The Danish Royal Family: An Update on ‘Fred and Mary’ and Their Trip to Greenland
Six months since the abdication, how are King Frederik and Queen Mary doing?
I love it when an eye-catching outfit stops my Instagram scrolling. Yesterday, a picture of King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark jumped out. The pair are visiting Greenland and were dressed in the country’s national costumes. As I am prone to do, I started Googling to find out more…which led me down a bit of a “Fred and Mary” — as they are known — news rabbit hole.
It’s been six months since Queen Margrethe II announced she would abdicate, making her eldest son and his beloved Australian-born wife the new king and queen. The official reason for the shocking news was a bit of self reflection after an extensive back surgery in 2023. However, news reports suggested an alleged affair between Frederik and a Mexican socialite and philanthropist could have had something to do with it.
The more I read up on Frederik and Mary’s trip to Greenland, the more the time felt right to offer a bit of an update on the couple. Below, a recap of the rocky start to their year, with rumors continuing to swirl, as well as the united front they have put on as of late. I also dove into the king’s brother’s recent thoughts on his children being stripped of their titles (remember that?) and the crown prince’s high school graduation. Scroll to the end for a look at their visit to Greenland as well as the king and queen’s embrace of traditional attire. This installment of SMT lives up to the name of this newsletter — so many thoughts, indeed!
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🇩🇰 ICYMI: Click below for my earlier newsletters on the Danish royal family.
The Danish Royal Family: An Update on ‘Fred and Mary’ and Their Trip to Greenland
To start, please remind us: Who are ‘Fred and Mary?’
They are King Frederik X and Queen Mary of Denmark. Since their wedding in 2004, the couple have been seen as a fresh and modern take on monarchy — see: “Fred and Mary” — credited with setting a new standard of royal relatability. The 56-year-old king and 52-year-old queen have four children: Crown Prince Christian (age 18), Princess Isabella (17), and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine (age 13)
Frederik took to the throne in January when his mother, Queen Margrethe II, abdicated at the age of 83. It was a shocking reversal for the spirited and widely adored queen, who had previously said she would never step down. The Guardian quoted a Dane as saying, “All of Denmark is crying.” (My longer look at the abdication is here).
Officially, the queen said back surgery in February 2023 prompted her to consider “whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation.” However, many news reports pointed to rumors of an alleged affair between Frederik, her eldest son, and Genoveva Casanova, a Mexican socialite and philanthropist. Casanova issued a statement firmly denying the report.
The news, broken by a Spanish tabloid in November following a private visit the then-prince took to Madrid the month before, came as a major surprise. Fred and Mary have always been celebrated for their rom-com-esque love story, meeting in a bar in Sydney during the 2000 Olympics. Born in Australia, Mary became fluent in Danish and has been a celebrated member of the royal family. At least one Danish royal commentator suggested Margrethe’s decision to abdicate was meant to keep her in the fold. (My primer on Mary and the Danish Royal Family is here).
