In a world full of celebrity diets, Mary's like a breath of fresh air, looking fabulous by just using her common sense.

Even during, and following, her two pregnancies, Tasmanian-born Mary managed to stay svelte. It was mostly down to her healthy and active lifestyle but also because she refused to deny herself the occasional treat. She struck a healthy balance in her diet and her workout and has continued it ever since.

'She's refreshingly practical and believes that a bowl of ice-cream is well worth the exercise to work it off,' one of Mary's friends reveals. 'In fact she makes a mockery of all the fad diets we read about.'

The 36-year-old princess stands at 170cm, which puts her at an obvious advantage, plus she's always enjoyed the outdoors. And Mary delights in athletic activities, particularly horse riding - she's known to be an excellent horsewoman.

And as mum to Christian, two, and Isabella, one, she is constantly active. She also supplements this with long walks with the family's dogs, as well as bike riding.

But it is her diet that marks her out as a champion for the normal woman. Mary cuts down on red meat, but enjoys the odd steak. She thinks a nice big breakfast is the way to start the day and loves the goodness of having fish meals regularly.

Mary does keep an eye on the kilojoules but wouldn't turn down a delicious slice of gateau. And while she takes care not to overindulge, she thinks a nice glass of red wine is totally acceptable occasionally.

'She does what's right for her,' the close friend admits. 'A balanced, healthy diet with plenty of exercise.'

Mary's typical daily diet:

Breakfast - To start the day, Mary enjoys muesli or porridge, plus her favourite fresh fruits, kiwi and melon. She normally has herbal tea but some days has fresh coffee with skim milk. 

Lunch - She loves oily fish and attributes her lovely skin to omega oils. Mary's lunch consists of Danish bread, oily fish and green salad. She also enjoys organic chicken
with vegies, and finishes with apricots and occasionally a biscuit. 

Dinner - Mary and Frederik love a meal of local organic beef or lamb with mashed or baked potato, plus green vegies. Dessert is a treat of ice-cream, trifle or a tart. 

Snacks - The princess likes to stay hydrated by drinking herbal tea and mineral water during the day. She snacks on fresh fruit, mostly apples, but also loves almonds and brazil nuts. Mary admits she is constantly tempted by - and gives in to - dark chocolate.