![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/2088ca19285edeedb24520e6c6e71d4c.jpeg\"\/)
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John Donaldson walks Queen Mary of Denmark down the aisle on her wedding day, May 14, 2004
Credit: Sean Gallup\/Getty<\/p>\n
NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
Queen Mary of Denmark is mourning the death of her father<\/p>\n
John Dalgleish Donaldson, a Scottish-born academic who emigrated to Australia to raise his four children, died at age 84<\/p>\n
“My heart is heavy, and my thoughts are grey. My beloved father has passed away,” the Queen wrote in a rare personal message<\/p>\n
Queen Mary of Denmark<\/a> is mourning the death of her father, John Dalgleish Donaldson.<\/p>\n The 54-year-old wife of King Frederik shared a rare personal message on the royal family’s social media accounts on Sunday, April 12, alongside a black-and-white photo<\/a> of her father that she took herself.<\/p>\n \u201cMy heart is heavy, and my thoughts are grey. My beloved father has passed away. 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,” she wrote in a personal message.<\/p>\n Donaldson was born in Scotland in 1941 and graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a BSc degree with honors in mathematics and physics. He and his first wife, Henrietta Clark Horne, married in 1963 and emigrated to Tasmania, where they welcomed Mary and her three siblings.<\/p>\n Queen Mary’s mother died in 1997, and Donaldson remarried to Susan Horwood, a novelist who writes under the names Susan Moody, Susannah James and Susan Madison.<\/p>\n Can’t get enough of PEOPLE’s Royals coverage? Sign up for our free Royals newsletter<\/a> to get the latest updates on Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle and more!\u00a0<\/p>\n John Donaldson sits with Prince Henrik and Queen Margrethe of Denmark during the Royal Christening of Prince Christian on Jan. 21, 2006 Donaldson walked his daughter Mary down the aisle at her May 2004 wedding to then-Crown Prince Frederik \u2014 in a kilt, a nod to his Scottish heritage \u2014 and was in attendance for the royal christening of their first child, Prince Christian, in 2006.<\/p>\n In the royal family’s announcement of Donaldson’s death, they noted that his health had been declining in recent years.<\/p>\n “The Queen last visited her father at the end of March, where they shared precious time together,” they said in the announcement, referring to Queen Mary and King Frederik’s recent visit to Australia<\/a> that marked their first official trip there together since becoming monarch and consort<\/a>. “The family will hold a private memorial service at a later date. Messages of condolence can be sent via Kongehuset.dk<\/a>.”<\/p>\n King Frederik acceded to the throne<\/a> in January 2024 after his mother, Queen Margrethe, made the decision to abdicate due to health concerns, making his wife the new Queen Mary.<\/p>\n In a speech at the Governor-General of Australia\u2019s residence during their visit, the King recalled his chance meeting<\/a> with his future wife at a bar in Sydney during the 2000 Summer Olympic Games.<\/p>\n \u201cFor me, Australia has held a very special place in my heart ever since I slipped into that bar and lost it in a conversation that has never ended,\u201d King Frederik said. \u201cMary, you had the courage to leave your beloved home and build a new one with me as far away as one can possibly go. For that, I will be forever grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n He added, \u201cAustralia is our second home. Whether we come here for a family visit or a state visit, we feel both excited and entirely at ease. Being here for the first time as King and Queen does not change that, although it does add somewhat to the planning. On behalf of both Mary and me, I would like to thank everyone involved in making this visit possible.\u201d<\/p>\n Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n![\"John](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/dk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/d1d36fefaebfda0863bd42d0c8cf186e.jpeg\"\/)
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Credit: Chris Jackson\/Getty<\/p>\n