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Queen Margrethe II’s announcement on New Year’s Eve that she would abdicate the Danish throne sparked wild speculation that the royal family was acting to salvage the marriage of her eldest son, Crown Prince Frederik.
Indeed, this was a decision that few people had foreseen. Witness the amazing reactions put together during X’s round. It basically consists of a bunch of people yelling “Nej!” can’t believe it.
Many Danes believe that the highly popular and trusted 83-year-old Margrethe made the decision to end her 52-year reign for precisely the reasons she herself stated in her speech. , she said, “Now is the right time.” She recently underwent major surgery on her back, but some admit the fresh start was a rare and risky moment for the popular Danish royal family.
For example, one Danish aristocrat who is acquainted with the royal family told the Daily Beast: So it was a really big surprise when she announced her resignation, and it would be hard for anyone not to connect it to recent issues. ”
The “latest issues” are, of course, referring to rumors of an extramarital affair with her son Frederick, who ascends the throne in a modest ceremony on January 14th.
Mr. Frederick is accused of having an affair with his wife, Princess Mary, a middle-class Australian-born former advertising executive whom he met in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics and married in 2004.
The couple are parents to four children, including Prince Christian, who recently turned 18 and is expected to succeed his father as king. Their marriage has long served as an unwavering example of Danish family values, but as The Daily Beast reported in November, Frederick married socialite and philanthropist Genoveva. Things changed dramatically following the marriage of the Spaniard, who became the subject of gossip about his alleged affair with Casanova.Publication lecture Frederic and Casanova went out to Madrid, had dinner, and shared a photo of them watching flamenco.
Mr Casanova “categorically” denied the rumors, and although the Danish royal family did not comment, his campaign has made it clear that they maintain the story is false.
That might be true, if it weren’t for the fact that Mary has posted some unusually vague Instagrams since then. In one of them she said: “Sorry for not posting anything this month, I just wanted to spend time on myself and other things. I have decided to only post the most important events of November. [sic] All happenings in December. ”
In another message posted just before Christmas, she wrote: We will soon be wrapping up her 2023 year and heading into the Christmas holidays grateful for all that we humans can do together. We need each other to succeed. ”
She was also photographed tearful during a family trip to Australia and New Zealand in December, with Frederic firmly by her side throughout the trip, clearly conveying their solidarity. The same message was sent to her when she entered Aarhus Cathedral for the Christmas Eve service.
For most Danes, who are generally fervently patriotic and monarchist, there is an instinct to defend Queen Margrethe. Her legendary friendliness and lack of dignity are perhaps best reflected in her former habit of cycling around Copenhagen, which earned her family the nickname It came to be called. Bicycle monarchy. ”
A teacher, a typical citizen, told The Daily Beast on condition of anonymity that he was simply “stepping down while he is well enough to help take over” and “has something to give.” He said it was. [Frederik] Contrary to King Charles’s perception, he won the crown while he was still young enough to be useful. ”
Regarding her son’s alleged affair, the teacher said: No one cares either way. ”
Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark during their visit to the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, November 7, 2023.
Ritzau Scanpix/Ida Marie Odgaard via Reuters
While this may be true among patriotic Danes, in more global forums it can be difficult to dispel suspicions that Margrethe was trying to “save” Princess Mary and Frederik’s marriage. It’s clear.
For example, one Danish expatriate told The Daily Beast: But its sudden nature is definitely a little strange. ”
British royal journalist Phil Dampier said: daily mail: “I think Margrethe was worried that their marriage wasn’t working out and had to take action.” The Queen has always said that Mary is a great addition to the royal family and that she might leave if she were to leave. She thought it would be a disaster if she didn’t. She hopes Frederick and Mary will make up their differences and work together as the new King and Queen.”
The bottom line is that even as we enter 2024, the Danish royal family remains an enviable symbol of Danish national identity and continuity, and even if there was discord at the heart of the family, it was skillfully resolved. It seems that there is. Frederic may never be loved in the same way as his mother, but fulfilling his challenge of becoming king at the age of 55 will be a testament to the people’s support for the Danish monarchy that his mother received. This will help maintain strong support. He was skillfully brought up.