They are just four weeks away from their 20th wedding anniversary, but Queen Mary and King Frederick of Denmark have been plagued by rumors of marital strife in recent months.
In November 2023, photographs of Crown Prince Federico enjoying an evening with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casnova caused a stir in Denmark.
In the photos, the royal and the billionaire Duchess of Alba’s former daughter-in-law are seen walking through Madrid before heading to her apartment building, changing clothes and heading out again for the night.
The publication of the photos caused Genoveva, 47, to issue a statement denying any type of romantic relationship between her and royalty and criticizing the “malicious” rumors.
In recent weeks, Queen Mary has fueled rumors by completing a series of solo royal engagements without her husband.
Pictured: King Frederick and Queen Mary of Denmark greet royal fans on the day of their ascension in January.
Queen Mary of Denmark and Major General Jens Henning Garly, Chief of the National Guard, inspect the parade at the ceremony commemorating the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the National Guard on April 3.
On April 3, the mother of four attended the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the National Guard at the Freedom Museum in Copenhagen.
The Queen, who wore an elegant navy blue coat and matching hat, serves as an honorary major in the Danish national guard, while her husband previously served in his country’s navy and air force.
During the engagement, Mary was accompanied by Major General Jens Henning Garly, head of the National Guard, to inspect the ceremony parade.
Four days later, Queen Mary completed another solo engagement when she attended the opening of a deer park in Naerum.
King Frederik was notably absent from the engagement, which saw Mary unveil her husband’s monogram on one of her red doors before releasing two deer into the park.
On April 9, Queen Mary again left without her husband to attend a charity conference in Copenhagen.
The royal attended the 20th anniversary celebration of The Specialists, an organization that helps autistic and neurodivergent people enter the world of work, at the National Museum of Denmark.
For the occasion, Queen Mary cut a glamorous figure in a vibrant blue suit and black high heels.
Queen Mary completed another solo engagement when she attended the opening of a deer park in Naerum on 7 April.
On April 9, Queen Mary again left without her husband to attend a charity conference in Copenhagen.
While King Frederick received the ambassadors of the Republic of Guinea, Armenia and Slovakia at the Palace on Friday, Mary met with representatives of the Danish Mental Health Fund.
The royal opted for her signature blow-dried gold dangle earrings.
King Frederick and Queen Mary’s agendas appeared to overlap slightly last week when they received different guests at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.
On Friday, the Danish Royal Family’s official Instagram account shared two posts detailing Frederik and Mary’s separate engagements.
While King Frederick received the ambassadors of the Republic of Guinea, Armenia and Slovakia at the Palace, Mary met with representatives of the Danish Mental Health Fund.
Mary captioned the post: ‘I first heard about your partnership at the “A World Class Child and Adolescent Psychiatry” conference in November, where I also had the opportunity to speak to some of the talented professionals in the field.
Queen Mary and King Frederick appeared cold towards each other during a recent trip to Switzerland.
King Frederick received the ambassadors of the Republic of Guinea, Armenia and Slovakia at the Palace on Friday, while Mary met separately.
Genoveva’s decision follows “malicious” rumors about her friendship with then-crown prince Frederik following their night out together (pictured) in Madrid in November.
“I look forward to continuing work on one of the great challenges of our time.”
The same day, photographs emerged from the couple’s ski trip to Switzerland, which did little to quell rumors of difficulties between the couple.
The couple, who assumed the Danish throne in January, appeared very cold during a trip in March to Verbier, an exclusive ski resort in Switzerland.
Mary, 52, seemed impatient with Frederik, 55, as she turned her back on him as they prepared to hit the slopes.
The photos show Mary, who was the epitome of ski chic in a Moncler wool and cashmere jacquard turtleneck, looking away from her husband as he stood defiantly with his hands on his hips.
The couple were joined by their four children, Crown Prince Christian, 18, Princess Elizabeth, 16, and 13-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
The couple met at Sydney’s Slip Inn pub in 2000, when the then-32-year-old royal traveled to Australia to support Denmark’s sailing team at the Olympic Games.
In his memoir The King’s Word, Frederik revealed that his wife, whom he describes as a “woman of the times,” is not afraid to challenge him.
He explained: ‘As I mentioned earlier, my father was very patriarchal and tried to pass that pattern on to his two sons.
“Here, however, I have learned a lot by having a wife who, from time to time, reminds me that, of course, I am not always right and that my words are not automatically believed, just because I am the man of the house. .’
Crown Prince Frederik and his then-fiancee Mary Donaldson were seen walking in a park in Australia three months before their wedding in 2004.
King Frederick and Queen Mary photographed on their wedding day in Copenhagen in May 2004, four years after they met.
Frederik said Mary is his “sidekick and wingman” with whom he has a “super dynamic.”
Seeming to put to rest rumors of infidelity, Frederik says he and Mary have reached a “stable point” in their lives together.
He said: “I love marriage, my wife, our children and the whole happy foundation that arises for people who manage to stay together and persevere.”
Elaborating on their roles as King and Queen, Frederik admitted that they will “approach a lot of things differently” than their mother.
And he added: “María and I are children of our time.”