14 January 2024 , 11:00
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Following the shock abdication of Denmark's Queen Margrethe, all eyes will be on Crown Prince Frederik, a former 'party prince' and daredevil who will soon take up the crown from his mother after her 52 year reign.
As Britain's Queen Elizabeth II herself previously attested, having a loving partner as your 'strength and stay' can make all the difference when it comes to a happy and successful reign. Unfortunately, whispers are already circulating around Prince Frederik's marriage before he's even had chance to sit on the throne, with furious royal fans rallying behind his wife Crown Princess Mary.
Amid rumours of an alleged scandalous affair that some believe has left Princess Mary heartbroken, we take a look at the rebellious life of Prince Frederik, 55, from his wild nights out on the dancefloor, to his former romance with a lingerie model.
Affair rumours
Socialite Genoveva Casanova has denied rumours that she's having an affair with Prince Frederik (Getty Images)Back in November, gossip began to swirl surrounding an alleged affair between Prince Frederik and Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova, with Spanish magazine Lecturas reporting that the pair were spotted together in Madrid, attending the art exhibition Picasso, The Sacred and the Profane, taking a stroll through El Retiro Park, and heading out for dinner together.
Television star Genoveva, 47, has since hit back at the allegations, 'categorically denying' there was a romantic connection between them in a statement to another Spanish publication ¡Hola!. Genoveva Casonova stated: "I categorically deny the statements that suggest a romantic relationship between Prince Frederik and me. Any statement of this type not only completely lacks the truth but also misrepresents the facts in a malicious manner. This is already in the hands of my lawyers, who will take care of the pertinent steps to protect my right to honour, truth and privacy."
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The publication went on to reveal that the pair had a mutual friend who missed out on the exhibition due to being ill, and so Genoveva was asked to take their place and keep the prince company. Meanwhile, the Royal family have told Danish publication B.T that they 'do not comment on rumours or insinuations'.
Unfortunately, Genoveva's denial hasn't stopped speculations, and some royal experts have theorised that Queen Margrethe chose to abdicate in a 'shrewd' attempt to save Prince Frederik's marriage. Speaking with the Mail Online, royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams Phil Dampier reflected: "Queen Margarethe of Denmark is a shrewd operator. She has stunned the nation by announcing she will abdicate in a fortnight in favour of her son Crown Prince Frederik. Recently rumours of an affair with Mexican socialite and actress Genoveva Casanova, illustrated with what appears to be embarrassing photographic evidence which was published last November, have been extremely damaging to the Royal family."
Meanwhile, many royal watchers have expressed sympathy with Princess Mary, 51, who was recently spotted looking tearful at New Zealand's Queenstown Airport while saying her goodbyes to friends, shortly before sharing a mysterious post to Instagram. In the days leading up to Christmas, Mary uploaded a personal message on her account for her Mary Foundation, a charity which aims to tackle social isolation. Leaving fans puzzling over whether there was a more personal meaning to her post, Australian-born Mary wrote: "Time is a peculiar thing. The more years you have covered, the faster the next year seems to pass by. At the same time, you become more and more aware of how precious every moment - and every year - is."
Mary, who shares four children with husband Frederik, continued: "Now Christmas is at the door. At the Mary Foundation, we will soon close in 2023 and go on Christmas break with gratitude for all that we humans can do when we do it together. We need each other if we want to succeed. And this does not only apply to working life and to those of us who work to combat social isolation. It applies to all of us. People need people. With the warmest wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year."
Romance with lingerie model and raunchy film
The 'Casanova Crown Prince' was once known for his long list of glam girlfriends (Henning Bagger/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Before locking eyes with his now-wife Mary, Frederik earned the nickname 'Casanova Crown Prince', due to his long list of glamorous girlfriends, which included a 'head over heels' romance with lingerie model Katja Storkholm back in the late 1990s.
In a 2008 unauthorised biography entitled 1015 Copenhagen K, Royal reporter Trine Villemann suggested that Katja helped Prince Frederik look toward his future as heir to the throne, and even gave her assistance when it came to writing speeches. It was also claimed that Frederik proposed to Katja, only for Queen Margarethe to stop the engagement from going ahead.
