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 problems in recent months.
In November 2023, photos of Crown Prince Frederick enjoying a night out with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casnova sent shockwaves through Denmark.
In the photos, the royal family and the billionaire’s former daughter-in-law, the Duchess of Alba, were seen walking through Madrid before heading to her apartment complex, changing and heading out for the evening.
The publication of the photos resulted in Genoveva, 47, issuing a statement denying any romantic relationship between herself and the royal family and decrying the “malicious” rumors.
In recent weeks, Queen Mary has fueled the rumor mill by completing a series of solo royal engagements without her husband.
Pictured: King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark wave to royal fans on the day of their ascension in January
Queen Mary of Denmark and Major General Jens Henning Garly, head of the Home Guard, inspect the parade before the ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Home Guard on April 3
On April 3, the mother of four attended the 75th anniversary of the founding of the Home Guard at the Freedom Museum in Copenhagen.
The Queen – who was dressed in a chic navy blue coat dress and matching hat – serves as an honorary major in the Danish House Guard, while her husband has 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 Home Guard, to inspect the parade before the ceremony.
Four days later, Queen Mary completed another solo engagement when she attended the opening of a deer park at Naerum.
King Frederick was conspicuously absent from the engagement, with Mary unveiling her husband’s monogram on one of their red gates before releasing two deer into the park.
On April 9, Queen Mary stepped out again without her husband for a charity conference in Copenhagen.
The royal family attended the 20th anniversary celebration of The Specialists, an organization that helps people with autism and neurodivergia enter the workforce, 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 at Naerum on April 7
On April 9, Queen Mary stepped out again without her husband for a charity conference in Copenhagen
As King Frederick welcomed ambassadors from the Republic of Guinea, Armenia and Slovakia to the palace on Friday, Mary met with representatives of the Danish Mental Health Fund
The royal opted for her signature bouncy castle and gold dangling earrings.
King Frederik and Queen Mary’s schedules appeared to overlap slightly last week as they welcomed several guests to 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 welcomed ambassadors from the Republic of Guinea, Armenia and Slovakia to the palace, Mary met with representatives of the Danish Mental Health Fund.
Mary captioned the post: ‘I first heard about their partnership at the ‘A World Class Child and Adolescent Psychiatry’ conference in November, where I also had the opportunity to talk to some of the talented professionals in the field.
Queen Mary and King Frederick appeared icy towards each other during a recent trip to Switzerland
King Frederick welcomed ambassadors from the Republic of Guinea, Armenia and Slovakia to the palace on Friday, while Mary attended a separate meeting
Genoveva’s move follows ‘malicious’ rumors about her friendship with then Crown Prince Frederik after their night out together (pictured) in Madrid in November
“I look forward to following the work on one of the great challenges of our time.”
On the same day, photos emerged of the couple’s ski trip to Switzerland, which did little to quell rumors of trouble between the couple.
The couple, who took over the Danish throne in January, appeared very frosty towards each other during a March trip 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.
Pictures showed Mary, who was the epitome of ski chic in a jacquard wool and cashmere blend turtleneck from Moncler, looking away from her husband – as he stood defiantly with his hands on his hips.
The couple was accompanied by their four children: Crown Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 16, and 13-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
The couple met at the Slip Inn pub in Sydney in 2000 when the royal, then 32, traveled to Australia to support the Danish sailing team at the Olympics.
In his memoir The King’s Word, Frederik revealed that his wife – whom he describes as a ‘woman of our times’ – is not afraid to challenge him.
He explained, “As previously mentioned, my father was very patriarchal and he tried to pass that pattern on to his two sons.
‘Here, however, I have learned a lot from having a wife who occasionally 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 fiancée Mary Donaldson were seen walking through a park in Australia three months before their wedding in 2004
King Frederik and Queen Mary pictured on their wedding day in Copenhagen in May 2004 – four years after they met
Frederik said Mary is his ‘partner and wingwoman’ with whom he has a ‘super dynamic’.
Frederik appears to play down the rumors of infidelity, saying he and Mary have reached a “stable point” in their lives together.
He said: ‘I love marriage, my wife, our children and the very happy foundation that is created for the people who manage to stay together and persevere.’
While delving into their roles as King and Queen, Frederik admitted that they will “approach a lot of things differently” than his mother.
He added, “Mary and I are children of our time.”