Queen Mary of Denmark appeared in high spirits on Monday as she participated in the annual Danish Royal Run, supported by her husband King Frederik and their four children. The Australian-born royal has been mourning the loss of her father, John Donaldson, who passed away in April at age 84 in Tasmania.
The royal family shared photos on Instagram showing Queen Mary stretching and smiling with the family dog before the event. She later joined King Frederik, Prince Christian (20), Princess Isabella (19), and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent (15) for various races in Copenhagen.
Queen Mary competed in one race, while King Frederik completed all three distances. “I have to admit I have become a slow runner, but I ran the whole way,” she told Danish broadcaster TV2. “This year my husband wins because he is the only one who ran all the distances.”
Prince Christian, the heir to the throne, completed the 5km race in Ringkøbing in 22 minutes and 22 seconds, despite stopping for selfies and handshakes. He had to leave early to participate in a 10-day military exercise.
The event came amid reports that Queen Margrethe had been hospitalized for a second time in recent weeks due to a blood clot. When asked about his mother, King Frederik said she was “a pretty cool mother who doesn’t need to run” and that he planned to visit her in hospital the next day.
