Princess Mary enrolled in a secret “star-maker” course after meeting Denmark’s Crown Prince Frederik, desperate to lose her “girl-next-door” image.
As the 51-year-old Tasmanian prepares to become a queen in just a few days, it’s been revealed how she made the transition from ordinary Aussie to European royal.
WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Meet the ‘princess whisperer’ who transformed Princess Mary’s image.
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Teresa Page, the founder of Starmakers Training and Coaching Programs, was instrumental in guiding Mary through the process.
Called the “princess whisperer”, Page spent four hours with Mary every Sunday for eight weeks helping to refine her image, she told Sunrise this week.
The idea was to shed Mary’s everyday, girl-next-door demeanour and develop her “star quality” so she could fit into royal life.
Page said Mary was an eager student, clearly envisaging a future with Frederik whom she had met at a pub during the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.
“I felt her engagement with the material, her love of learning, and wanting to change herself and transform her life,” Page said.
Page added Mary Donaldson, as she was then, felt life was “passing her by”.
She enrolled in the Starmakers program, which cost $1195, and learned how stars walked, talked and smiled.
She even took scripted acting lessons, all of which would bode well as she made the transition into royal life.
Mary learned how to be comfortable in the limelight, how to set goals and how royal etiquette worked.
Frederik taught her how to curtsy before introducing her to his mother, Queen Margrethe II, who recently announced she would abdicate on January 14, making her son the new Danish monarch.
Now, after almost 20 years as a princess, royal etiquette protocols will change slightly as Mary becomes queen.
“If Mary greets another royal in future, typically two queens would not curtsy to one another,” HELLO! royal correspondent Danielle Stacey explained.
“But she may decide to display the traditional greeting as a sign of respect, particularly if it’s a state visit.”
Another key figure in Mary’s transformation was her personal hairdresser and makeup artist, Soren Hedegaard, who recently announced he was retiring from the role.
He became a close personal friend of Mary, guiding and polishing her look before her engagement to Frederik, at the time of their wedding, and in the two decades since.
“I think it is both wise and sensible that the queen allows the next generation to come along,” he told Danish outlet Billed Bladet after announcing his retirement.
“It has been 23 amazing and unforgettable years with memories and friendships that I will always carry in my heart.”
It’s not clear who will replace Hedegaard as Princess Mary becomes Queen Mary.
But it’s safe to say Mary Donaldson from Tasmania is about to enter a whole new era of regal style.
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