Queen Mary of Denmark opens up about feeling lonely and isolated in rare candid interview: 'I felt very alone'

Queen Mary has opened up about the loneliness she experienced after leaving Australia for Denmark, revealing she struggled to feel included while adjusting to life in a foreign country.The Australian-born royal, 54, admitted she often felt left out of conversations and social gatherings because she couldn't understand Danish, despite being surrounded by people.In a rare candid interview with Danish children's newspaper Børneavisen, Mary also reflected on the devastating loss of her mother, Henrietta 'Etta' Donaldson, and how the experience left her feeling isolated.'I've also felt a bit left out,' the Queen admitted.'It has been especially in certain situations. For example, when I lost my mother, I felt very alone.'These emotions might have surfaced again in the wake of Mary's father Mr John Donaldson's passing on April 11 earlier this year. Mary was just 25 when her mother died in 1997, aged 55, following complications from heart surgery.Five years later, she made the life-changing decision to move from Australia to Denmark, where she would eventually marry then-Crown Prince Frederik in 2004. Queen Mary has opened up about the loneliness she experienced after leaving Australia for Denmark [pictured in 2004]While her relationship with the future king captured international attention, Mary revealed that adjusting to her new home came with challenges of its own.'When I moved to Denmark, I didn't really know the language,' she recalled.'When you don't know the language and you're sitting at a dinner, or playing a game and can't really follow, you feel a bit left out.'The Queen's admission offers a glimpse into a difficult period of her life.Mary explained that small gestures from those around her made a considerable difference.When someone took the time to explain what was happening or deliberately spoke more slowly so she could understand, she immediately felt more included.As her Danish improved, those feelings of isolation gradually disappeared.The Queen eventually became fluent in the language, allowing her to participate fully in conversations and feel more comfortable in her adopted country. Mary married Frederik in May 2004 and became Queen Consort when he ascended the throne in January 2024 [the pair pictured in 2002]Her experience will be familiar to many Australians who have relocated overseas, particularly those who have moved somewhere they don't speak the local language.While moving abroad can be exciting, the reality of building a life in an unfamiliar country can also be lonely.Everyday interactions that once required little thought, from joining conversations at dinner to understanding jokes among friends, can suddenly become difficult.For Mary, learning Danish became an important part of overcoming that isolation and finding her place in Denmark.Her reflections also reveal how loneliness can arise in very different circumstances, from the grief of losing a loved one to the experience of feeling excluded in a room full of people.The subject is particularly close to the Queen's heart through her work with the Mary Foundation, which she chairs.Established to address social isolation and improve wellbeing, the foundation focuses on strengthening communities and helping people feel included, particularly children and young people.Mary has made the wellbeing of younger generations one of her major priorities, with a particular interest in encouraging inclusive environments in schools.Speaking to Børneavisen, she explained that being excluded from a community was an unpleasant experience, and one she understood personally.Her message was that even small acts of consideration could help someone who was struggling to feel included.The interview provides a more personal perspective on the Queen's longstanding charitable work, showing how her own experiences of grief and adjusting to a new country have informed her understanding of loneliness.More than two decades after moving to Denmark, Mary has become one of the country's most recognisable public figures.She married Frederik in May 2004 and became Queen Consort when he ascended the throne in January 2024.But her latest comments are a reminder that her journey from Australian commoner to Danish queen involved challenges that were largely invisible to the public.Despite her extraordinary circumstances, the feelings Mary described are deeply relatable: missing home, struggling to fit in, and valuing those who make an effort to help others feel they belong.