The photographer who captured King Frederick’s infamous night out with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova has revealed how the scoop unfolded.
The Australian-born wife of the Danish king, Queen Mary, is enjoying a solo holiday in Australia, 12 months after rumors emerged that her husband was having an affair when he was pictured with Genoveva in Madrid.
Mary was spotted soaking up the sun in Sydney this week, taking a stroll with her 13-year-old daughter Josephine at Bronte Beach on Wednesday and enjoying a dip with friends at Balmoral Beach on Thursday.
Queen Mary’s final visit to Australia – also without her husband – came just weeks after the photos of Frederik and Mrs Casanova were published by the Spanish magazine Lecturas.
Now her 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 mend.
Genoveva and then-Crown Prince Frederik were photographed by Pepelu Dueñas as they walked through Madrid’s Buen Retiro Park. She has denied the claims of an affair, but the popular royal was not the photographer’s original target.
Speaking to Danish tabloid BT a year later, he revealed that he didn’t recognize Frederik at all – only the local celebrity he was with, Genoveva.
Mary was spotted soaking up the sun in Sydney this week, enjoying a dip with friends at Balmoral Beach on Thursday
Fans couldn’t help but notice that the queen wasn’t wearing a ring
The couple has been facing malicious rumors since October last year
Pepelu was picking up his son when he noticed the socialite and TV personality. He had just finished work, but had his camera gear with him, so he decided to take a few photos.
“She was accompanied by a man I hadn’t seen her with before,” he explained.
Facial recognition software revealed that the mystery man was in fact the future king of Denmark. This was confirmed when the photographer forwarded the photos to an agency, setting off Denmark’s biggest ever scandal.
Speaking to the team behind the Spanish TV documentary ‘Paparazzi’, he said he followed the friends back to Genoveva’s apartment, where they stayed for two hours.
As they holed up inside, he called for reinforcements. His friends and fellow paparazzos Jon Arrillaga and Ana Baraja quickly arrived on the scene.
The rumors all go 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 led to a private, screened table at the back of the exclusive restaurant.
He claims the friends emerged at 1am, got into the same car and went to the 47-year-old model’s apartment.
He explained that the 56-year-old royal was the first to get out of the car, but appeared to be walking down the street. His friend Genoveva then went to her apartment and opened the door.
At this point the photographer claims that Frederik turned and followed the model inside.
The couple appeared to shut each other out during their first public appearance after the photos were published in Madrid
Mary was seen without her wedding ring for the second time this week
The photographer and his friends had a stakeout and said that King Frederick, whose wife was on official business for the palace in New York, emerged the next morning.
Twenty minutes later he was picked up by a car, the photographer said.
Genoveva has since dismissed all affair rumors as malicious and untrue.
She claims she has many friends in common with the married royal and that she was just giving him a tour of the city.
The Danish palace called it a “private visit” but declined to comment further on the nature of the meeting.
Eagle-eyed fans noticed that Queen Mary wasn’t wearing her wedding ring while she spent time with her daughter on the beach.
Her secret trip to Australia comes after experts revealed the scandal in Madrid would continue for the rest of Frederick’s time as king.
‘It was a huge case, and in principle it will never be forgotten. It will lurk just beneath the surface for many years to come,” communications expert Anna Thygesen told BT.
“It doesn’t take much for it to flare up again.”