Princess Mary fears 'royal feud' could tear family apart

While fans are still trying to adjust to the shock of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepping away from their senior royal titles earlier this year, Princess Mary is apparently worried a ‘Megxit’ style exit is about to happen in her own family.

The Tassie-born princess and her husband, Prince Frederik, are due to take over the Danish throne when Queen Margrethe’s reign comes to an end, however, quite like Prince Harry and Prince William’s alleged ‘feud’ drew a wedge between the royals, it’s believed Frederik and his younger brother, Prince Joachim, are having some difficulties with their relationship.

According to reports, there have been mumblings in the Danish royal family that Joachim and his wife, Princess Marie, are planning to make a new life for themselves outside Denmark, a rumour which has only been fuelled by Joachim’s recent move to Paris, where he has been undertaking military training.

“Harry and Meghan’s departure from the British royal family has probably speeded up any thoughts Joachim and Marie had about going their own way,” royal author Phil Dampier told New Idea.

The source claims that just like Prince Harry, Prince Joachim has struggled with being known as ‘the spare’ in the family.

Royal ‘’feud’

Crown Prince Frederik, 51, and 50-year-old Prince Joachim of Denmark have reportedly long been at loggerheads, with tensions appearing to reach an all-time high earlier this year when the younger sibling relocated his family overseas.

Prince Joachim, his wife Princess Marie of Denmark and his kids, Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Princess Athena and Prince Henrik, will set up home in Paris until September 2020.

The whole family did move back to Denmark due to coronavirus restrictions at the beginning of March, however, last week, they returned to Paris.

Brothers at war

Competitive and sporty, Fred and Joachim are little more than one year apart in age but it’s the elder brother who will one day be crowned king.

The pair have reportedly harboured a grudge over their respective roles, with Joachim apparently frustrated with Fred’s ‘lax attitude’ to his royal duties.

Parental favouritism is also said to have driven a wedge between the two brothers, as future monarch Fred was primed for his rule from a young age.

Marie vs Mary

So intense was their rivalry thought to be between the pair at one point that Frederik and Joachim’s wives, Princess Mary and Princess Marie respectively, reportedly weighed in.

The rift reportedly extended beyond the brothers, with Princesses Mary and Marie clashing over who will eventually claim the throne.

While Fred and 47-year-old Mary (née Donaldson) are the rightful heirs, in April 2018 rumours were rife that Marie, 43, was doing everything she could to make sure they never inherited the crown.

“There is a serious war behind palace walls in the Danish monarchy and it’s got to the stage where the whole royal family is at crisis point,” a royal insider told New Idea at the time.

“Marie knows full well that when Queen Margrethe steps down, then Princess Mary will become queen – and that makes her blood boil”.

Others speculated that the striking physical similarities between Mary and Joachim’s second wife Marie were also a sore point between the two couples.

Got a story tip or just want to get in touch? Email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com.