Queen Mary of Denmark’s father, Hobart-based mathematics professor John Dalgleish Donaldson, has died at the age of 84.
The Danish Royal House announced his death on Sunday, saying the Scottish-born academic had passed away in Hobart, where he had lived for most of his life.
“My heart is heavy and my thoughts are grey. My beloved father has passed away,” Queen Mary said in a statement..
“But I know that when the grief settles, the memories will brighten my day, and what will remain strongest is love and gratitude for everything he gave me and taught me.”
The royal household said Professor Donaldson’s health had been declining for several years.
The Queen last visited her father at the end of March, where the palace said the pair “shared precious time together”.
Donaldson was born in the fishing village of Cockenzie and Port Seton, Scotland, on September 5, 1941.
He graduated with honours in mathematics and physics from the University of Edinburgh in 1963.
He emigrated to Tasmania later that year and went on to complete a PhD in applied mathematics at the University of Tasmania in 1967.
His youngest daughter, Mary Elizabeth Donaldson, met Crown Prince Frederik at a Sydney pub during the 2000 Olympics.
The couple married in 2004 and Donaldson was appointed to the Order of the Dannebrog.
His first wife Henrietta died in 1997. He later married British crime novelist Susan Horwood in 2001.
The royal family said a private memorial service would be held at a later date.
Messages of condolence can be sent via Kongehuset.dk.
