Wednesday 14 May 2014

Frederik and Mary's wedding guests

The wedding of Denmark's Crown Prince, Frederik and Mary Donaldson on May 14th 2004 was attended by hundreds of guests including many of Europe's crowned heads and kings and queens in waiting.  Leading them into Copenhagen Cathedral was the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, with her consort, Prince Henrik.


Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Prince Henrik at the wedding of their eldest son, Frederik, on May 14th 2014 in Copenhagen

Also sitting in the congregation was Alexandra, then wife of Prince Frederik's younger brother, Joachim.  Prince Joachim, then second in line to the throne, acted as his brother's best man and was at the front of the church waiting for the arrival of the bride.  Alexandra and Joachim's eldest son, Nicholas, was a page boy.  Alexandra and Joachim announced their separation four months after the wedding.


Prince Joachim of Denmark with his first wife, Alexandra, at the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik on May 14th 2004

The groom's aunts were also present.  Anne-Marie of Greece attended with her husband, Constantine. 


Queen Anne-Marie of Greece on her way into the cathedral in Copenhagen for the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson

Their children were also there.  Prince Pavlos and his wife, Marie-Chantal, were at the time expecting their fourth child.


Marie-Chantal of Greece, pregnant with her fourth child, at the wedding of her husband's cousin, Frederik of Denmark, in May 2004

Princess Benedikte was accompanied by her husband, Prince Richard of Sayn-Wittgenstein-Berleberg, and their three children - Gustav, Alexandra and Nathalie.


Princess Benedikte arrives for her nephew's wedding 

King Carl XVI Gustaf led the entire Swedish royal family at the wedding.  He entered the cathedral with his consort, Silvia.


Carl XVI Gustaf and Silvia of Sweden at the wedding of Frederik and Mary

The royal couple's three children, Crown Princess Victoria, Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine were all still officially single at the time and arrived and left in a group.


Victoria, Carl Philip and Madeleine of Sweden at the wedding of Prince Frederik and Princess Mary

King Harald and Queen Sonja attended the ceremony with their two children, Prince Haakon Magnus and Princess Martha Louise who were both accompanied by their spouses.


King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway leaving Copenhagen Cathedral after the wedding of Frederik and Mary

Prince Haakon Magnus and Princess Mette-Marit were leaving their new daughter, Ingrid Alexandra, behind for the first time.  Their little girl, their first child together, had been born in January 2004.


New parents Haakon Magnus and Mette-Marit of Norway at the Danish royal wedding in 2004

Princess Martha Louise and her husband, Ari Behn, were also new parents but by the time they arrived in Copenhagen for the wedding their little girl, Maud, was already a year old.


Princess Martha Louise and Ari Behn at the wedding of Frederik and Mary

The entire Belgian royal family also attended with King Albert II and Queen Paola leading the party.


King Albert and Queen Paola of the Belgians with Queen Sofia of Spain

The then heirs to the throne, Philippe and Mathilde, were also present along with Princess Astrid and her husband, Prince Lorenz.  Prince Laurent of Belgium and Princess Claire made up the family's royal attendance.


The then Duke and Duchess of Brabant at the Danish royal wedding in May 2004

Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands and Queen Sofia of Spain were seen together throughout the celebrations.  Both were attending with family members but with Beatrix widowed less than two years before and King Juan Carlos not present, the two women were solo guests at this huge royal gathering.


Beatrix of the Netherlands and Sofia of Spain at the wedding of Frederik and Mary

Beatrix was accompanied to the wedding by her eldest son, Willem-Alexander, and his wife, Maxima, who had been the last royal couple to marry in Europe before the nuptials of Frederik and Mary.


In May 2004, Willem-Alexander and Maxima were still the Prince and Princess of Orange and attended the Danish Royal Wedding as heirs

Sofia was at the wedding with her only son, Felipe, and his fiancee, Letizia Ortiz, who had announced their engagement just days after Frederik and Mary confirmed their plans to wed and who would be the next royal couple to say 'I do' when their own marriage took place on May 22nd 2014.  This wedding was Letizia's first major royal event.


Prince Felipe and Letizia, just days away from their own wedding, attend the marriage of Frederik and Mary in Copenhagen on May 14th 2014

Prince Albert of Monaco, still heir to the throne of his country, was also there along with his sister, Caroline, who attended with her third husband, Ernst of Hanover.


Albert of Monaco and Caroline of Hanover at the Danish Royal Wedding in May 2014

The Earl and Countess of Wessex were the only members of the British Royal Family to attend the wedding of Crown Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson. 


The Earl and Countess of Wessex on their arrival at Copenhagen Cathedral for the wedding in May 2014



















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