The father of Queen Mary, born in Scotland, has passed away at 84 years old, as confirmed by the royal family. John Donaldson, who resided in Hobart, Tasmania, passed away, with the royal statement indicating a decline in his health over the past years. Queen Mary visited him in March before his demise.
John Dalgleish Donaldson, born in East Lothian, Scotland on September 5, 1941, migrated to Australia in the 1960s after earning a mathematics and physics degree from the University of Edinburgh. He and his first wife, Henrietta Clark Horne, raised four children, including Mary Elizabeth Donaldson.
Donaldson completed his PhD in mathematics at the University of Tasmania and served as a professor of applied mathematics. Following Henrietta’s death in 1997, he remarried Susan Moody in 2001.
His youngest daughter, March, ascended to the throne of Denmark in January 2024 after her spouse became the reigning monarch, King Frederik X. Frederik and Mary met at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and got married in 2004.
In a statement, Queen Mary expressed her sorrow, saying, “My heart is heavy,” but she also reflected on the fond memories and lessons her father imparted, emphasizing love and gratitude. A private memorial service for Donaldson will be held by the family at a later time.
