Queen Mary’s father, John Donaldson, died in Tasmania, the Danish royal house said, confirming the death of a man who had long been a part of Queen Mary’s public and private life. In a statement from Copenhagen, the royal house said Donaldson died in Hobart and was 84. The statement did not provide further details about the circumstances of his death.
The royal house said Donaldson’s health had been declining over the past few years. It also said Queen Mary last visited him at the end of March, following a gradual deterioration described in the statement. Mary’s father was born in Scotland on Sept. 5, 1941, and the statement described him as a professor of applied mathematics.
Queen Mary became Denmark’s queen in January 2024, after two decades as crown princess. She took the role after her husband, who is now King Frederik X, succeeded to the throne following the abdication of Queen Margrethe II. The statement portrayed Donaldson as part of the family life that accompanied Mary’s rise within Denmark’s monarchy.
Frederik and Mary met during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and married in 2004. Their relationship later became central to Denmark’s royal succession when Frederik became monarch and Mary moved from crown princess to queen in 2024.
In Sunday’s statement, Queen Mary was quoted as saying, “my heart is heavy.” She added, “But I know that when the grief settles, the memories will brighten my day, and what will remain strongest is love and gratitude for everything he gave me and taught me,” underscoring how the family framed the loss.
The royal house also noted that Mary’s mother, Henrietta Clark Donaldson, died in 1997. It said Mary’s maternal side included her grandfather’s later marriage to Susan Moody in 2001.
The statement said the family will hold a private memorial service for Donaldson “at a later date,” without specifying when that would occur.