In the 1960s, she became something of a jet-setting princess, visiting Los Angeles, and specifically Paramount Studios, with her royal cousins Princess Astrid of Norway and Princess Margaretha of Sweden. While there, she met a handful of celebrities, including Elvis Presley, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.
Margrethe shared key similarities with the late Queen Elizabeth II. The Danish queen became Europe’s longest-serving head of state and the world’s longest-serving female monarch on the death of Her Majesty (her Golden Jubilee was in 2022). And, like the Queen, she enjoyed a long marriage. Queen Margrethe was married for over 50 years to the French diplomat, Henri de Laborde de Monpezat. The couple first met in London at an official dinner at the French Embassy, keeping their relationship secret from the media until their engagement. Henri proposed with a romantic ‘moi et toi’ style ring, featuring two large square-cut diamonds, one to represent each of them.
The couple were wed on 10 June 1967, with the bride wearing a gown by Jorgen Bender, featuring lace from her grandmother, Princess Margaret of Connaught, and the Khedive of Egypt tiara. The ceremony lasted just 20 minutes at the bride’s request, wanting to be no different from ‘normal’ couples, and the groom learned his vows in Danish. The couple had two children together, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim. Prince Henrik served as Margrethe’s royal consort from her accession in 1972 until his death in 2018. He was vocal in his displeasure that he was never given the title of King of Denmark.