Queen Mary and King Frederik of Denmark have diverted from tradition once again – and this time it surrounds their royal portrait.
Guests are greeted by the royal portraits at the Danish embassy and for decades couples have always been photographed and hung in separate frames.
But the modern royal couple, who have been in power for just over a year now, will appear in a joint portrait hung in the one smoked Danish oak frame.
This, many have theorised, cements King Frederik’s goal of being a co-leader with his wife and highlights the equality in their partnership.
The Danish Royal House has not offered an official reason as to why the duo has veered from tradition, but it wouldn’t be the first time.
Fie West Madsen, a royal editor at Danish tabloid BT, believes the change reflects what King Frederik wrote in his book, the ‘The King’s Word’.
‘[He said] that he and Mary want to be a royal couple and do things together – and he really meant it,’ she said.
‘Even though King Frederik is the regent, such a combined portrait really signals that we have two equal partners in the royal couple.’
For decades the royal couple have always had their individual portraits hung separately, tracing back decades. But now the official portraits of Queen Mary and King Frederik will be hung together in the one frame
The Danish Royal House has not offered an official reason as to why the duo has veered from tradition, but it wouldn’t be the first time
Frederik has described Mary as his ‘partner and wing woman’ with whom he has a ‘super dynamic’ (pictured together in February, 2025)
In an excerpt from his 110-page memoir Kongeord, King Frederik revealed Mary calls him out on what he learned from his ‘patriarchal’ father growing up.
The surprise ‘manifesto’ was released in January, 2024, and was co-authored by Jens Andersen who wrote Frederik’s biography in 2017.
Amid thoughts on his role as king and his plans for the future, he appeared to hint at rumours about his alleged ‘affair’ with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova after they were photographed on a night out together in Madrid last year.
‘I love marriage, my wife, our children and the whole happy base that arises for the people who manage to stay together and persevere,’ he wrote.
Frederik went on to say Mary is his ‘partner and wing woman’ with whom he has a ‘super dynamic’.
Frederik said his mother Queen Margrethe even acknowledged the couple’s compatibility when they got married.
‘I remember how my mother, Queen Margrethe, said in her wedding speech in 2004 that I had found peace and joy with Mary,’ he said.
Frederik officially ascended the throne on January 14, 2024, after Queen Margrethe stepped down following her 52-year reign.
