Family holidays are about making happy new memories, but for Queen Mary and King Frederik, Madrid perhaps wasn’t the wisest choice for a mini-break.
The Danish royals jetted to the Spanish city ahead of their official festive celebrations at Marselisborg Castle, but for Mary, there was no escaping the fact that it was the same place where just over a year earlier, Fred, 55, sparked controversy when he got close to socialite Genoveva Casanova.
“Madrid was not Mary’s idea but she chose to see it as a way of reclaiming some territory,” a source tells Woman’s Day. “There were flickers of tension between her and Fred… wondering what happened in Madrid in 2023 will have been on her mind, but having the children with them was a saving grace – at least for some of the time.”
BITTERSWEET REUNION
Despite Mary doing her best to put the past behind her, it was just a matter of time before another conflict began – this time over their eldest son Christian, with Mary confronting Fred about the issue behind the scenes.
“It was a huge source of joy for the whole family to have Christian back,” the source says of the crown prince, who has spent the last few months volunteering on a farm in East Africa.
“Christian was non-stop, 100-miles-a-minute sharing tales of his adventures.”
Staying at the five-star Santo Mauro hotel in the city, the couple – with Christian, 19, Princess Isabella, 17, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, 13 – were spotted strolling and shopping at the prestigious Marques del Riscal.
Yet as happy as Mary, 52, was to see her oldest son after his time away, and as excited as she is for his future, insiders say there’s underlying concern his newfound passion for travel and foreign charitable work could steer him too far from his destined royal path.
“He’s got the travel bug and is planning more trips, including India and the Mediterranean next summer,” the insider says of the heir, who is due to start as a military officer in February. “Mary knows she can’t hold him back, but she did struggle with him being so far away.”
LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON
Describing his stint in Africa as “an experience I will never forget”, Christian’s carefree spirit is reminiscent of his father Fred’s back in the day, when he was known for his rebellious ways and eagerness to dodge his royal duties. And therein lies the parenting problem for Mary…
“Frederik’s in awe of his son. He’s so proud of him, but he lets him have a much longer leash than Mary’s comfortable with,” the source says.
“Frederik can hardly hold it against Christian for wanting to escape Denmark and he’s encouraging of him getting out there while he can. But Mary is finding she and Frederik have very different parenting styles now the kids are older – and she’s not sure if she’s happy about it.”
Indeed, remaining united about their eldest son’s best interests has proven just another challenge for Mary and Fred to navigate.
“She’d hoped Christian would stick closer to home where he can do more local charitable work – one of her passions – so she’ll be disheartened Fred seems so willing to see him out the door with his suitcase,” the source adds.
