Queen Mary Of Denmark's Most Striking Style Blunders We Can't Forget

Queen Mary of Denmark has occupied her current royal role since January 2024, when Queen Margrethe II decided to abdicate and pass on the crown to her son, King Frederik X. Mary has been a part of the Danish royal family since her 2004 wedding to Frederik. As she became a working royal, Mary achieved a stunning style transformation. "It was clear that there were expectations about what you wore and how you dressed appropriately," she recalled to the Financial Times in 2022. "That was pretty daunting for me. I was a T-shirt-and-shorts girl, known to go barefoot."

Luckily, Mary quickly learned the rules of the royal dress code, and she developed an elegant style that's frequently on point. The queen has rocked a variety of glamorous looks, ranging from majestic floor-length gowns to elegant tailored coats and eye-catching vibrant dresses. She often displays a similar fashion aesthetic to her friend, Catherine, Princess of Wales. Like Kate, Mary's a fan of eco-conscious style and frequently re-wears successful looks. For instance, on multiple occasions over a 17-year period, Mary chose a beloved Birgit Hallstein dress as her go-to outfit for ringing in the new year.

While the queen is known for many style triumphs, given the number of years she's been in the public eye, it's also unsurprising that Mary has experienced her share of style missteps. Check out how Queen Mary of Denmark has weathered these difficulties — including unwieldy accessories and hard-to-manage layers — with royal composure.

Not all of Queen Mary of Denmark's re-wears have a winning track record. Even so, she seems inclined to take a risk for a favored piece. Mary has long owned a Susanne Juul hat, though it has let her down in the past. With its large brim, this hat channels the glamour of classic Hollywood films. However, its dramatic style is rarely suited to the unpredictable nature of real-world weather. Mary first stepped out in the hat on a blustery day in 2004. Photos reveal the brim bending as it was buffeted by the wind and Mary reaching up to keep it on her head. Though she was unsuccessful, Mary luckily had help retrieving the aerodynamic accessory and didn't have to chase after it.

Two years later, Mary packed the hat for a royal tour. Unfortunately, this re-wear was a bit uncomfortable, since she had to stand with her arms raised to secure her headgear. However, Mary is not the first royal to have hat issues. Her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe II, once had a much smaller-brimmed hat lift off her head during a royal appearance.

Undeterred, Mary wore her hat again in 2024, finally without incident. Perhaps she checked the weather or took a page out of Queen Elizabeth's book and found a sturdy hatpin. As a consummate hat wearer, Elizabeth frequently paired them with intricately designed (and often jeweled) hatpins. Besides looking chic, they allowed her to look polished no matter the wind speed.

In October 2017, Queen Mary of Denmark found herself unintentionally twinning during a royal appearance. To make matters more embarrassing, it was a fashion event. Mary and Baroness Nina Wedell-Wedellsborg wore the same dynamically patterned dress. The swirls of brown and navy color were bound to stick out in the crowd. In addition, there was no way to separate and minimize the double-vision effect — the two women had to share a stage together. As a solution, they chose to celebrate each other's great sartorial choices. Standing side by side, they laughed and smiled while greeting guests together.

Mary's lighthearted approach to life's surprises has helped her handle other potentially awkward circumstances with aplomb. In October 2024, the queen and King Frederik were involved with important royal business when the Icelandic president and her husband visited Denmark. Mary stepped out in a polished ensemble comprised of neutral hues. While her outfit was impeccable, some of her vibrant lipstick migrated to her teeth.

Luckily, this was another situation in which a negative flipped to a positive. Staunch fans of the monarch were quick to offer solidarity. "Who cares? Still beautiful and still classy. If anything, it makes her more relatable. Every woman has been there," one person observed on social media (via Sky News). Another felt certain that the queen's sense of humor would help her brush off the short-lived blunder.

Breton stripes, with their alternating patterns of navy and white, are a timeless and sophisticated fashion staple. They're also popular among other royal style icons like Catherine, Princess of Wales. Despite this storied history, in August 2024, Queen Mary of Denmark demonstrated that these stripes aren't always a fashion win. In this case, the queen wore a white vest with blue stripes made of fluffy yarn. The lengthy garment featured side slits and stretched down to her knees. As she walked, it billowed out behind her like a cape.

While some fans approved of the look, a contingent of people were unimpressed. "The vest is too long and too shapeless. Separately, all these garments look fine, but together they look messy," commented a subscriber to @royalfashionpolice on Instagram (via Hello! Magazine). Mary's close-fitting navy hat, which hugged the back of her head, is typically a dressier accessory, so that may have enhanced the outfit's impression of being a somewhat clashing combo.

A discussion on The Royal Forums produced even more critical reviews. "That is some strange ensemble she is wearing," remarked one poster. "Reminds me of something I can see vintage Mick Jaeger [sic] or Aerosmith's Steve Tyler pulling out with a pair of jeans at any airport on their way to meet the press." Others also thought the outfit lacked cohesion and just wasn't a very flattering choice.

Queen Mary of Denmark's fondness for oversized hats got her into yet another bind in October 2023. Her mother-in-law, Queen Margrethe II, was still on the throne, and the two were formally acknowledging one another at the official opening of Parliament. In this case, Margrethe leaned in to kiss her daughter-in-law on the cheek, only to be thwarted by Mary's massive hat brim. Coincidentally, Mary's bold black headgear was designed by Susanne Juul, who also designed the hat that blew away back in 2004.

As Margrethe bobbed her head in an effort to navigate the space, Mary tried to lean in to help. Fortunately, neither one got flustered. Margrethe used her hand to bridge the distance, quickly touching her cheek before touching Mary's. For her part, Mary didn't let the incident derail her from curtsying to the monarch. Had this incident occurred a few months later after Margrethe abdicated and Mary became a queen consort, the oversized brim would still have put a damper on their interaction. With her title upgrade, curtsying is now optional for Mary. However, she still frequently exchanges kisses with her royal relatives at events.

Despite difficulties like these, there have been plenty of times when Mary's preferred hat style was a smart choice. For instance, another one of the queen's go-to hats is from the Australian company Canopy Bay. These hats are rated UPF50+, so they shield Mary from the sun while she's conducting her royal duties.

Back in 2015, then-Crown Princess Mary of Denmark dressed in a super casual outfit while making a royal appearance on the beach. Even though it was mid-June, Mary layered up, topping her colorfully printed blouse with a zippered jacket and a gray turtleneck poncho. While the side slits conveniently left Mary's arms free, the outfit became cumbersome whenever she donned or removed this layer. Photos showed Mary meticulously lifting the poncho's rolled neck, bringing it up and over her face, and then finally bringing her arms through the slits and pushing the whole thing off. Difficulties aside, however, Mary seems to be a fan of this layered style. In July 2024, she wore a very similar outfit during a royal tour of Greenland, this time topping off her down jacket with a brown poncho.

While Mary's gray poncho was a challenge to remove, she was wearing it in the conventional manner. In contrast, in 2024, the queen appeared to be wearing her shirt incorrectly when she attended a birthday party, with its necktie trailing down to her knees. In this case, however, the public supported this creative approach.

Apart from the occasional style blunder, Mary typically rocks both formal and casual looks. "She has the confidence to dress with the authority her role requires but in a way that feels relevant today," Sir Paul Smith explained to the Financial Times in 2022. "She could make ripped jeans look regal."