Just a week after it was reported that King Frederik X had made private trips to Spain during his time off at the beginning of this year, the Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova (with whom Frederik was controversially pictured last year) has made clear her intentions for her next moves.
After a period of radio silence, with Casanova deleting then reinstating her social media accounts, the 47-year-old has signed up to a hit Spanish TV gameshow, according to local reports. Spanish media have suggested that Casanova has accepted an offer from a production company on the condition that she did not have to discuss her private life on the show.
Now in its fifth series, the TV show, called El Desafio (The Challenge) sees contestants compete in a series of extreme physical tests. Filming is expected to start imminently, though the series will not screen until next year. Incredibly popular in Spain, the show uses a celebrity cast to pull in bumper viewerships. Another of the eight contestants on the fifth edition has already been named – Victoria Federica de Marichalar y Borbon, the niece of Spain’s King Felipe VI.
The fourth series of the show, which airs on Antena 3 in Spain – was watched by nearly two million viewers when its first episode hit the small screens earlier this year. Casanova's enrolment in the show suggests that she is looking to return to the public eye after a period of self-imposed exile following the controversy surrounding her appearance with Frederik and his subsequent coronation as Frederik X of Denmark.
In November last year, Frederik and Casanova were pictured out late on a night in a Madrid, sending the rumour mill into overdrive. At the time, they were explained by HOLA! In the following terms: Frederik and a mutual friend of his and Genoveva’s had plans to attend an exhibition together. After the friend pulled out, Genoveva was asked to go in his place. The pair then walked through the park and had a public dinner together at ‘El Corral de la Morería’.
Casanova is a model, philanthropist and former reality TV star – a role which she looks set to reprise. She was formerly 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.
Amid the furore surrounding the pictures, she deleted her social media and is said to have sought refuge in the palace home of her ex-husband Cayetano Martinez de Irujo before travelling to Mexico to be with her parents.
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Last week, Casanova returned to Instagram – perhaps looking to restore her public image in advance of the TV appearance. She posted an appreciative message along with a picture of her and her dog:
‘Hello everyone! Here I am back! I want to thank all the people who have cared about me this past year, those who have understood my absence and my silence, and those who have sent me messages of love and support.
‘You have no idea how much that meant to me. Thank you very much! It's been a few months where I needed peace and quiet, but I'm already doing my best to slowly be able to return to my normal life and meet my work commitments. Once again, a million thanks! Taj and I are leaving you our best smile with some pictures from our walk this afternoon and wishing you all a very good night!’
Amid Casanova’s return to the spotlight, Frederik has been making a relatively smooth start to his kingship. His coronation came after the bombshell abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe II on new year’s eve. Frederik and his wife, Mary, Queen Consort, remain broadly very popular in Denmark – though recent polls have suggested that the Tasmanian-born Queen Mary is perhaps even more popular than her husband.
