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Princess Mary will cheer on Aussie athletes in Rio

Crown Princess Mary might be a member of Denmark's royal family but she hasn’t forgotten where she came from.

Crown Princess Mary might be a member of Denmark’s royal family but she hasn’t forgotten where she came from.

Tasmanian-born Mary touched down in Rio this week with her husband, Crown Prince Frederik for the 2016 Olympics and told the Today Show she is happy to support the Aussie athletes, but on one condition.

“I’ll absolutely support Australians,” Mary told The Today Show on Thursday, “so long as they’re not competing against a Dane.”

The mother-of-four has lived in Denmark since marrying her prince in 2004 and she’s made it clear where her loyalty now lies.

“It would be great to get gold [for the Danes] and silver [for the Australians].”

https://twitter.com/crownprincely/status/761022857904132096

PHOTO: Crown Princess Mary with some Danish athletes and Australian swimmer Matthew Abood

While there has been much controversy about Brazil’s preparation for the Games the 44-year-old royal seemed to be pleased with what she has seen so far.

“It’s been a very positive experience like the trips we’ve had to Brazil with Danish business delegations and so forth,” she revealed to the MailOnline.

“And it has also been great to see the beautiful country, Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, that Brazil is.”

Mary added: “We do have a lot of expectations for the Olympics – it’s so exciting when the Games start, so I’m looking forward to Friday [opening ceremony].

“We’re looking forward to following the Danish athletes of course, but as well all the athletes of the world and the amazing performances they’ll put in.”

While Prince Frederik carried out duties at his post as an IOC member, Mary took time to visit a school in Jacarepaguá – one of Rio’s poorest areas.

The royal gifted the youngsters with Lego sets and took a space on the floor to play with the children and their new toys.

Mary and Frederik are among the highest profile royal attendees at this Olympics. The games hold special significance for the pair after having met at a bar in Sydney during the 2000 Olympic Games. The Danish royal couple have attended every Olympics together since.

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