The photographer who captured King Frederick’s infamous night out with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova has revealed how the scoop unfolded.
Australian-born Queen Mary, wife of the Danish king, is enjoying a solo holiday in Australia 12 months after rumors exploded that her husband was having an affair when he was photographed with Genoveva in Madrid.
Mary was spotted sunbathing in Sydney this week, taking a walk on Brontë Beach with her daughter Josephine, 13, on Wednesday and enjoying a dip with friends at Balmoral Beach on Thursday.
Queen Mary’s last visit to Australia, also without her husband, came a few weeks after the Spanish magazine Lecturas published the photographs of Frederik and Casanova.
Now, his latest visit on the anniversary of what has been called the Danish monarchy’s biggest scandal has fueled rumors that the couple’s marriage has yet to recover.
Genoveva and the then crown prince Frederik were photographed by Pepelu Dueñas while they walked through the Buen Retiro park in Madrid. She has denied accusations of an affair, but the popular royal was not the photographer’s initial target.
In fact, speaking to Danish tabloid BT a year later, she revealed that she didn’t recognize Frederik at all, only the local celebrity he was with, Genoveva.
Mary was seen sunbathing in Sydney this week and enjoying a dip with friends at Balmoral Beach on Thursday.
Fans couldn’t help but notice that the queen was not wearing a ring.
The couple has faced malicious rumors since October last year.
Pepelu was picking up his son when he noticed the socialite and television personality. He had just finished work but had his photography equipment, so he decided to take some pictures.
“She was accompanied by a man I had never seen her with before,” he explained.
Facial recognition software revealed that the mystery man was actually the future king of Denmark. This was confirmed once the photographer sent the photos to an agency, sparking the start of the biggest scandal ever seen in Denmark.
Speaking to the team behind the Spanish television documentary ‘Paparazzi’, he said he had followed the friends to Genoveva’s apartment, where they stayed for two hours.
While they were hiding inside, he called for reinforcements. His friends and fellow paparazzo Jon Arrillaga and Ana Baraja quickly appeared on the scene.
All the rumors date back to his night out in Madrid with Genoveva Casanova
The photographers followed the friends to the Corral de la Morería restaurant.
Pepelu said the friends were shown to a private, screened table in the back of the upscale restaurant.
He claims that the friends left at one in the morning, got into the same car and went up to the 47-year-old model’s apartment.
He explained that the royal, 56, was the first to get out of the car, but appeared to be walking down the street. Her friend Genoveva then went to her apartment and opened the door.
At that point, the photographer claims Frederik turned around and followed the model inside.
The couple seemed to be blocked in their first public appearance after the publication of the Madrid photos
Maria was seen without her wedding ring for the second time this week
The photographer and his friends kept watch and said that King Frederik, whose wife was on official Palace business in New York, left the next morning.
Twenty minutes later a car picked him up, the photographer said.
Genoveva has since criticized any affair rumors as malicious and false.
She claims that she has many friends in common with the married king and was simply giving him a tour of the city.
The Danish Palace called it a “private visit” but otherwise declined to discuss the nature of the meeting.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Queen Mary was not wearing her wedding ring while spending time with her daughter on the beach.
His secret trip to Australia comes after insiders revealed the Madrid scandal would last the rest of Frederik’s time as King.
‘It was a huge case and, in principle, we will never forget it either. It will remain lurking beneath the surface for many years,” communications expert Anna Thygesen told BT.
“It doesn’t take much for it to flare up again.”