Since his birth it was clear that Crown Prince Frederik would one day become King of Denmark. But the 55-year-old struggled with his role for a long time. Which helped him get comfortable with the throne.
There was a time when Crown Prince Frederik would have preferred never to become King of Denmark. Just the thought of it gave him a “phobia,” as he once said: “I had the feeling my life was coming to an end.” But then he met a woman who must have seemed like his queen even back then. And suddenly it all made sense with him and the crown.
September 16, 2000: Sydney celebrated the Olympic Games. Mary Donaldson, a dark-haired Australian woman, 28 years old, was having dinner in the Slip Inn restaurant. Also a guest there: Crown Prince Frederik, who came to the city to support his country’s athletes. It must have been love at first sight: he introduced himself to Mary as “Fred.” The two danced. Then they talked. As Fred and Mary said goodbye in the early hours of the morning, he asked her for her phone number. And that was probably the best idea the Crown Prince ever had.
This Sunday he and his Mary will become the King and Queen of Denmark. His mother, Queen Margrethe, abdicates after more than 50 years. STERN PAID Royals abdication Denmark 19.50 She could have continued a bit, but why should she? Mary always seemed like she was born into the royal role. And Frederik has long since come to terms with it – after an astonishing transformation, he even seems to be keen on the job. And his compatriots are also apparently looking forward to the new king: according to surveys, 84 percent of Danes are well disposed towards him. That was not always so.
Sent shockwaves across the country
In 1996, for example, the Crown Prince caused shock waves in the country: in various interviews he made serious allegations against his parents, Queen Margrethe and Prince Henrik. Their upbringing was strict, especially that of their father: “Children are like dogs and horses. You have to train them,” Henrik said. But it wasn’t so much the strictness that made life difficult for Frederik. He felt abandoned by his parents, alone with his task as future king, and afraid. Even thoughts of suicide swirled through his royal head: “Suddenly there was this thought: ‘I can just take a step out of the window and then I’ll be at peace with everything’.”
His insecurity was evident at the time. He seemed stiff, shy, reading from the page. Then he met Mary and felt like he had “met a soul mate,” as Frederik later said. She was the opposite of him, happy, open, calm. With her clear manner, she brought stability into his life, something that he had lacked in his youth. The two married in 2004, it was a fairytale wedding.
Queen Margrethe gave a speech. “You convey trust,” she said to Frederik. “You are someone to lean on. A lot of that is due to your own efforts, but we all know how you found your true self. It happened when you met Mary.”
You could also say: Frederik grew up at her side. Gone are the days when he seemed like a royal crash kid to the Danes.
In 1988, Frederik and his brother Joachim got into a car accident in France. Another happened on New Year’s Eve 1992: Frederik’s girlfriend at the time, who did not have a driver’s license and had been drinking, drove a few meters with the prince in the passenger seat until the police stopped her. Frederik was nicknamed “Turbo Prince” and the nation discussed whether he had what it took to be a king. The tabloid “Ekstra Bladet” even demanded: “Free us from Frederik as king.”
A marathon changed everything
His popularity was at a low point at the time. Frederik felt that he had to change something – and started running. The Crown Prince soon completed his first marathon through Copenhagen. His time: 3 hours and 23 minutes. “Super Prince,” the newspapers suddenly headlined. His brother Joachim once said that running the marathon showed Frederik, after many years of frustration, that he could do something special.
© Mikael Fritzon/TT
The sport was good for him, and it created a connection with the people: in the “Royal Run”, a run that Frederik invites you to take part in in several Danish cities every year on the occasion of his birthday, the Crown Prince runs with many Danes. He is not afraid to sweat and chat while panting. An image that Prince Charles never portrayed before he became king. But the Danish royal family is something like the hygge version of the Windsors: the same ruler for decades, but without the old-fashioned pomp and splendor. Instead of a lordly coronation with an ermine and sword, Frederik is proclaimed from the castle balcony. Margrethe abdicates by signing a statement, that’s it. The Danes like their royals for their normality and also for their comparatively scandal-free existence. FS Frederik from Denmark18.12
Frederik should make the royal family even more modern and dynamic. “He has found himself more in recent years,” said former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who met Frederik on many occasions. “He’s not trying to be like the queen.”
He also differs from his mother in his upbringing: He wants to do better what he sees as his parents doing wrong. He explains to his children why they have to do certain things that belong to a royal family. “I want to be close to my children and spend a lot of time with them,” he once said, getting on the cargo bike and driving the four children to kindergarten. Quite normal, like many other Danes.
© Sipa Press
Christian, Frederik and Mary’s eldest son, turned 18 last year and is now crown prince. Mary and the children are an important support for the new king that he can rely on.
The Danes appreciate him and his family. Recent rumors that Frederik was cheating with a Mexican ex-model hardly cloud the picture. Well, Mary is one percentage point more popular than her husband (85 percent of Danes think she’s great), but the new king of Denmark, the Faroe Islands and Greenland has found his role. That of a country father close to the people. And that’s the most important thing.
Sources: Danish Royal Family, Munzinger Information Service, Danmarks Radio, Danmarks Radio (2), Ritzau News Agency, “Jyllands Posten”, “Politen”, “Berlingske”, “Brisant”, “Kristeligt Dagblad”, TV2, “Se & Hør”, “Daily Mail”, Sky News Australia, “BT”, “Herning Folkeblad”, Royal Run, Saxo
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
