First pics of Princess Mary exploring Sydney
Tasmanian-born Danish princess Mary has embarked on a tour of Sydney’s CBD as part of her first official Australian visit in 10 years.
Top of the royal’s agenda was a first-hand experience of a city commute, an activity that fell as part of the final leg of her Pacific tour to highlight the impact of climate change, and Australia’s “green transition”.
More specifically, as a statement from the Danish royal family read ahead of her visit, Mary was coming to her homeland to draw attention to the “consequences of climate change in the Pacific Region”. It was also said that she would “participate in an event with Danish business representatives involved in the green transition in Australia, as well as visit a number of Danish-clad projects related to sustainable construction and transport.”
Her ‘unique’ tour - undertaken alongside members of Denmark’s visiting delegation and City of Sydney officials - began at Hyde Park, before the group continued along cycleways up Pitt Street, and onwards to Circular Quay.
From there, the 51-year-old princess met up with Lord Mayor Clover Moore for a change of shoes and a light rail trip from George Street to Town Hall.
“We're excited to host the Danish delegation and show off some of the infrastructure they have helped inspire," an earlier statement from Moore read.
"The George Street light rail has transformed not just how we get around the city, but how we experience it, and having a better connected network of cycleways is great for our city because it gives people another safe transport option that is good for health and good for the environment."
During the visit, Moore shared her vision of making Sydney a “Copenhagen of the south” with Mary, and applauded Danish architect Jan Gehl, who had contributed to the city’s light rail project.
“We're really delighted we are able to show you our bike lanes and show you the beautiful light rail we have recently built here," Moore confessed.
"[We've] very much been inspired by what you have in Copenhagen in terms of your bike lanes."
The excitement was apparently very well placed, with Princess Mary noting that the changes she observed from Sydney’s CBD were “amazing”.
“It’s wonderful to be here,” she said. “It’s wonderful to experience the new bike lanes.”
Images: Nine News, Getty