The cover has a circular HOBART/ 830PM/ 16 JUL/ 1937 postmark with a slogan cancel USE THE/ POSTAL EXPRESS/ MESSENGER SERVICE with a green 1d and a red 2d KGV Head stamps. It is addressed to The Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Copenhagen, Denmark, Europe and it was sent from the Royal Danish Consulate, G.P.O. BOX 486A, Hobart. The reverse was not seen (Figure 1).
Denmark’s connection with Tasmania dates back to the early nineteenth century. A man named Jorgen Jorgensen who was known as the Viking of Van Diemens Land was the son of the King of Denmark’s watch maker. Jorgen sailed to Tasmania on an English ship back in 1804. He was the man who pioneered the whaling industry. In effect Jorgen Jorgensen was the man behind the prosperity and growth in Hobart. Ironically Jorgen later returned to Van Diemens Land as a convict. After he paid his dues and received his ticket of leave he moved to the West Coast of Tasmania and became a policeman. Another connection between Denmark and Tasmania is that Collinsvale (formerly Bismarck) in Tasmania was settled by Danish and German people in the nineteenth Century. In 1885 Denmark established a Vice Consulate in Tasmania. John Cogan a former Danish Consular General worked in Tasmania for forty years.
This gives me a segue into the young Tasmanian woman who married a Danish Prince. This entry was listed in an advertisement for a book about the future Danish Queen.
‘In Mary Donaldson, Denmark gained not only a Crown Princess, but a style icon.’
Princess Mary has captivated both Australia and Denmark since the announcement of her engagement to Crown Prince Frederick in 2003. A wedding and two royal children later, Tasmanian-born Mary continues to enchant the world with her innate style and natural beauty. With more than 150 lavish photographs, Mary – Princess of Style is a beautiful illustrative record of Mary’s journey from a laid-back Tasmanian girl to the future queen of Denmark and an international style icon. This book focuses on the style that Mary shows by adding her personal touch to gala gowns, casual wear, hats, hair, make-up and much more. The Danish royal house has allowed access to pictures of Mary that have not previously been published.
Mary Elizabeth, is now known as Crown Princess of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat. She was born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson in Hobart on 5 February 1972 and is the wife of Crown Prince Frederik, who is the heir to the Danish throne. Mary Donaldson met Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark during the 2000 Summer Olympics on 16 September in Sydney. Mary moved to Europe in December 2001 and while working as an English tutor in Paris she visited Denmark privately and was photographed attending weddings and christenings of friends with Frederik. She moved to Denmark in August 2002.
Mary and Frederik were photographed during 2003 at various private outings in Denmark. Mary Donaldson and Crown Prince Frederik were officially engaged on 8 October 2003. They married on 14 May 2004 in Copenhagen Cathedral. Mary wore a wedding gown designed by Danish designer Uffe Frank. The wedding was celebrated in Copenhagen and at Fredensborg Palace. The couple reportedly spent their honeymoon in Africa. Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary have two children. Christian Valdemar Henri John was born on 15 October 2005. He will be Christian XI on ascension to the throne after his father. Kings in Denmark are traditionally called either Frederik or Christian. Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe was born on 21 April 2007. Henrietta and Margrethe are the names of her two grandmothers. Ingrid is the name of her great-grandmother, Queen Ingrid, who passed away in November 2000, aged 90. The new princess is third in line to the throne after her husband Crown Prince Frederik and her brother Prince Christian. A picture of Crown Princess Margaret is seen on the cover of the book (Figure 2).