Queen Mary of Denmark the epitome of elegance as she attends yet another event without husband King Frederik one year on from those affair rumours

Queen Mary of Denmark was all smiles as she stepped out solo to attend a party at the University of Copenhagen on Friday.

The Aussie-born monarch and her husband Frederik have been performing most of their royal duties separately in the past few weeks following the anniversary of the King being photographed with a Mexican socialite sparking affair rumours that rocked the palace.

Mary looked ever-so-chic clutching a colourful bouquet of flowers in a deep green midi dress with three-quarter-length sleeves.

She accessorised with contrastingly bright orange drop earrings, a Dulong Fine Jewelry pearl bracelet and a pair of £650 snakeskin Gianvito Rossi pumps. 

The 52-year-old went for a simple smoky eye and pink lipstick and styled her brunette tresses in tousled waves down her shoulders. 

To celebrate the University’s annual party that marks its founding in 1479, Mary was greeted by principal Henrik C. Wegener and chairman of the board Merete Eldrup.

She watched the proclamation of the year’s honorary doctors and doctorates before hearing a lecture from professor Lene Hansen from the Institute of Political Science. 

King Frederik was notably absent from the event leading fans to question why the pair have been seen together so seldomly. 

‘Shouldn’t King Frederik X of Denmark go to an event of this historical characteristics and importance?’ one user asked on Instagram. 

The King and his Queen Consort did put on a united front on Tuesday as they attended an awards ceremony after a string of solo engagements. 

Frederik and Mary posed for photos on the red carpet when they arrived at the VEGA concert hall in Copenhagen for the Crown Prince Couple’s Awards which celebrate ‘outstanding performance and innovative thinking’ in the arts, culture and social work sectors.

They later took to the stage with Frederik announcing a new chapter in the awards’ history as it changes its name to Royal Couple’s Awards. 

For the occasion, the royal mother-of-four, wore an elegant black tuxedo jumpsuit with a silk lapel by MaxMara.

Adding a pop of colour to her ensemble, Mary opted for a pair of yellow silk high heels by Manolo Blahnik – a variation of the pair made famous by Carrie Bradshaw in the Sex and the City franchise.

The stylish royal teamed her designer heels with a matching yellow satin bag with chunky embellishments, which she tucked under her arm on the red carpet.

What’s more, Mary slicked back her long brown hair to show off her dangly diamond earrings and opted for a glitzy grey smokey eye.

Meanwhile, King Frederik, 56, was dapper in a navy suit and white shirt for the occasion.

During the evening, the royal couple took to the stage to present awards live on television and also spent time speaking to winners and runners-up afterwards.

The awards were first established in 2004 as a wedding gift to Frederik and Mary from the Bikuben Foundation – an independent organisation that specialises in creative schemes for young people.

During last night’s event, Frederik and Mary announced the Crown Prince Couple’s Awards will now be known as the Royal Couple’s Awards – to signify their new royal status following their ascension in January.

In a joint speech, the pair explained: ‘Tonight we say goodbye to the Crown Prince Couple’s Awards and welcome something new. Cause it doesn’t stop here for us. We have new titles, but we carry our values with us.

‘Therefore, in the future, we will also support social initiatives, art and culture, and communities that bind us together. We’ll salute those who fascinate, excite and move us.

‘We want to hold on to a prize for arts and culture and a prize for social initiatives, and as something new in 2025 we will introduce a prize for communities.’

The event marked the first time the pair had been seen together after Mary returned to Denmark from a holiday in Australia . 

While Frederik enjoyed a Royal hunt in Denmark, Mary was snapped enjoying the sun, sea and sand in Sydney with friends and her twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, both 13. 

The King’s decision to go hunting in his wife’s absence was an interesting choice as he fuelled affair rumours in October last year when he was photographed with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova – who he apparently met on a hunting trip.

Mary has been looked relaxed and rejuvenated as she returned to her royal duties the day after flying out of Sydney on November 2. 

She appeared in good spirits as she attended the Hubertus Hunt in Dyrehaven with Josephine instead of Frederik. 

The Hubertus Hunt is an annual cross-country horse race held on the first Sunday of November in Deer Park in Klampenborg, north of Copenhagen.  

Queen Mary greeted the winners of the competition, Nils Goldschmidt, and his horse and could not hide her excitement, as she beamed while stroking the brunette pony and posed for photos.

Mary was the epitome of equestrian style as she stepped out in a padded charcoal quilted gilet which she layered with a navy longline coat.

She put her best fashion foot forward in a white turtleneck jumper and forest green corduroy trousers, which were flared at the hem, and finished her ensemble with a pair of brown leather boots.

Mary accessorised her look with a grey wide-brimmed hat and a tan-coloured Prada shopper bag.

Princess Josephine took a note out of her mother’s style book, sporting a smart checkered coat, which both Queen Mary and Princess Isabella have worn in the past.

She donned a white jumper, pink scarf, grey hat, and a baggy pair of indigo-blue denim jeans with chocolate brown heeled boots.

The mother-daughter duo usually attend the event together and decided to bring along one of Josephine’s friends this year, who donned a navy puffer coat and a pair of dark blue jeans.

Mary became patron of the Hubertus Hunt’s event following the death of her father-in-law Prince Henrik in 2018. 

