Mary Banned from her bestie

As she prepares to be queen, Mary has been forced to make a big sacrifice

The life of a royal can be a lonely one, which is why Princess Mary has always maintained her connections with friends in Copenhagen. But Woman’s Day can reveal the Tasmanian-born royal is devastated at having to cut ties with her closest Danish friend, Caroline Fleming.

Caroline, who was born a baroness, was once married to Rory Fleming – nephew of James Bond author Ian Fleming. She and Mary would talk on the phone daily, celebrate their kids’ birthdays together and go on skiing trips. But in 2015, Caroline became a reality TV star, appearing on US series Ladies of London, and she now lives a party lifestyle, often posting shots of herself topless and drinking on Instagram.

A royal insider says Mary, 45, was told her friendship with 41-year-old Caroline was a bad look for a future queen, and it’s thought she was asked to restrict contact with her. “Because Mary will have such an important role as queen, she

really has to choose her close friends carefully,” our insider says. “She has had to slowly move away from friends who perhaps don’t fit into the royal standard of behaviour any longer.”

Even though Mary is godmother to Caroline’s daughter Josephine, the two women are no longer in each other’s company. Mary didn’t attend Caroline’s father’s funeral earlier this year, and when the two recently crossed paths at an event, Caroline gave Mary a big hug, which Mary looked reluctant to reciprocate.

“As a reality star with many followers on Instagram, Caroline may no longer fit in with Mary,” the insider adds. “There is a difference between being a princess and being a queen, which is why they may have drifted apart.”