Princess Mary to make whirlwind trip back to Australia

Australian-born Crown Princess Mary of Denmark is making a whirlwind trip back to her home country for her first official engagement in 10 years.

The Danish royal family has released a statement on its official Instagram account confirming that Mary will visit Australia, Vanuatu and Fiji from April 23 to 28.

The visit is to “highlight the consequences of climate change in the Pacific region”, the English translation of the statement reads.

Princess Mary will spend time in Sydney on April 28, where she will participate in an event with Danish business representatives involved in “the green transition in Australia”.

She will also visit a number of projects related to construction and transport.

“Her Royal Highness the Crown Princess will visit ... Vanuatu and Fiji as well as Australia with Minister for Development Cooperation and Global Climate Policy Dan Jørgensen on the 23rd-28 April 2023,” the statement began.

First, Princess Mary will visit Vanuatu on April 23 and 24, going on field visits to crisis responses areas in the wake of recent cyclones and earthquakes.

There, she will “have the opportunity to meet with players who are managing reconstruction projects in the wake of natural disasters”.

Next, the princess will visit Fiji from April 25 to 27.

“Here, the Crown Princess will focus, among other things, on how destruction and evacuations in the wake of climate change cause increased risk of sexual and gender-based violence, and how the health system is working to protect women and girls in vulnerable situations,” the statement continued.

Mary’s final stop will be Sydney on April 28.

Although this is her first visit to Australia in an official capacity in many years, Mary, her husband Crown Prince Frederik and their four children were in the country for Christmas 2022.

She has also visited Australia on personal trips in 2017 and 2015.

On this whirlwind trip, Princess Mary will not have time to visit her family in Tasmania, as she will be heading for London to attend the coronation of King Charles III on May 6.