After a long absence, six years in fact, Princess Marie returned to Denmark for official duties alongside her two children and caused quite a stir.
Many royalists Down Under might not be aware of this international royal, but like Queen Mary, she married into the Danish Royal Family.
Here’s everything you need to know about Princess Marie.
Who is Princess Marie of Denmark?
Princess Marie of Denmark is the French-born royal who married into one of Europe’s oldest monarchies and became the sister-in-law of Queen Mary of Denmark.
Born Marie Agathe Odile Cavallier on February 6, 1976, in Paris, she grew up in France and Switzerland and worked in marketing and communications before meeting her prince.
When did she marry Prince Joachim?
Marie married Prince Joachim of Denmark—the younger son of the late Queen Margrethe II and brother of King Frederik X—on May 24, 2008, in a romantic ceremony at Møgeltønder Church. Following the wedding, she received the title Her Royal Highness Princess Marie of Denmark, Countess of Monpezat.
What’s her connection to Queen Mary?
Beyond both having similar names and both being internationals who have married into the Danish Royal Family, Princess Marie is the sister-in-law of Queen Mary of Denmark.
While Mary is married to King Frederik X, Marie is married to his younger brother, Prince Joachim. The two women share family events, official engagements, and royal duties, but their roles in the Danish monarchy are distinct. Queen Mary is Denmark’s reigning queen consort and the most visible face of the royal family internationally, particularly for us Aussies.
Marie, by contrast, has carved out a quieter, more hands-on niche — focusing on her children, charitable patronages, and occasional public appearances, all while balancing life abroad with her family in Washington, D.C.
Does she have children?
Yes! Princess Marie and Prince Joachim share two children: Count Henrik, born in 2009, and Countess Athena, born in 2012.
She is also stepmother to Joachim’s sons from his first marriage, Count Nikolai and Count Felix.
Where does she live now?
In 2023, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, and their two children relocated to Washington, D.C., where Joachim took up a diplomatic role as defence industry attaché at the Danish Embassy.
The move followed several years of living in Paris, and the family now leads a more low-key life in the U.S. However, while celebrating Princess Marie’s 50th birthday, she revealed the family would be moving back to Copenhagen in August 2027.
“The most important thing for me and my family are the years that lie ahead of us,” she revealed to Danish magazine, BILLED-BLADET.
“Right now, as you know, we are staying in the US for another year and a half. Then the children can finish their schooling.”
The move was intended to last three years, until 2026, though Joachim has hinted at a strong desire to return to Denmark once the assignment ends.
Despite their transatlantic life, homesickness has been real. In a recent interview with TV2, Prince Joachim admitted:
“Overall, we can all feel it, and we can also feel it in the children, that it is at home in Denmark that we have our largest social base.”
What is her role today?
Although based abroad, Princess Marie continues to represent the Danish royal family occasionally and supports her chosen causes, including education, literacy, and reducing food waste.
Princess Marie recently returned to Copenhagen for a string of engagements, bringing Henrik (16) and Athena (13) along for a surprise public appearance. The trio attended the Copenhagen Cooking Festival, where they sampled culinary delights, judged a ratatouille competition, and even treated themselves to ice cream.
Earlier in the week, Marie visited Positivgruppen in Frederiksberg—a support association for HIV-positive gay and bisexual men—and toured the Danish Emergency Management Agency in Birkerød.
