Princess Mary’s special milestone ‘thank you’ to Aussie charity

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has made a generous donation to an Australian charity as a thank you gift upon celebrating her 50th birthday last week, February 5.

Princess Mary’s recent birthday saw multiple festivities take place in celebration of the milestone, and the beloved royal generously included Australia in multiple events.

The Princess chose to show her support for Australia’s Alannah & Madeline Foundation, donating a bounteous sum of $50,000 to the children’s charity as a birthday thank you for all that they do.

 

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The Alannah & Madeline Foundation is dedicated to keeping children safe from bullying and protected from violence. The charity’s website reads, “We care for children who have experienced or witnessed serious violence; reduce the incidence of bullying, cyberbullying and other cyber risks; and, advocate for the safety and wellbeing of children.”

The donation comes as Princess Mary was inspired by their mission, enough to develop her own foundation in her homeland of Denmark, titled The Mary Foundation.

Princess Mary launched The Mary Foundation in 2007 using personal funds gifted to her by her husband Prince Frederik for their wedding in 2004. The foundation dedicates itself to three main areas of focus including bullying and well-being, domestic violence, and loneliness.

As described by Princess Mary, The Alannah & Madeline Foundation charity program Better Buddies created the inspiration for The Mary Foundation’s own initiative, Free of Bullying, an anti-bullying program that has since been employed in over 50 per cent of Denmark’s childcare facilities and in a great number of the country’s schools and groups.

 

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“From my very first experience with Better Buddies, I could see that the approach could be something very special in terms of creating communities and togetherness among children,” said Princess Mary.

“It seemed clear to me that Denmark could take inspiration from Better Buddies. It has been very rewarding, and we are grateful for the starting point it has given us in The Mary Foundation’s work to combat bullying.”

The Princess took to Instagram to thank all those who had made her 50th birthday special, telling all, “It’s not so crazy to be 50.”

“Becoming 50 years old is something very special. But that I received so many warm greetings from all over Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland…. and Australia – I was deeply moved. It’s not so crazy to be 50,” she wrote.