown princess later admitted. “And yet I have always been interested in all things supernatural.”

Could she suspect that the fortuneteller's prediction would come true very soon? However, in those days it was even easier to meet a foreigner in Sydney than a local, because in 2000 the city hosted the Olympic Games. But an overseas prince? It is not surprising that Mary could not recognize the representative of blue blood in a simple guy named Fred, who looked into her friends' bar one evening.

“Something clicked in me,” Mary said many years later. Thus began their beautiful and very tender romance, which logically resulted in the Danish "wedding of the century."

Mary was a commoner, but Margrethe II still approved of the new passion of the crown prince, because the girl was smart, restrained, obedient and, importantly, a foreigner (local tradition does not welcome members of the royal family to marry Danes). In addition, the girl was ready to change even more to please Her Majesty: in the end, Mary renounced the citizenship of Great Britain and England, converted to Lutheranism, and radically changed her style (

Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark and Mary Elizabeth Donaldson

The love story of Danish princes does not have to end at all, like Hamlet and Ophelia, and the romance of the heir to the Danish throne and a “simple” Australian girl, which happily ended in a wedding, is a perfect example of this.

They met in 2000 during the Sydney Olympics (the prince was a member of the Danish sailing team). No, the acquaintance was not romantic, it was ... ordinary and, one might say, too modern. Frederick and Mary met at the bar after the opening ceremony of the games on September 15th. Letters, calls, short visits - these relationships were also modern, as they say, "at a distance." Almost a year later, Mary moved to live in Europe, first in Paris, then in Copenhagen, her relationship with Frederick was getting stronger, and in April 2002 she was finally officially introduced to the Danish royal family. Queen Margrethe, Frederick's mother, gave permission for the marriage six months later, and it was officially announced that the Crown Prince of Denmark was going to marry.

Sydney during the 1999 Olympics. Frederik, Crown Prince of Denmark and Mary Elizabeth Donaldson met here

What about romance? She also found a place in this novel - a touching marriage proposal that the prince made to Mary in Rome, kneeling, as it should be for princes (and not only them), exit to the balcony of the royal palace after the announcement of the engagement - joyful Danes demanded that the prince kissed the bride, and he almost shyly pressed his lips to her hand. Love!

The wedding took place on May 14, 2004. Celebrations in honor of this event began a week before and, given the origin of the bride, had, one might say, an Australian flavor. So, the favorite Australian rock band of the future princess was invited to the concert, which was attended by the royal family. Several Australian bands performed over the next week, and a quartet from Sydney also played at the wedding reception. Australia was represented at the wedding by Governor General Michael Jeffrey and his wife, and on May 8 they gave a gala dinner for the families of the bride and groom. A specially invited well-known Australian chef cooked from Australian products, moreover, from different regions of the country. And on May 9, a competition took place between the teams of Australian and Danish yachtsmen, with Prince Frederik joining the Danes, and Mary joining the Australians. And who won? The yacht on which the bride was!

However, Mary chose a Danish dress (the choice of the designer lasted quite a long time, and the queen-artist Margrethe even volunteered to draw a sketch herself) - designer Uffe Frank, a student of Armani, created a modestly luxurious outfit that perfectly emphasizes the beauty of the bride - ivory-colored silk satin, tightly a fitted bodice, three-quarter sleeves, a low-shoulder neckline, and a fluffy skirt with unusual draperies. And of course, a long train trimmed with Chantilly lace. The romantic outfit impresses even with dry numbers - it weighs almost 10 kilograms, it took almost 67 meters of satin, 15 meters of organza, and 31 meters of lace. who became the Crown Princess of Sweden, wore it to her wedding; several other members of the royal family also married in it, including Mary's mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe. The veil was held up high by a diamond tiara, a gift from the groom's parents; it is also an adornment - white gold earrings with diamonds and pearls. In the bride's bouquet, among white roses and stephanotis, there were shoots of Australian eucalyptus.

But something remained a mystery to those around - what is written on the inside of the couple's wedding rings ... The rings themselves, adorned with diamonds, were made of gold mined in Greenland, and the very name of this place means "a place that is difficult to find."

The ceremony took place at the Copenhagen Cathedral. In honor of the wedding, it was decorated with many red and pink roses, and there were bridesmaids in bright red suits. The bride entered the cathedral on the arm of her father - in memory of his Scottish origin, Mr. Donaldson wore a Scottish kilt.

In order to allow as many people as possible to see what was going on inside the cathedral, large screens were put up outside so that Copenhageners could see and hear their prince and his princess say "yes" to each other.

And then the newlyweds, in a luxurious ceremonial open carriage, harnessed by six white horses, drove through the Danish colors of blue and yellow, the streets of jubilant Copenhagen. Everyone so wanted a wonderful wedding to be the beginning of a wonderful family life! And the hopes were justified.

The fact that the prince and princess treat each other tenderly was seen by everyone. Yes, like many royal couples at weddings, they had an official "kiss on the balcony" (although in this case the plural is more appropriate - the newlyweds kissed several times). But there was also an unofficial one - Princess Mary, while they were riding in a carriage, suddenly leaned over and gently kissed her husband on the cheek. And Prince Frederick, at the wedding reception that followed in the evening, made a touching speech in honor of his wife. The wedding ended with a wedding waltz - among the crowd of guests, to their rhythmic clapping, Frederick and Mary danced; the guests gradually narrowed the circle, and by the end of the dance, the prince and princess found themselves tightly surrounded by enthusiastic relatives and friends. But for the first few seconds, when the music died down, they continued to look only at each other ...

Luxurious fireworks (note, in "Australian" colors), the traditional throwing of the wedding bouquet, no less traditional car with tin cans tied behind - and Cinderella disappeared into the night. But, unlike the fairy tale, not alone, but together with her prince.