Rumors of affairs will haunt King Frederick of Denmark for the rest of his life, experts claim, as the royal family braces for the one-year anniversary of the ‘Madrid scandal’.
In November 2023, the then-Crown Prince, 56, was spotted on a night out in Madrid, Spain with glamorous Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova, 47.
The palace called it a “private visit” but declined to comment further on the nature of the now infamous incident. Meanwhile, his wife, Mary, was more than 3,000 miles away on official royal business in New York.
Now royal experts have claimed there will always be damaging remnants of the story that put the spotlight on King Frederick and 52-year-old Queen Mary’s ‘fairytale’ relationship.
‘It was a huge case, and in principle it will never be forgotten. It will lurk just below the surface for many years to come,” communications expert Anna Thygesen told Danish tabloid BT.
“It doesn’t take much for it to flare up again.”
Historian Lars Hovbakke agreed, explaining that the only way to kill the story was to be open about what happened that night in Madrid.
“But the Royal House have been clear from the start that it was a private matter about which they are under no obligation to inform, and they are not visibly changing their position,” he said.
Queen Mary and King Frederik will forever have to deal with rumors after his night out in Madrid, experts claim
King Frederik spent time with girlfriend Genoveva Casanova (pictured) in Madrid last November, sparking rumors of an affair that she had vehemently denied
Both experts added that the first year after a scandal is often the hardest and that it should become easier for the royal couple.
But any misstep by King Frederick could remind people of the affair and bring the conversation back to the surface.
Or the ‘unthinkable’ could happen and Genoveva Casanova could tell her side – despite previously labeling the affair rumors as hurtful and wrong.
The rumor mill was set on fire after Lecturas magazine published the photos in mid-November last year.
The photos showed the friends exploring Madrid. They also showed the then-Crown Prince disappearing into Genoveva’s apartment before reappearing some time later in different clothes.
The friends then went to dinner and didn’t get out of the restaurant until 1am.
From there, everything the royal couple did was put under a microscope.
The next time Frederick and Mary appeared in public, something was different.
Queen Mary, who was then the Crown Princess, looked furious in the first public outing after rumors of the affair were published
The couple known for their playful, tactile displays of affection seemed to “shut each other out.” Onlookers also noticed a ‘chill’ between them.
Mary seemed angry with her husband, and the hand-holding all but ceased.
Then the Australian-born royal was spotted holidaying in Sydney without her husband. Instead, she was photographed with her two youngest children, Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, both 13.
This led to divorce rumors with thousands of fans outraged by Frederik’s alleged behavior and treatment of his wife, the mother of his four children.
Since then, the rumors have been circulating, growing stronger with each ‘icy’ appearance of the couple
As the rumors continued to boil over, Queen Margrethe abdicated from the throne, making way for the new controversial couple to become King and Queen of Denmark.
People wondered whether the aging monarch had stepped down in a desperate bid to keep the couple’s marriage alive, and to dispel rumors that their relationship was on the rocks.
King Frederick and Queen Mary acted in unison after taking the throne, but body language experts told FEMAIL that anger, distrust and disconnection lurked beneath the surface.
Dr. Louise Mahler said that although they were both committed to playing King and Queen alongside each other, the personal relationship seemed stretched.
“She completely blocks Frederik,” Dr Louise told FEMAIL after the couple’s first official interview as King and Queen.
“Queen Mary is looking at Frederick, but her head is tilted away, while her hands are also folded over her right with her left hand, shielding Frederick,” she said.
“Given the previous tactile behavior and the rumors, you sense a challenge.”
The royal couple were then photographed on a skiing holiday in March, where they appeared very ‘icy’ towards each other.
Months later, they decided to ‘work through’ their 20th wedding anniversary.
This choice was a surprise to royal watchers, as the King and Queen had previously been very firm with their boundaries around work and pleasure.
Rumors of a relationship breakdown intensified each time the king ‘deflected’ when asked about the big day, choosing instead to talk about the weather.
Fans couldn’t help but point out every vicissitude in the couple’s relationship.
The official ‘anniversary photo’ shows the couple smiling on their boat, wearing matching puffer vests and looking the perfect couple in every way.
But candid footage revealed a seemingly uncomfortable undercurrent and showed them both with frowns on their faces.
In September, just as the rumors were starting to die down and the couple seemed comfortable in each other’s company, two glamorous blondes revealed that they had also partied with the prince in the months before he took the throne.
Danish television star Janni Ree, 54, and her dancer friend Camilla Dalsgaard met Frederik in July, before his infamous night out in Madrid.
They partied with him during the famous Danish summer drinks in the coastal town of Skagen.
And even as the rumors continue to “heat up,” experts say they will never escape them
It was during Denmark’s infamous ‘Week 29’ or Hellerup week, a time when wealthy young people flock to the small town in their cars and million-kroner luxury boats for a week of fun and heavy drinking.
The women both admitted they loved seeing the ‘party prince’ in action.
‘Camilla and I ended up partying with him. Just the three of us. It was crazy fun,” Janni revealed.
Lately there has been more positive reactions to photos of the King and Queen, while there has been less obvious talk about the rumors.
Although their problems over the past year remain the undertone of the conversation.
‘More beautiful photos of our royal couple. Where they represent our little Denmark in the most beautiful way. They always present themselves empathetically and smiling. And now they are a beautiful couple,” one woman said.
Others simply refuse to see the ‘fairy tale’ anymore.
‘Look at the queen’s reaction when the king touches her. It’s just a business,” someone wrote with a new photo.
While another begged them to hold hands, even if it’s just for appearances.
