Queen Mary has quietly ended her patronage with an Australian charity that she has backed for almost twenty years.
The royal no longer officially supports the Alannah & Madeline Foundation, which was founded in the memory of Alannah and Madeline Mikac, aged six and three, who lost their lives in the Port Arthur massacre, which occurred in Mary’s native Tasmania.
The girls were killed along with their mother Nanette as well as 32 others when Martin Bryant opened fire at the tourist spot on April 28, 1996, also wounding 23 others.
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One year later, their father Walter Mikac AM launched the foundation in his daughter’s memory, being “dedicated to keeping children and young people free from violence and trauma wherever they live, learn and play,” according to their website.
The charity announced the end of the patronage on social media, thanking the 52-year-old for her support.
”We want to take a moment to give our heartfelt thanks and gratitude to Her Majesty for her wonderful support, kindness and inspiration as our International Patron since 2005,” they wrote.
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“We wish her all the very best in her role as Queen of Denmark and know that she will continue to champion the safety and wellbeing of children and young people.”
Walter Mikac added in a statement, “We are incredibly grateful to Her Majesty Queen Mary, for her support since 2005 as our International Patron at the Foundation. Her dedication to the Alannah & Madeline Foundation during this time has been instrumental in raising awareness of our work and making a positive impact on the lives of children and young people.”
Mary first began supporting the charity in 2005 after accepting the position of International Patron, two years later implementing the charity’s Better Buddies program in Denmark to reducing bullying among school children.
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In 2008 she hosted a dinner at the NGV to generate support for eSmart, the charity’s program for safe and responsible technology use, which she launched in Sydney in 2013.
In 2022, she gave $50,000 to the charity in honour of her 50th birthday.
It comes as the Danish royals come under scrutiny for cutting down the amount of charities and community groups able to be supported by them at any given time.
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There has also been a time limitation placed upon them, with the charities having the royal’s support for five years before they must re-apply for the patronages. 118 groups have so far been cut from the official list of royal patronages, with 140 remaining.
“Through our royal patronages, we wish to support efforts which promote Danish culture, science and enterprise, protect our nature, and give a voice for the marginalised and vulnerable in our society,” a statement from Mary and her husband, King Frederik X, said.
“The time limitation means that there will be continuous opportunity for The Royal Family to take on new patronages as society develops.”
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