Mary, Denmark’s next Queen, has her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe II’s admiration. At Mary and Frederik’s wedding banquet in 2004, the Danish monarch expressed her love for her new daughter-in-law in a moving speech, noting that the Australian-born royal had shown “courage to place her future life in Denmark.”

“Mary, today all of Denmark welcomes you with open arms. With warmth and dignity you have met us, your new family, and all your new countrymen. You instill confidence. Around you, the garden of Denmark also blooms,” Her Majesty said (translated to English via Royal Watch).

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In her speech, the Danish Queen also told Mary’s father, John Dalgleish Donaldson, that his daughter’s “new countrymen receive her with enthusiasm, not only as Crown Prince Frederik’s bride, but also for the qualities they already perceive in her.”

The monarch continued, “As we have come to know Mary we, her parents-in-law, have come to love and admire her. She has great inner strength and she exudes a calm warmth that inspires confidence. She has shown the courage to place her future life in Denmark, may we always be worthy of her trust.”

Mary, 51, will be known as Queen Mary following her mother-in-law’s abdication on Sunday, Jan. 14. Queen Margrethe, 83, announced in her 2023 New Year’s Eve address that she would be stepping down as Queen of Denmark and handing over the throne to her son Crown Prince Frederik on the 52nd anniversary of her ascension. Her Majesty explained, “I have decided that now is the right time.”

Queen Margrethe has previously called Mary and Frederik a “credit to Denmark.” At her firstborn’s 50th birthday gala banquet in 2018, Her Majesty said, “The two of you make Denmark bigger, and you are a credit to Denmark. You make me so happy!”