Grumpy Prince Henrik, a temperamental Frenchman who has ounced out of his duties before, shocked the Danish people by saying he should have been made king and given equal status with his wife.
The 83-year-old now says he doesn’t want to rest next to her, although he still wants to be buried in Denmark.
‘The whole country is shocked and everyone is very upset for the Queen,’ veteran royal reporter Kirsten Balslev reveals.
‘In public, the Queen is keeping a dignified silence, but behind the scenes she and her son Frederik must be furious.
‘The public must think the marriage is a joke and this will strengthen the hand of those who want the Queen to abdicate so that Frederik and Mary can take over.
‘Some people fear Henrik is going a bit senile, so what can the Queen do?
‘Mary is trying to build bridges and help everyone calm down, but she will be taken aback like everyone else. She knows she must be ready, however, if she is needed to take over sooner rather than later.’
For the full story, see this week's New Idea - Out now.
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