Crown Princess Mary of Denmark Shines in Scarlet Gown and Danish Ruby Peru Tiara

The Crown Princess Mary of Denmark made her first public appearance since Queen Margaret's surprising second abdication on Sunday, and she did not disappoint.

Stepping out alongside her husband, Crown Prince Frederick, at Christian VII's palace for the New Year's Eve banquet, the royal looked absolutely stunning in a velvet scarlet gown and Danish ruby peru tiara.

According to a Royal Insider, the Prince and Princess of Wales share a close friendship with Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Mary, and they will be among the first to congratulate them.

Observing their journey as they ascend to the throne as King and Queen is sure to make the Prince and Princess of Wales ponder their own future.

Will King Charles consider a similar path if his health declines, or if he believes it is wise to pass the crown to William and Catherine while they are still young?

Mary, often regarded as the Danish royal family's greatest asset, is adored by both her Queen and her adopted country.

Her cheerful demeanor, tireless work ethic, and impeccable style have earned her endless praise.

In many ways, she reminds us of another beloved princess, our very own Princess of Wales.

Like Mary, Princess Catherine was a commoner who married into royalty and gracefully embraced her role as a royal and a mother.

But perhaps the most striking similarity between these two princesses lies in their fashion choices.

Despite living 800 miles apart, their styles are so similar that one might imagine they share a closet.

The late Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld even referred to them as royal sisters.

Let's take a trip back to 2003, three years after the Danish prince fell in love with Mary at the Slip Inn, a pub in Sydney.

Looking effortlessly cool and casual, Mary opted for low-slung baggy denim jeans and a sheer beaded top that accentuated her silhouette with waist slits.

With a laid-back Aussie vibe, the former real estate agent confidently walked barefoot on the deck, donning rectangular sunglasses and letting her choppy brunette hair fall naturally in waves.

It's remarkable that, despite not knowing each other at the time, Mary bore a striking resemblance to a young Catherine during her university days, as seen in photographs of them both wearing similar washed jeans and flowing long-sleeved tops that epitomized Y2K fashion trends.

It's astonishing that, out of the countless dresses available, they often choose identical ones for various occasions.

For instance, during a visit to Norfolk in 2020, Catherine wore the same £572 blue dress by British brand Balula that Anne-Marie had previously worn in Indonesia.

Then, in June 2021, Catherine wore a pale pink button-up dress worth £720, also by Balula, at Wimbledon, echoing Mary, who had worn the same design in cream to the opening of an art exhibition the previous year.

And these instances of twinning aren't isolated incidents.

In 2018, Mary wore a £1,350 lilac Amelia Wickstead frock to a mental health summit in London, three years before Catherine wore the blue version to an event in Japan.

In honor of Catherine, Wickstead has now named the design “the Kate.”

If Mary has noticed these stylistic coincidences, she hasn't let it affect her easy camaraderie with Catherine.

This was evident during Catherine's visit to Copenhagen in February 2022, where the two women seemed delighted to share a joke and showcase their penchant for pearl earrings.

Rather than deliberate copycatting, it is more likely that both women are simply aware of which outfits work well in their public-facing roles, favoring slim-fit tailoring and eye-catching prints.

For example, Catherine wore a tartan coat by Holland Cooper during her visit to Liverpool with Prince William in January 2023, reminiscent of Mary's stunning Puffergarten coat worn in 2019.

Another example is the black lace dress, with Mary wearing Jesper Horving and Catherine donning Alexander McQueen.

As we look ahead to 2024, one thing is certain: both Mary and Catherine will continue to set the standard for how a queen should look in the 21st century.