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http://www.themercury.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,10995088%255E3462,00.html
Thin Mary worries royal watchers
By HEATHER LOW CHOY
07oct04
DENMARK'S avid royal watchers have again raised concerns that Tasmanian-born Crown Princess Mary of Denmark is worryingly thin.
The Crown Princess, former Taroona schoolgirl Mary Donaldson, appeared gaunt yesterday as she accompanied husband Crown Prince Frederik to the Danish Parliament's opening ceremony.
Royal watchers fear life in the spotlight may be taking its toll on the Crown Princess, who married into Europe's oldest monarchy in May.
Public pressure to conceive, a heavy workload and recent spats within the royal family have been suggested as possible reasons for Princess Mary's diminishing proportions. Last month the Danish royal family announced that Prince Frederik's younger brother Prince Joachim would separate from his wife Princess Alexandra.
Prince Joachim has since borne the brunt of the Danish public's separation anxiety.
He has been dubbed the "party prince" for spending time at rock concerts and sporting events rather than seeing to his royal duties.
Hard-working Princess Alexandra has picked up the slack and continued to do so at the Danish Parliament's opening day.
However, the strain showed on the elegantly attired royal's face.
Princess Mary, whose public-appearance outfits are becoming increasingly "mumsy" -- on occasion it seems as if she had raided Queen Elizabeth's wardrobe -- gave nothing away with her expression. Only her very slight frame suggests that her rarefied life in the palace may not be the fairytale everyone had imagined it would be.