After the chaos and the coronation, the Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova has now deleted her Instagram page. November's scandalous rumours spawned by the photographs of then-Prince Frederik out late with Casanova have largely brushed away by the jubilant scenes around the coronation. Casanova originally responded to the ‘malicious’ rumours by vociferously denying allegations of an affair and posting a legal letter on social media, threatening action against those spreading rumours. The 47-year-old sometime-reality-TV-star has since kept a very low profile on social media. In one of her very few moments of activity, she re-shared a post by the Spanish singer Miguel Bose about the exploitation of children in African mines.
Bose's post (re-shared by Casanova) concerned the enslavement of children in the pursuit of rare earth metals, particularly in the Congo. It read, ‘40,000 slave children in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.’ Casanova’s thoughtful post may well have been her last on Instagram, as her profile is now inaccessible to her followers. It seems likely that after all the scrutiny brought by the images of her out late with Frederik, she is seeking to retreat from the public spotlight – which, one has to admit, seems fair enough.
Frederik remains a largely popular figure in Denmark, though he is a tad less popular than his wife, Queen Mary. An opinion poll conducted by Ritzau had Mary's approval rating at 86% compared to Frederik's 82%. Whatever one thinks of Frederik, one has to imagine that – even if the pair were not illicitly involved – it was unwise for the then-heir to the Danish throne to be seen out with Casanova at 2am. Casanova was once married to the Duchess of Alba’s son Cayetano Martinez de Irujo, but they divorced in 2007. It is said that she met Frederik on a luxury hunting trip in Spain.
Since the November-furore around the Casanova-pictures, Frederik and Queen Mary have produced a united display, showing no real signs of disharmony. After Queen Margrethe’s shock New Year’s eve abdication, Frederik acceded the throne on 14th January; an occasion which was met with jubilant celebrations in Copenhagen. People turned out in their tens of thousands to cheer the new king into his reign at Christiansborg palace. There was champagne in the streets and people dressed in celebratory red and white; it was reported that many hotels in Copenhagen well full to bursting point.
Since the accession on the 14th, King Frederik and his consort, Queen Mary have been settling into their reign with various duties. They attended an official proclamation celebration at the Danish parliament and a proclamation service at Aarhus Cathedral, in fairytale snowy conditions. As King, Frederik is now sovereign of Denmark's historic Order of the Elephant. In spite of all the trouble around the Casanova story, the monarchy remains a very popular institution in Denmark; though one wonders whether it is really Queen Mary – more than anyone else – who is warming Danish hearts this winter.
