When people think of royals and podcasts, they probably think of Meghan Markle’s Archetypes – or Queen Camilla’s audiobook club, the Reading Room.
But now the medium is being joined by a new royal family, with Queen Mary of Denmark announcing the launch of a podcast about ‘loneliness’ among young people.
The 52-year-old wife of King Frederik posted on Instagram today a photo of herself listening to a podcast in black pants and a matching turtleneck sweater.
Wearing stylish glasses and headphones, the mother-of-four was seen engrossed in the podcast as she held her phone in her hands.
On a cream-colored sofa, next to a side table full of books, the Australian-born queen looked typically elegant, with her hair straight and left loose and her features flaunted with a touch of glamorous makeup.
The message, translated from Danish to English, read: ‘I’m super excited to listen to a podcast. I often listen when I have to go from one place to another.
‘Some days I feel like entertainment, other days I use it to gain knowledge and new input.
‘That is why I am proud that we have now committed ourselves to creating a podcast in the Mary Foundation.
Queen Mary of Denmark (pictured) announced today on Instagram that she will be launching a podcast about the issue of loneliness among young people
‘Our first podcast is called ‘Lonely Youth’ and provides in-depth insight into the nuances of loneliness through three short episodes by mixing expertise and personal stories of young people.
‘We know from the ‘Loneliness in Denmark’ study that 73 percent of 16 to 19 year olds experience loneliness, whether they are alone or with others. At the same time, 17 percent of 16-24 year olds feel very lonely.
‘These are serious figures that we have to do something about. A podcast is something we don’t have much experience with at the Mary Foundation, but I hope you listen and feel welcome.’
Born from Queen Mary’s desire to make society more inclusive and engage those on the margins, The Mary Foundation was established in 2007.
Mary “has always been particularly aware of the people who are not part of a group, people who feel lonely and cannot understand why they are excluded from the community,” the foundation’s official website says.
The Queen Mary Foundation was established thanks to a national donation of 1.1 million kroner, raised in Denmark and Greenland, in honor of the wedding of Mary and Frederik in 2004.
Mary is following in the footsteps of royals including the Duchess of Sussex, Queen Camilla and Princess Eugenie by launching a podcast.
Meghan Markle’s audio show Archetypes with Meghan, described as ‘a podcast where we explore, dissect and undermine the labels that try to hold women back’, first launched on Spotify in August 2022.
Born from her desire to make society more inclusive, Queen Mary, 52, launched The Mary Foundation in 2007.
Meghan Markle’s Archetypes podcast launched on March 5, 2024 on all streaming platforms
When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s lucrative deal with Spotify ended in 2023, Meghan signed a deal with Lemonada Media.
Previously only available on Spotify, Archetypes was released on March 5, 2024 on all platforms including Apple Podcasts, Audible and Spotify.
Meanwhile, Queen Camilla’s Reading Room podcast launched early this week and returned for a second season in mid-May.
Reading Room is an audio version of Her Majesty’s popular online book club, which has 172,000 followers on Instagram.
Her Majesty is known for her love of books and the launch of season two took place just weeks after the charity’s research into the benefits of reading.
Elsewhere, Princess Eugenie’s podcast Floodlight returned for a second season in September 2023, with former Prime Minister Theresa May among the first guests.
The podcast, which Eugenie presents together with best friend Julia de Boinville, is about modern slavery and how you can help end it.