It’s a tradition as old as time that Christmas is spent with loved ones first and foremost, and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark is well and truly setting the precedent.
While her fellow Australians prepared their seafood platters and squeezed in a quick dip in the pool (if they were lucky!), the former Tasmanian-turned-royal stepped out with her young family in a rather different setting to celebrate the 25th of December.
Wearing a gorgeous red coat with a grey jersey peeping through, the 46-year-old was wrapped up snug in the chilly Danish city of Aarhus as she, her husband Crown Prince Frederik and their four children attended a Christmas church service at the Cathedral.
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Funnily enough, the stunning royal looked strikingly similar to Duchess Catherine, who stepped out in Sandringham on the same day attending a Christmas church service of her own with other members of the British royal family.
It certainly seems red is the new black this festive season!
Joining Mary’s family of six was Queen Margrethe herself, as well as Fredrick’s brother Prince Joachim, his wife Princess Marie and their children.
The Danish royals typically congregate at Marselisborg Palace, which is situated nearby, to celebrate big occasions like Christmas.
But Mary’s Christmas was rather different to last year, when her family travelled to her homeland Down Under to enjoy a slightly balmier festive season.
Among other Aussie-centric activities, the royals hit Palm Beach in New South Wales where they played soccer and swam in the water.
The family also enjoyed a day sailing through Sydney harbour. At the time, the Danish royals looked slightly different to their usual formal ensembles, wearing casual red branded T-shirts, khaki shorts and caps.
Despite spending Christmas in a chillier climate this year, Mary hasn’t held back from getting festive.
In a rare moment of transparency, the 46-year-old shared a picture inside her royal’s residence – and it couldn’t have looked more magical.
The image shared to the Danish royals official Instagram account shows a tall tree reaching the top of the sky-high ceiling with a number of colourful baubles was seen front and centre.
And instead of fairy lights the family opted to carefully place candles on the branches. But don’t be alarmed – fire safety would undoubtedly be front of mind in any case – and the candles are traditionally only lit after dinner on Christmas eve.
The festive photo also revealed additional decorations that Danish royals have adorned their residence with, including pine cones and shiny golden baubles sitting atop a marble table.