Greg Ansley: Australia goes gaga over princess

CANBERRA - In this hard red land, where reporters usually eat iron nails and royals for breakfast, an unusual affliction is following the homecoming tour of Mary, nee Donaldson, Crown Princess of Denmark and local girl made good.

While poor Prince Charlie drew chortles and sneers and was pictured in Outback dunnies, the former Tasmanian advertising executive has left a trail of foreheads scalped by excessive forelock-tugging and a literary cupboard stripped bare of cliches and superlatives.

So much for republicanism. Give a girl a tiara and she's the "Aussie Crown Jewel", "Majestic Mary", "Mary Queen of Hearts", and "Mary Belle of the Ball".

Pass her through a charity ball, a hospital or two and a crowd of kids, and she's "The People's Princess", and "Denmark's Diana".

We know that she attended the same Sydney charity ball as did the late Diana in 1996, and danced in the same ballroom as Diana and Charles during happier times in 1988.

We know what she wore, in minute detail, every day.

At one Sydney function, the Canberra Times reported, "her dark brown hair was swept up into an elaborate bun, highlighting a pair of diamond earrings. She was carrying a small silver jewelled handbag."

At another, the Sun-Herald observed her "sipping Dom Perignon and nibbling Iranian caviar ... [wearing] a bias-cut, silk-satin, sleeveless, coral-waisted gown and an elaborate necklace, her hair looking casually and elegantly windswept".

"She's ubernatural," gushed the Canberra Times, which embraced yesterday's edition in a four-page wraparound of the first day of her visit to the capital. "Better than relaxed and gracious with a crowd ... utterly adorable."

Reuters breathlessly reported that "Parliament House was abuzz ... as staff deserted their offices to catch a glimpse of Mary".

The Australian Women's Weekly, no slouch at finding virtue in royalty, especially royalty transported from Tasmania, noted that "her natural elegance and eye for fashion has earmarked Denmark's new royal as one of the world's most glamorous princesses".

Not to be outdone, Woman's Day reported: "The head-turning Princess looked more beautiful than ever. You could hear the gasps of approval as she passed admiring guests."

Nor was this just beauty. There was heart as well.

"Princess Mary's enchanted journey in Sydney continued ... with a storybook reading to sick children," reported the Sun-Herald, pointing to a special 12-page souvenir lift out.

"Showing no signs of fatigue [Mary] went next to the cardiac ward where 5-year-old Daniel Martin from Ballina pretended to shoot her with a Spiderman web. The Princess was astonished to hear the bouncing boy had had surgery on his heart the day before."

New Idea was similarly impressed during a visit to a Red Cross refuge: "Eagerly ditching palace protocol, her royal highness spent an emotional hour ... dining on cupcakes, nursing babies, chatting and finger-painting and offering a genuinely supportive ear to those residents willing to share their stories."

In the streets, other reports noted, Mary wowed a new collection of ordinary suburban mums, dads and babies in strollers, taking charge in her own country and showing Crown Prince Frederick a thing or two about how to charm an Australian crowd.

Frederick, observed the Australian, was "often left to loiter, dutifully behind his wife while she greeted the crowds fascinated by her transformation from working girl to royalty."

"There's no questioning who Australia's favourite royals are," added Sydney's Daily Telegraph.

"Excited groups began chanting 'Mary, Mary' a quarter of an hour before she arrived.

"She's just gorgeous ... she's an Australian girl who has done well,' said onlooker Kate Corbett. 'It's every Aussie girl's dream to become a princess'."

Eat your heart out, Australian Republican Movement.