Crown Princess Mary shared a heartfelt message as she reflected on the past year, saying: "The transition to the new year is always an opportunity to pause and appreciate everything that has happened during the year."
The royal mum-of-four penned a post for Mary Fonden – the foundation she set up in 2007 to improve the lives of vulnerable women and children.
"Time is a peculiar thing," Mary wrote. "The more years you have covered, the faster the next year seems to pass by. At the same time, you become more and more aware of how precious every moment - and every year - is."
The Crown Princess shared some highlights for her foundation, including the launch of its program Lift at the beginning of the year, which aims to tackle loneliness among young people.
Another new initiative was Sammen Uden Vold (Together Without Violence) which aims to detect domestic violence in families with young children and offer them help.
Mary signed off her message with an emphasis on togetherness, writing: "Now Christmas is at the door. At the Mary Foundation, we will soon close 2023 and go on Christmas break with gratitude for all that we humans can do when we do it together. We need each other if we want to succeed.
"And this does not only apply to working life and to those of us who work to combat social isolation. It applies to all of us. People need people. With the warmest wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."
Australian-born Mary is currently visiting family Down Under, having travelled there earlier this month with her youngest children, 12-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
Mary's husband and Denmark's heir, Crown Prince Frederik, and the couple's eldest daughter, Princess Isabella, 16, joined them in Australia this week.
© EPA-EFE/ShutterstockFrederik and Mary's eldest child, Prince Christian, 18, has remained in Denmark for educational reasons, but the family are set to return ahead of Christmas.
The family-of-five will join Queen Margrethe at Marselisborg Palace in Aarhus for the festive break.
Frederik's brother, Prince Joachim, and his wife, Princess Marie, will fly to Denmark from Washington DC in the US. They will be joined by their children, Count Henrik and Countess Athena.
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