Queen Margrethe of Denmark will spend Christmas with her sons Prince Joachim and Prince Frederik and their families – after spending last December 25 apart following title row

• Queen Margrethe II of Denmark will spend Christmas at Marselisborg Palace
• READ MORE: Prince Frederik of Denmark relaxes on a royal hunt in the forest

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is set to spend Christmas with both her sons Prince Joachim and Prince Frederik and their families.

It’s a stark difference from the Danish Royal Family’s festive plans last year, when they spent it apart following a row over royal titles. 

Tensions arose after the monarch stripped Prince Joachim’s four children of their prince and princess titles – a move which the sixth in line to the throne openly criticised.

But it seems the issue is all water under the bridge now after it was confirmed by the Danish Royal Household that this year, the Queen will be joined by her sons at Marselisborg Palace.

The show of unity comes amid furore in recent weeks after photos emerged in Spanish magazine Lecturas of Prince Frederik, 55, on a night out in Madrid with glamorous Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova – and without his wife Princess Mary of Denmark, 51. 

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is set to spend Christmas with both her sons Prince Joachim and Prince Frederik and their families (pictured together in April 2023)

Queen Margrethe will take up residence at Marselisborg Palace from 20 December. She will celebrate Christmas Eve with Prince Frederik and his family, as well as Prince Joachim and Princess Marie and their two children.

Prince Joachim’s son Count Felix will join his family on 25 December, while his brother Count Nikolai will spend Christmas abroad. He is currently studying at the University of Technology in Sydney.

Last year, Prince Joachim and his family spent Christmas in Vietnam, according to Danish magazine, Her & Nu, while Australian-born Princess Mary and her family spent the festive season in Hobart.

The magazine detailed the trip had been rescheduled from 2020 due to the pandemic, writing: ‘Joachim finally got the opportunity to show the children the country where their grandfather, Prince Henrik, spent many of his childhood and youth years.’

Queen Margrethe’s bombshell decision to remove her grandchildren’s HRH status made headlines around the world and caused a bitter row within the family after her youngest son Joachim spoke out against the move to change his children’s titles. 

The monarch later issued an apology and admitted she had ‘underestimated’ the impact of her actions but said it was ‘a long time coming’. 

She said the decision was intended to allow Countess Athena, 11, Count Felix, 20, Count Nikolai, 24, and Count Henrik, 13, to enjoy normal lives without royal obligations. 

The show of unity from the Danish Royal Family comes amid the media storm that continues to swirl following the photos in Spanish magazine Lecturas of Prince Frederik’s night out in Madrid with glamorous Mexican socialite Genoveva. 

It’s a stark difference from the Danish Royal Family ‘s festive plans last year, when they spent it apart following a row over royal titles. Pictured, Queen Margrethe, Prince Joachim and his wife Princess Marie, and Prince Fredrik and his wife Princess Mary

Genoveva, 47, the former daughter-in-law of the billionaire Duchess of Alba, issued a blistering statement slamming ‘malicious’ rumours she is in a romantic relationship with the Prince. 

The socialite is currently seeking peace and quiet in San Sebastián at a residence owned by her ex-husband’s family. 

Susanna Griso, presenter of Spanish TV show Espejo Público, recently alleged that Genoveva had become close to the heir to the Danish throne after they met on a luxury mountain hunting trip. 

Out of a title: The four grandchildren who are no longer TRHs 

Nikolai of Denmark, 24: The Copenhagen Business School student and model regularly tops lists of the world’s most eligible bachelors. He lives in Sydney now but has jetted around the world to walk for designers in Paris and London. Nikolai has also appeared on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia. 

Felix of Denmark, 20: Following in his brother’s footsteps, Prince Felix has also had success as a model and has starred in an advertising campaign for Georg Jensen. He had a short stint at the Royal Danish Military Academy but quit after two months because it ‘wasn’t for him’. 

Henrik, 13, and Athena, 11, of Denmark: The youngest of Prince Joachim’s four children, Henrik and Athena are the product of his second marriage to Princess Marie.

The host 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.

Earlier this month, Denmark’s Royal Family broke its silence over the scandal and told Danish publication B.T they ‘do not comment on rumours or insinuations’.

Both Frederik, who is fourth cousin of King Charles III, and his wife Mary are yet to comment personally on the rumours.

The Danish royals were rocked by reports earlier this month that Frederik had spent a day and evening out in Madrid with Genoveva.

Photos showed the pair strolling in Barrio el Jerónimos, where Genoveva lives, after taking a walk in El Retiro Park in the centre of the Spanish capital. 

Spanish magazine Lecturas reported the pair had visited a Pablo Picasso exhibition earlier in the day, before heading to a restaurant to have dinner and watch a Flamenco performance.

Amid the buzz caused by the photos, Prince Frederik has carried out business as usual at home – while Genoveva is seeking peace and quiet in San Sebastián at a residence owned by her ex-husband’s family.

The socialite, who has also dabbled in acting in the past and recently appeared on Spain’s version of Celebrity Masterchef, was married to Cayetano Martínez de Irujo for two years.

Spanish magazine Hola! reports the socialite is staying at the Palace of Arbaizenea, a property once owned by the Duchess of Alba and bequeathed to her son Cayetano Martínez de Irujo. The magazine reports Genoveva heads to San Sebastian any time she needs to ‘disconnect’ from public life.

It also reports that the socialite and her ex-husband, Cayetano Martínez de Irujo, are on ‘excellent’ terms, meaning she can stay at his family properties whenever she likes.

Queen Margrethe of Denmark and Princess Marie, with Prince Joachim and his children on April 30, 2022 in Fredensborg

As Lecturas reported details of Genoveva’s night out with the Danish prince last week, it shared details of what it claimed was how the evening unfolded.

The magazine claimed that, following their visit to a Pablo Picasso exhibition at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum, the pair strolled around El Retiro Park in the centre of Madrid on the afternoon of 25 October.

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

In photos from the evening, Genoveva has 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 appears 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.

Genoveva and her ex husband (pictured together in 2020) are said to have an ‘excellent’ relationship 

It also claimed they remained at their table, which had been flanked by two of the Danish Prince’s bodyguards, while other customers left, waiters finished up their shifts and the lights were being switched off.

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 Crown Prince Frederik opened the car door for his dinner companion.

The next day, the magazine alleged the heir to the Danish throne was taken to the airport via car where he flew home to Denmark.

Following the publication of the photos, Genoveva issued a statement to Hola! denying any romantic involvement with the Prince.

A statement from the socialite said: ‘I categorically deny the statements that suggest a romantic relationship between Prince Frederick 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 honor, truth and privacy.’

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