Royals turn out for Opera House 40th

LIKE many Australians, Crown Princess Mary has a fond appreciation for the Sydney Opera House.

The Tasmanian-born Danish Royal even conceded before a crowd of 5000 on Sunday it was one of two things she knew about Denmark before her marriage to Crown Prince Frederik.

Mary told the crowd that turned out for the Sydney Opera House's 40th anniversary about a journalist who asked her what she knew about her new home country before she got engaged to Frederik 10 years ago.

"I replied Hans Christian Andersen and that the Sydney Opera House was designed by a Dane," she said.

"And today we are celebrating the masterpiece of timeless beauty and simplicity designed by that Dane architect Jorn Utzon."

The eager crowd at the Opera House forecourt strained to get a glimpse of Mary and Frederik as they arrived at the celebrations on Sunday night.

In a knee-length white coat and embellished cream and gold dress, Mary told the crowd the Opera House was a symbol of national pride for both Australia and Denmark.

"The Sydney Opera House has the ability to move us, not only with its visual magnificence but also what it holds inside and what it was built for - the arts," she said.

Among the contingent of dignitaries seated near the Royal couple were NSW Governor Marie Bashir, Premier Barry O'Farrell and Jan Utzon.

Opera House chief executive officer Louise Herron said it was an honour to have the royal couple in attendance.

She said it symbolised the enduring links between Australia and Denmark.

While many concert goers would have purchased their tickets before the Danish Royals were revealed as VIP guests, attendees viewed it as an added bonus.

Wollongong mother Tanya Cross said the princess's attendance was the drawcard for her daughters.

"I was telling them about the singers coming but they didn't really care about that," she said.

Daughter Ella, 10, said she was excited the princess was visiting Australia.

"I have only seen her on TV but now I get to see her for real," she told AAP.

The royals were entertained by some of Australia's best musicians, including Megan Washington, John Butler and Sarah Blasko, and internationally renowned director Baz Luhrmann.

The spectacular backdrop of the Sydney Harbour, Opera House and Circular Quay was a striking contrast to the fire-ravaged scenes the royal couple faced earlier on Sunday.

About 200 fans and curious locals gathered at Winmalee's Rural Fire Service station on Sunday to catch a glimpse of the home-grown princess.

The prince, dressed in leather boots and cargo pants, took a back seat as his wife - who at one point had to wave over a minder to relieve her of an armful of bouquets - did the rounds.

Six-year-old Jessica told AAP she'd been practising her curtsy at ballet class, and when the princess came around, she handed over a bunch of pink roses.

"She wanted to cut them out of the garden but there's not many flowers there at the moment," father Peter Berechree said.

"She would've found a few things with petals falling off them and bits and pieces.

"It would've been colourful. But we thought it was a bit more appropriate to go and get something that was a bit more wrapped."

The family is building a house on Singles Ridge Road, a Winmalee street that was devastated in the fires.

"We were very lucky, we didn't get touched but our neighbours did lose part of their property," Mr Berechree said.

Mary thanked volunteer firefighters and took a tour of the station before setting out for nearby Buena Vista Road, where some 40 homes were destroyed by fire.

Mary and Frederik are in Sydney as patrons of the Opera House's 40th anniversary.

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