King Frederik has honoured his wife Queen Mary with a rare gift on his first birthday as the King of Denmark, just months after rumours started swirling about the state of their marriage.
Denmark King Frederik’s new memoir Kongeord, The King’s World, takes a frank look at his marriage with Queen Mary and his life leading up to becoming monarch.
The memoir gives readers a rare glimpse into Frederik’s marriage and alludes to an alleged “affair” with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova after they were seen together in Madrid last year.
“I love marriage, my wife, our children and the whole happy base that arises for the people who manage to stay together and persevere,” he wrote.
Frederik’s memoir also mentioned how Queen Mary taught him he was “not always right” and was not “automatically believed” because he was a male.
Queen Mary was mentioned to have also called out the newly appointed King over the outdated lessons he was taught by his late “very patriarchal” father.
In Kongeord, the King referred to Queen Mary as his “partner and wing-woman” and during their 2004 wedding, the former Queen Margrethe spoke of their compatibility.
“I remember how my mother, Queen Margrethe, said in her wedding speech in 2004 that I had found peace and joy with Mary,” he wrote.
The King, 56, awarded the Australian-born Queen with the Grand Commander’s Cross of the Dannebrog.
The honour is rarely bestowed, with only seven living title holders having received it.
King Frederik X and Queen Mary celebrate King Frederick’s birthday at Amalienborg on May 26, 2024 in Copenhagen, Denmark. Picture: Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images
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The badge of the Order features a white enamelled Dannebrog cross with a red enamelled border.
It honours faithful servants of the modern Danish state for admirable civil or military service, contribution to the arts, sciences or business life, or for working for Danish interests.
The Order was originally limited to royal and noble men; however in 1840 Cristian the 8th of Denmark broke tradition and awarded it to his aunt Queen Marie Sophie Frederikke.
It came as Queen Mary wore a fuchsia pink frock to put on a united display with King Frederik to mark his first birthday as King.
The Danish royal family appeared on the balcony of Amalienborg Palace on Sunday to greet hundreds of Danes who had gathered to celebrate the special occasion.
Frederik took the throne on January 14 after his mother, Queen Margrethe II, announced her abdication on New Year’s Eve.
The father-of-four beamed as he stood beside his mother and his wife as well as the couple’s children Crown Prince Christian, 18, Princess Isabella, 17, and 13-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
Mary appeared to colour coordinate her bright long-sleeved gown with her 84-year-old mother-in-law, who also donned a vivid shade of pink for the occasion. Picture: Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images
Mary appeared to colour coordinate her bright long-sleeved gown with her 84-year-old mother-in-law, who also donned a vivid shade of pink for the occasion.
She styled her hair out, with the waves sitting just below her shoulders, and accessorised her look with gold jewellery.
Mary’s united display with her husband follows a rocky period for the couple, marred by allegations of infidelity in the press.
Speculation about Frederik’s secret romance surfaced last October when Lecturas magazine published photos alleging to show Frederik on a cosy date with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova.
The pair were snapped in Madrid together attending a Pablo Picasso exhibition.
Frederik and Genova reportedly shared an intimate dinner the same night before walking together in the Spanish capital.
Ms Casanova has ardently denied any romantic relationship between herself and Frederik.
Left to right: Prince Vincent, Princess Josephine, King Frederik X, Queen Mary, Crown Prince Christian, Queen Margrethe and Princess Isabella. Picture: Martin Sylvest Andersen/Getty Images
The Danish Palace has simply declined to comment on “rumours of insinuations” which could rupture the King and Queen’s 24-year long relationship.
However, one royal commentator claimed Margrethe “deliberately” dropped the abdication news on New Year’s Eve to secure the future of the Danish Royal Family, and its “greatest asset”, Mary.
“The Queen always thought Mary was a fantastic asset to the royal family and if she thought she might leave it would have been a disaster,” British royal author Phil Dampier told the Daily Mail at the beginning of the year.
“She will now hope that Frederik and Mary patch up any differences and work together as the new King and Queen.”
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Ms Casanova emphatically denied any romantic relationship between herself and Frederik.
To mark the occasion on Sunday, the official Instagram of the Danish family shared photos of the event and declared “Long live His Majesty the King!”
“Many people showed up at Amalienborg Slotsplads today to wish the King a happy birthday,” the post read.
“It happened at 12:00 when the King appeared on the balcony of Frederick VIII’s Palace along with Her Majesty The Queen, Their Royal Highnesses The Crown Prince, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine and Her Majesty Queen Margrethe.”
The account also posted a video of the jubilant crowd waving Danish flags as they greeted the monarch and his family.