They just celebrated 20 years of marriage, but some eagle-eyed royal watchers are convinced it’s all “over” for Queen Mary and King Frederick of Denmark.
The couple’s relationship has been under the microscope since November, when Frederik was spotted on a night out with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova..
Since then, the popular royals have appeared “icy and uncomfortable” in each other’s company, fueling rumors that their marriage has cooled.
Mary and Frederik recently decided to work through their 20th anniversary, and a body language expert pointed out that there were clear signs of trouble in paradise.
They headed to Norway on their second royal tour and, as they “played the happy couple,” Australia’s leading “blended communications” expert Scott Taylor He was not entirely convinced by his performance.
Queen Mary and King Frederick’s body language continues to suggest the romance is over
It seems that Mary is also uncomfortable with Crown Princess Mette-Marit, as she often walks away during conversations. On the contrary, Fred gets along well with the common-born princess.
“There is no strong display of closeness, not even the natural physiological things that we would see in people who really like or are attracted to each other,” he told FEMAIL.
This echoed the statements of body language expert Dr Louise Mahler, who claims there are no signs of closeness between the couple.
Taylor also agreed with Dr. Mahler’s observation that Queen Mary often appears to “block” her husband.
“We have our main power zones (under the chin, navel and groin) and from the chest area which is called the ventral zone,” he explained.
The couple’s ‘acting’ has not fooled body language experts, who believe that Mary’s hands often ‘block’ Frederik
The same awkward gestures are not seen between King Frederick and the Norwegian princess
Crown Prince Haakon (left) and Queen Mary (right) looked tense as they watched the lively conversation between King Frederick and Crown Princess Mette-Marit unfold.
“When we have discomfort (nervousness, unpleasantness or even deceptive behavior), we tend to reduce people’s access to those areas,” he said.
This may look like bending over, placing your hands in your lap, playing with necklaces, or even holding an object in front of your body.
Taylor says this can be seen in recent photos from the couple’s visit to the Norwegian forest and in other photos taken of them over the past few weeks.
Leading Australian ‘blended communications’ expert Scott Taylor was unconvinced by their performance.
Mary’s feet also say it.
“They’re pointing toward the exit, indicating where they want to go,” Mr. Taylor observed.
King Frederick also appears uncomfortable, as evidenced by his “digital flexing.”
Mr Taylor explained: “We put our thumb closer to our hand when we have discomfort.”
However, King Frederick’s discomfort disappears when he is with Crown Princess Mette-Marit, says the expert, adding: “We rely on what we like.”
‘They show closeness in the train room. “King Frederik has a clear inclination towards her that is not seen in the videos with Queen Mary,” he said.
Queen Mary and King Frederick often turn away from each other and block each other with their hands.
The same cannot be said for Queen Mary, who “walks away” from the crown princess in the photos.
It also shows “lip compressions and some sunken chin”, which “potentially indicates discomfort” when King Frederick and the common-born princess converse.
Seemingly awkward body language between the Danish king and queen has become a regular feature of public commentary on their reign.
It’s a stark contrast to the playful, tactile interactions that once made them a “poster couple” of the “real-life fairy tale” before they ascended the throne.
Everything seemed to change between them last November, when photographs of the then Crown Prince and his friend Genoveva Casanova appeared in European tabloids.
But according to Danish historian Sebastian Olden-Jørgensen, the scandal matters little because people often speculate about the love lives of the rich and famous, and speculation does not equal reality.
This is especially true when it comes to royalty, who are known for following the public relations mantra “never complain, never explain,” an attitude that allows false rumors to flourish.
However, Queen Mary seems much more relaxed alone and confident with the crowd.
The royal expert says the monarchy is strong and the union between the Australian-born queen and her king is a success.
‘Mary has quickly, efficiently and professionally assumed the role of royalty. You would think she was chosen for it, she has done very well,” he told Danish outlet BT.
Marriage has also helped King Frederick accept his destiny as monarch, a job he once fiercely opposed as a young man.
However, Olden-Jørgensen says he still has work to do if he wants to become a great king.
“Sports and pop music are fine, but King Frederik needs a serious project,” he said.
“Queen Mary has it by virtue of her social commitment for almost 20 years, but I think King Frederick lacks it.”
The couple had been criticized for their apparent clumsiness in recent public engagements.
Speaking earlier to FEMAIL, Dr Mahler speculated that Queen Mary had “taken control” of the couple’s public image and their careers as King and Queen.
Mr Olden-Jørgensen apparently thinks the same, but added that it doesn’t matter because she is not the first queen to marry into the family and then take the reins.
He compared their “teamwork” to that of Frederick IX and Queen Ingrid.
“Queen Ingrid was very elegant and perhaps had a little more control over the whole thing than he did,” he said.
“She was formal, had an overview and a sense of the situation, while Frederik IX was down to earth and better at human interactions.”
