Princess Mary’s holiday back on home turf continues, with the Aussie-born Danish royal this time spotted swimming at Sydney’s Palm Beach.
Princess Mary was photographed frolicking in the waves at the exclusive beach north of Sydney, home to some of Australia’s most impressive mansions – and the filming location for Home And Away.
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The Danish royal, who grew up in Tasmania but moved to Denmark in 2004 when she married Prince Frederik, is in Australia for Christmas after a lengthy break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Mary, 50, Prince Frederik, 54, daughter Isabella, 15 and twins Josephine and Vincent, 11, blended in as they shopped in Bondi on Monday. Eldest son Christian, 17, is also in Australia, but was not pictured.
Sydneysiders hoping to spot the homegrown royal are out of luck, though: Princess Mary was photographed arriving from Sydney at Hobart Airport on Friday, greeted by her sister Jane.
It was first announced in February that Princess Mary was set to return to Australia to spend Christmas with her family.
A statement from the royal household read: “In December, the Crown Prince’s family will travel on a private Christmas holiday in Australia to celebrate the holiday with HRH the Crown Princess’s family.
“It has been five years since the Crown Prince coupled together with their four children last visited the Crown Princess’s homeland.”
Mary made a surprise trip to Australia for her 50th birthday without her family in March 2022, where she was again spotted shopping in Melbourne with longtime friend Amber Petty, who was a bridesmaid at her wedding.
The royals were last in Australia in 2017 and were photographed visiting various beaches in Sydney while Frederik tried his hand at surfing.
In a year of British royal family scandals, Mary and Frederik have left behind a royal family drama of their own back in Denmark.
The family has made headlines in recent months after Frederik’s mother, Queen Margrethe, 82, made the decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles.
Queen Margrethe and youngest son Joachim, the father of the affected royal grandchildren, have been engaged in peace talks since the announcement.
Meanwhile, Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, are said to be “hurt” to be losing their titles.
Heir to the throne Frederik’s four children remain unaffected by Margrethe’s decision as they are direct descendants of the future King.
Frederik has commented on his brother’s situation: “It is sad to see how affected he has been by the decision.”
However, Joachim, 53, and his wife Princess Marie, 46, who is mother to his youngest two children, have said their relationship with Frederik and Mary is “complicated’.