The following day, the royal couldn’t hold back her laughter as she met with hospital clowns during a solo visit to the town of Middelfart.

Mary arrived at the event with a huge smile on her face as she was handed a bouquet of flowers.

She grinned while meeting with Danish Hospital Clowns – an organisation that works to lighten the days of children who are receiving medical treatment.

Mary was greeted by workers who were dressed in colourful ensembles with balloon headwear and round clown noses. 

She looked to be in high spirits as hospital employees put on a show for her at the Severin Konference hotel. 

Mary sported an Erdem Lindsay Hideko Silk Floral-print Blouse that she tucked into a black belted maxi skirt, which showed off her slender figure.

She completed the look with sheer tights, simple black heels and a pair of gold pendant earrings.

On November 5, Mary stepped out sans Frederik yet again to host the Children’s Aid Day award ceremony at Copenhagen City Hall. 

She stunned in an ankle-length soft coral gown and a fashionable chocolate brown jacket which she styled with bronze leather belt.

Offering a flashy finish to the ensemble, the royal donned a chic pair of leopard print stilettos.

She wore her thick brunette tresses down at her shoulders in gentle waves and matched her glamorous outfit to an elegant makeup look.

Accentuating her vibrant eyes, the queen donned a mauve smoky eyes, adding a touch of the sun to her cheeky with a swipe of bronze.

The royal was pictured posting for pictures alongside winners of the event, smiling as she clutched a bouquet of flowers.

At each solo event, Mary appeared unfazed  following the one-year anniversary of her husband King Frederik’s rumoured affair scandal. 

Mary’s marriage to King Frederik was plagued with rumours of marital struggles after he was pictured out in Madrid with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova on October 25, 2023.

During a ‘private visit’ to Madrid, the King, who was then the Crown Prince of Denmark, was seen strolling through the city with the TV personality.

While his wife was away on royal business in New York, the King attended a Pablo Picasso exhibit with Genoveva before sharing a private dinner at a traditional Flamenco restaurant until the early hours, as reported by a Spanish publication.

After visiting the exhibition, Lecturas claimed both Frederik and Genoveva went to her apartment building separately at around 7pm, and both re-emerged at around 9pm, two hours later, both having changed their clothes into evening wear.

In the photos, Genoveva had ditched her chic camel coat with a tie belt in favour of a white shirt, black wide-leg trousers and a black jacket worn on her shoulders.

Meanwhile Frederik appeared to have changed from a navy jacket and brown trousers into a white shirt and dark trousers with a smart dark jacket. Again, they were reported to have emerged from the building separately, but got into the same white car.

The magazine claimed the pair watched a flamenco performance at a Spanish restaurant, El Corral de la Moreria, which finished at midnight.

Lecturas claimed the pair did not emerge from the restaurant until 1am, when they walked out onto the street and got in a car.

In a ‘gesture of courtesy’, Lecturas reports Prince Frederik opened the car door for his dinner companion.

The next day, the magazine claimed the Danish royal was taken to the airport via car where he flew home to Denmark.

After the photos emerged, those in the know claimed Genoveva and Frederik were good friends who ‘meet several times a year’.

‘They have a friendship. They know each other and have friends in common. They usually meet several times a year,’ Susanna Griso, who presents Spanish TV show Espejo Público, claimed.

Griso alleged Genoveva had become close to the royal after they met on a high end mountain hunting trip.

The presenter explained: ‘These are exclusive meetings, where you have to pay a lot of money to attend. All of the royals and children of the major families are there. The trips are organised mostly in Germany and Austria.’

On trips of this kind, usually in mountainous regions, guests pay thousands of Euros to be able to hunt European big game animals like red deer, Alpine Ibex, wild boar and mouflon wild sheep.

Following the publication of the photos, Genoveva, who is the former daughter-in-law of the billionaire Duchess of Alba, issued a furious denial that there was any romantic relationship between herself and the Danish royal.

A statement from the socialite said: ‘I categorically deny the statements that suggest a romantic relationship between Prince Frederik and me.’

She added: ‘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.’

After the Madrid scandal, Frederik and Mary, who have been married for 20 years, began to display what looked like frosty body language towards each other in public appearances.

But only months after the couple were thrust into the limelight following Frederik’s visit to Spain, they became the King and Queen of Denmark.

Queen Margarethe, 84, made the shock decision to abdicate the throne on New Year’s Eve in 2023, allowing her son and his wife Mary to succeed her.

Speculation soon began that the decision was made to keep Frederik’s wife of 19 years Princess Mary, who is extremely popular with the public, on side.

Indeed, royal commentators told MailOnline in January 2024 that Margrethe ‘deliberately’ dropped a ‘massive bombshell’ at the right time to secure the future of the Danish Royal Family, and its ‘greatest asset’, Mary.

British royal author Phil Dampier, also an expert on European monarchies, said: ‘I think Margrethe may have worried that their marriage was in trouble and therefore she had to act.

‘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. She will now hope that Frederik and Mary patch up any differences and work together as the new King and Queen.’

But this week, experts have warned that the ‘affair’ rumours will likely haunt King Frederik and Queen Mary for the rest of their lives.

‘It was a huge case, and in principle it will never be forgotten either. It will lie lurking just below the surface for many years,’ communications expert Anna Thygesen told Danish tabloid B.T. ‘It doesn’t take much for it to flare up again.’