The 'sneaky' package sent to Queen Mary that began her unofficial relationship with Australian designer

But with a world of options at their disposal and protocol to adhere to when carrying out official duties, royals are very selective about who and what they wear.

If a brand doesn't already have an 'in' amongst the royal household, being chosen can be a game of pure luck – and for many, it can be lifechanging.

Queen Mary of Denmark has worn Australian-made hats by Deborah Hutton's Canopy Bay many times.

One woman who has managed to break into the highly coveted world to become a firm favourite of Denmark's Queen Mary is Deborah Hutton.

Hutton admits to taking the "sneaky route" when first approaching the Tasmanian-born royal to wear one of her Australian-made hats several years ago.

It was a move that paid off and has since led to a lasting, unofficial working relationship.

A Danish business associate of Hutton's was visiting family in Copenhagen and dropped off a package for Mary, who was Crown Princess at the time.

The parcel, left at the Australian embassy, contained a number of Canopy Bay hats and a handwritten note from Hutton addressed to Mary.

"You have no idea whether [the parcel] is going to be accepted and all of a sudden there's a photograph in the media and she's wearing the hat and you go, 'Okay, clearly she got it and she loved it," Hutton tells nine.com.au

"We had this little sneaky route [in] and you just keep your fingers crossed."

Hutton doesn't remember exactly what her note to Mary said but her designs resonated with the royal, who has gone on to wear four of the brand's hats since 2022.

In July 2024, the Queen wore the 'Malibu' design when she and King Frederik arrived at Graasten for their summer holiday.

The first – the 'Peta' – was worn during Queen Mary's visit to Bangladesh where the focus was on climate change and sustainability, two areas she has focused on through her royal work.

Another design – the Malibu – was seen on the queen when she and King Frederik took up residence at Graasten Palace just months after the proclamation.

Last year, the queen wore two other designs – the Barrington and Windsor – during her and King Frederik's summer cruise through Denmark.

"I'm completely chuffed and I love that she's embraced them," Hutton says.

"It's one of the things that I'm just so grateful for but I love that she's done it with such authenticity.

"I've never met her. We've never exchanged hellos or anything like that. It's not like we have a history."

But her connection with Mary goes further than aesthetics. Hutton does have a shared interest with the Danish queen: they are both advocates for skin cancer prevention.

Queen Mary's own experiences of the Australian sun lead to her being the long-time patron of the Danish Cancer Society's Sunsmart campaign.

During a visit to Australia in 2011, Mary attended an event in support of the Victorian Cancer Council and later spoke about the need for constant protection at an international skin cancer prevention conference.

"Like most people from Australia, I have 'respect' for the sun and when I first came to Denmark, I was quite surprised to discover a very different attitude to the sun," Mary said.

Hutton, who has worked in fashion, television and the media throughout her stellar career, turned her attention to designing hats after being diagnosed with skin cancer in 2016 and again in 2020.

Deborah Hutton started Canopy Bay after being diagnosed with skin cancer twice.

Photos of her scarred face, taken after the removal of a skin cancer, went viral and led to Hutton being a leading voice on the need for greater awareness and the need for protection all year round.

Canopy Bay was born during coronavirus lockdowns and the products are UPF50+ rated, meaning they provide ample protection from the sun's harsh rays.

The hats are crafted from Australian-made pioneering Flexibraid technology, aimed at travellers and those who want to squish their hats into their bags without compromising the shape.

The features appealed to Queen Mary, Hutton believes.

Queen Mary has long been an advocate for better sun protection, inspired by her time in Australia.

"I'm sure she's inundated with all sorts of fashion elements and requests," Hutton says.

"I don't know what the protocols are but I love the fact that, without any being too pushy, she spotted something in Canopy Bay – being Australian made, with the UPF50+ protection and also the Flexibraid element, which is why they travel so well."

Like so many Australians, Hutton is an admirer of Mary and has closely watched her journey from commoner to queen.

The Danish queen frequently wears Australian-made and Australian-designed fashion.

"Queen Mary is so well embraced, we love her in this country because she's all class, she's held herself so well and we still call her an Aussie.

"She's just got that essence where she knows what works for her – everything always looks so elegant without being overdone.

"The life that she's taken on, that she's chosen to take, has been done with such grace. It's lovely to be a part of that in a very small way."

Queen Mary wore an Akubra hat for her first engagement in Australia this year, in March.

"Disappointingly, she wasn't wearing one of mine in Uluru," Hutton laughs.

Hutton now has her sights set on another very stylish royal rumoured to be visiting Australia soon: the Princess of Wales.

"The last time I saw her wear a hat was quite controversial because she was at Wimbledon," Hutton says.

According to the tournament's strict etiquette guide, "ladies are asked not to wear hats, as they tend to obscure the vision of those seated behind them".

The Princess of Wales wore a large wide-brimmed LK Bennett hat in 2022 and again in 2025 to the men's final. Then, the princess was seen using a fan to battle the heatwave that was gripping London at the time.

Nicole Kidman was photographed nearby wearing a Brunello Cucinelli straw fedora, offering far better sun protection than Catherine's choice.

The Princess of Wales ignored Wimbledon's hat guidelines to wear this wide-brimmed LK Bennett hat in 2022 and again in 2025.

"You could see all the sun coming through the hat," Hutton says.

"It was doing nothing for sun protection."

Catherine's hat, which cost $150, quickly sold out multiple times but the brand has since collapsed, despite its royal client.

Hutton is hoping the Princess of Wales might choose one of her hats when she and Prince William eventually make the long journey to Australia.

"We need to send her a Canopy Bay hat," Hutton laughs.

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