Jan 8, 2009, 10:00 GMT
Denmark's Queen Margrethe was so determined her son Prince Frederik would not marry a "commoner" that she invited two European princesses to her home to tempt him away from Mary Donaldson, a new book has claimed.
Margrethe is said to have been stunned when her son announced his intention to wed Australian-born Mary - who he met at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia - and did everything in her power to persuade him not to go through with the ceremony.
Author Alexander von Schonburg claims the monarch invited his nieces Elisabeth and Maria Theresia von Thurn und Taxis - who were educated in Germany before attending finishing school - to Fredensborg Palace for a private party in 2002.
In his book, 'Everything about the Royals', von Schonburg says: "The Queen of Denmark was not quite happy about Frederik wanting to marry a commoner. She made a point out of inviting these young eligible continental European princesses to Denmark.
"It was just to show Frederik there were alternatives, there were other options, that there are these good-looking, fun-loving princesses around."
However, Frederik refused to adhere to his mother's wishes, and was not enticed by the European beauties.
The writer added: "Prince Frederik wasn't interested. By then he was very deeply in love with Mary and he didn't look at these girls that his mother invited for him.
"His mind was somewhere else and he left the parties. One of the princesses said to me, 'It was quite obvious to us he didn't have any interest in us'.
"But when Margrethe saw he really was determined to marry Mary, of course she supported him."
Frederik married Mary in May 2004.
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