She's BACK for a Surf a Bar Bee and a Beer

Princess Mary's royal return

By NICOLETTE BURKE
February 26, 2005
http://dailytelegraph.news.com.au/story.jsp?sectionid=1258&storyid=2726546
SHE left Australia as plain Mary Donaldson, but last night the former real estate agent returned to her homeland a princess.

Australia's own royal arrived home for the first time since her wedding to be reunited with her Crown Prince Frederik.
The Danish Crown Princess, who has quickly gained a reputation as a fashion icon, looked rested and radiant in a cream-coloured jacket, black trousers, floral scarf, and white leather loafers.
Her trademark gracious smile was evident soon after she arrived at 9.20pm. She spent about 20 minutes moving through Customs before emerging briefly into the airport's media centre where she was greeted by a throng of photographers -- and a few curious travellers.
"It's lovely to be back in Australia," she said.
She stopped briefly to greet Athina Shelston and her daughters Emilia, 7, and Anna, 11, from Bexley North, who had waited for hours to see their favourite princess.
Little Emilia handed Mary a bouquet of flowers, saying afterwards that she thought the Princess was "very pretty".
"She said 'Thanks for coming and thank you for giving me the flowers'," Emilia said.
Mrs Shelston said her family had been following the story of Mary and Frederik since their wedding.
"We heard they were arriving, and just thought we'd turn up on the off chance we'd see them," she said.
"I think she's just gorgeous. And he won me over when he cried at the wedding. It's such a lovely story for a local girl."
Security had been heightened for the arrival. Australian Protective Service officers, and police with sniffer dogs, patrolled the international terminal.
Backpackers, airport staff and locals at the airport on a late night Krispy Kreme doughnut run, watched the Crown Princess arrive, where she was greeted by dignitaries, including an aide-de-camp to the Governor-General Major-General Mike Jeffery.
Princess Mary said she was pleased with the "very warm" reception.
Catching a glimpse was 28-year-old Danish backpacker Peter Larson, who was returning a hire car when he got word of his future queen's arrival.
"We Danes think she is great -- a bit too skinny since she married, but we love her," he said.
"We're so glad Frederik married an Australian girl. Australian women are beautiful."
Princess Mary was given a police escort to accompany her to the waiting arms of her Prince, who was waiting at the Shangri-La hotel at The Rocks.
The Princess's arrival in Sydney comes almost a week after His Royal Highness of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik, flew into town where he’s been been staying and preparing for Farr 40 world titles, to be sailed off Sydney next week.
The royal couple’s tour will take in Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne and finally, Hobart.
The royal couuple will attend charity balls and state dinners as well as a reception hosted by Prime Minister John Howard.
Their first official duty will be to challenge each other in an Australia v Denmark yacht race on Sunday.
The first of several booked-out gala charity events, the $1000-a-head Red Cross 90th Anniversary Gala, is on Wednesday night where Delta Goodrem, Olivia Newton-John and Alex Lloyd will entertain guests.