Father of Queen Mary of Denmark Dies

John Donaldson, the father of Queen Mary of Denmark, has died in Hobart, Tasmania, at the age of 84. The royal house in Copenhagen announced the death on Sunday, April 13, 2026.

According to a royal statement, Donaldson’s health had been declining over the past few years. Queen Mary had last visited her father at the end of March 2026.

In a statement released following the news, Queen Mary expressed her grief, stating that my heart is heavy.

Life and Career of John Donaldson

Born in Scotland on September 5, 1941, John Dalgleish Donaldson was a professor of applied mathematics. He married Henrietta Clark Donaldson in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1963.

The couple emigrated to Australia later in 1963 and became Australian citizens in 1975. They settled in Hobart, Tasmania, where their daughter, Mary, grew up.

Following the death of Henrietta Clark Donaldson in November 1997 due to complications from heart surgery, Professor Donaldson later married Susan Moody, a British crime novelist who writes under the pen name Susan Horwood.

Royal Context and Family

Queen Mary, born Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, transitioned from a private citizen to Danish royalty after marrying Crown Prince Frederik in 2004. The couple first met during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

Mary became the Queen of Denmark in January 2024. This transition occurred when her husband was proclaimed King Frederik X following the abdication of his mother, Queen Margrethe II.

Professor Donaldson was the father of four children. Queen Mary is the youngest of the siblings, preceded by two sisters, Jane Alison Stephens and Patricia Anne Bailey, and a brother, John, born in 1970.