Crown Princess Mary of Denmark turns 40

Denmark's Crown Princess Mary is photographed on Feb. 5, 2012, her 40th birthday.

/ Linda Henriksen

(CBS) Crown Princess Mary of Denmark celebrated her 40th birthday on Feb. 5, and the palace has released a new set of pictures to mark the milestone.

The Australian-born royal, who married Crown Prince Frederik in 2004, reportedly said she is embracing this "wonderful stage" in her life.

Pictures: Crown Princess Mary of Denmark
Pictures: Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary visit Australia

"I think it is nice to get older. I don't think about my physical age," she told the Danish newspaper Berlingske Tidende, according to Hello! magazine.

She added, "At 40 years old you simply know what life is about. I am happy to continue with my journey through time."

Frederik and Mary are parents to Prince Christian, 6, Princess Isabella, 4, and 1-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.

The Danish royal family recently celebrated another new addition - Princess Marie and Prince Joachim welcomed their second child, a daughter, on Jan. 24.

16 Photos

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark

[Estrid Aagesen]

What a miserable, jealous nag you are, princessroyal!
Why expose your stupidity and jealousy like that?

Mary is a beautiful woman and very loved by the Danes and admired all over the world. She has done a great job so far after 8 years and four children!

We Danes are wide awake, my dear - but maybe YOU should look in the mirror and find out why you are so full of venom!

[Princessroyal]

Danes need to wake up and see what a loser Mary is. Mary is a self obsessed camera ***** whose only talent is shopping. Your ignorance is stupidity.

[kjf1945]

The comment prior is most absurd and profoundly ignorant. Hvilken slags dummy ville gore sadan en bemerkning, at vide noget af tusinde ar gamle danske monarki, og ville forklejne den dybt perfekte rolle af Hendes Kongelige Hojhed, hun Kronprinsesse Mary, kerligheden har af den danske mennesker, Hendes Kongelige Hojhed og kronprins Frederik fire smukke born, det arbejde, hun udforer pa vegne af mangfoldige velgorende organisationer, hendes indsats i
representerer Danmark til verden, og hendes mest oplagte glamour og skonhed. Den Kronprinsessen vil en dag blive dronning til en konge.

[Princessroyal]

I Have no doubt your danish is wonderful. Too bad Mary has yet to learn master the language after ten years.

[Princessroyal]

She looks like she's 60. She' s also one of the most hated clown princesses.