ANGELA MOLLARD: Revealed: the hidden messages in Queen Mary of Denmark's choice for a 50th birthday portrait… and how husband King Frederik would do well to take note

Two years ago, when Queen Mary of Denmark celebrated her 50th birthday, she brought her husband and children to the unveiling of her new official portrait.

When the blue cloth was pulled away to reveal the beautiful painting by Spanish-born artist Jesus Herrera, Mary's husband Frederik gasped.

“Wow,” he said, taking in the artwork that showed the then-princess posing a serene and regal face in front of a eucalyptus tree, a botanical nod to her native Australia. But it was another element that probably caught her husband's attention. Mary had chosen to wear an aquamarine cocktail ring, which was said to have been given to her by Frederik on the occasion of their engagement.

Two years later, none of those signs of love or marital harmony can be found in the image Mary chose for her 52nd birthday.

Instead, as she celebrates her first anniversary as the new Queen of Denmark, Mary has rejected her husband and shown a photo of herself with her father, John. The photo, which shows the queen with her hair in a braid and sunglasses on her head, was taken by her youngest son, Prince Vincent.

Three months ago, Frederik was photographed leaving the Madrid apartment of Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova (pictured) in the early morning hours.

Frederik, who was photographed three months ago leaving Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova's Madrid apartment in the early morning hours, is nowhere to be seen in either the image or the caption.

“On this occasion, The Queen has chosen an image of a special moment with her father from her recent trip to Australia in December,” the royal family's official website said.

Although Mary's 82-year-old father was unwell and unable to attend her proclamation in Copenhagen last month, the new queen knows her choice of image will spark speculation. She is a polished and intuitive woman who is sufficiently aware of the message the photo conveys.

Of course, you can read her selection as the choice of a devoted daughter who shares a cherished image of the father who lives oceans away and whom she misses dearly. Or after last month's proclamation, where observers saw Mary and Frederick kiss awkwardly, you could interpret it as a deeply hurt woman bonding with those she truly trusts: namely her father and her 13-year-old son who are the took a photo.

The palace has not commented on allegations that King Frederick had an affair. However, the photos published in the Spanish magazine Lecturas of him walking through the park and dining out with Casanova in October will have caused pain and shame for Mary, who will celebrate her 20th wedding anniversary in May.

Although Casanova released a statement denying that she and the then-prince were romantically involved, Queen Margrethe's shock decision to abdicate in January fueled suggestions that she wanted to secure her son's marriage through the couple's accession to the throne to speed up.

Danish King Frederik X kisses Queen Mary on the balcony of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen, in January 2024

Loved in Australia, where there is admiration for the way she carries a crown and her beloved Birkenstocks with equal ease, Mary is equally adored in her adopted country, where she speaks fluent Danish and is committed to causes that are both modern and meaningful.

While Australians regard the Tasmania-born former real estate agent and advertising executive as a shining example of the Antipodean spirit and ingenuity, Danes credit the mother of four for guiding the once reluctant prince to his destiny with greater certainty.

When she gave a 13-minute speech five years ago to a who's who of European royalty on the occasion of her husband's 50th birthday, partygoers were amazed by her humor, warmth and confident way of speaking – especially as she spoke in her second language. spoke. . She accused her husband of being a MAMIL (middle-aged man in Lycra) and rudely pointed out that their children considered him a sore loser.

But what was most evident was how much she loved and adored her husband. “I'm so happy that you caught me off guard and that we dared to fall for each other – not for a moment, but for a lifetime,” she said.

She even told the guests how her boyfriend told her early in their relationship, when she visited Denmark for the first time, that he had to attend an official dinner. She couldn't believe her eyes when her casual, sporty friend returned in full princely regalia. “If I had known Danish at the time,” she told the audience, “I probably would have thought to myself: aij, hvor har jeg scores over evne.” The meaning of the folk idiom? 'Wow, I really scored above my level.'

But that was a long time ago. The fun-loving Australian girl who met a boy in a bar during the Sydney Olympics is now queen with all the poise that title brings. For her 52nd birthday, Mary has specifically chosen to celebrate being a daughter rather than a wife. Whether it is sharp or not, one thing is clear: the new queen has her own agenda. Her errant husband would do well to take note.