In 2018, royal watchers were scandalised by the development of a feature film inspired by Prince Frederik's allegedly wild younger years, with a scandalous leaked script containing sex scenes with models reportedly upsetting Princess Mary. Director Christian Tafdrup described the movie as 'a great story about a young man who isn't allowed to be who he wants to be'.
He went on to clarify: "I understand that the palace may not want me to do this film, but my intention isn't to be rude – I'm interested in creating fiction based on facts. It's a universal story about what it's like to be a young man coming of age, set in a royal environment – it's definitely not a royal soap opera."
Meaningful tattoos
His tattoos represent an important period in his life (@frederikofdenmark/Instagram)Prince Frederik has a shark inked on his calf, and another tattoo on his calf that means 'Pingu', with his body art intended to symbolise the time he spent in the Danish Navy. The shark is the insignia of the Danish Navy's elite Frogman Corps, while the second 'Pingu' tattoo is said to refer to the nickname the Royal earned after completing gruelling Frogman training, which involves completing intensive courses in scuba diving, survival course and combat swimming.
Frederik enrolled in the military after completing his education at Aarhus University in 1995 and went on to serve in all three of Denmark's services - the army, the air force, and the navy.
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Daredevil escapades
The prince adores high-adrenaline activities and no intention of stopping anytime soon (Mads Claus Rasmussen/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Fearless Prince Frederik is known to be a bit of a daredevil, with a love for high-adrenaline activities such as skiing and dragon boat racing, and has previously ended up hospitalised after partaking in intrepid competitions. In 2000, Frederik joined a four-month long 2,175-mile ski and dog sledding expedition across Greenland, and, in 2013, the keen marathon runner became the first royal to complete an Ironman challenge.
It doesn't appear as though becoming King will curb Frederik's adventurous streak, and the Royal has previously suggested that he would continue with his white-knuckle pursuits after his coronation. He once declared: "I don't want to lock myself in a fortress. I want to be myself, a human being."
Modern outlook
Prince Frederik and Princess Mary are committed to giving their children a relatively normal upbringing (EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)Reflecting on the differences between Prince Frederik and his popular mother Queen Margarethe, Gitte Redder, an expert on the Danish royal family said: "He is a sportsman, he attends concerts and football matches, which makes him even more accessible than his mother."
Frederik and his wife Princess Mary are regarded by many as having a refreshingly modern outlook on life for members of the Royal family, and are said to be 'modern, woke, lovers of pop music, modern art and sports'. The Royal couple, who met in a Sydney pub during the 2000 Summer Olympics, are committed to ensuring their four children enjoy a relatively normal upbringing, choosing to enrol them in mostly state schools.
Kicked out of nightclub
Frederik is said to have changed 'a lot' from his 'party prince' days (Henning Bagger/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)As reported by news.com.au in August 2008, Prince Frederik was once booted out of a Beijing nightclub at 3am after a drunken night with pals got out of hand. Following 'a wild session on the dancefloor' at a Playboy mansion-themed party, the prince was allegedly spotted taking a pair of bunny ears from a waitress. Unfortunately, the doormen weren't quite as amused as his friends and ended up showing him the door.
According to the same publication, just one month before this alleged incident, Mary reportedly sent Frederik home from a nightclub in the Danish town of Skagen after becoming fed up with his boozed-up antics. In his youth, Frederik was often referred to as a 'party prince', with comparisons drawn with Britain's rebellious Prince Harry, but some experts say he's mellowed with age and responsibility.
As recently reported by the Evening Standard, Marie Rønde, royal correspondent for Danish broadcaster TV2, said: "I don't know if you would call him a party prince today. I think he's changed a lot, but that's what he was at that time." She continued: "He's talked about it himself that when he turned 18, he was not at all prepared for what came to him at that point. He's used a lot of time getting prepared — like getting used to the fact that this is the task of his life and he's worked a lot on that."