IS FRED’S BROTHER IN LOVE WITH MARY?
Wild reports of a secret crush have raised eyebrows in Denmark
Prince Frederik’s feud with his brother Prince Joachim has been catapulted to new heights after wild allegations suggested the younger sibling had long been harbouring romantic feelings for his sister-in-law Princess Mary.
“With obvious signs of drunkenness, it seems that the youngest son of Queen Margrethe tried to stamp his lips on his sister-in-law’s mouth,” a source claimed to Spanish magazine Vanitatis El Confidencial. “[Mary] got out of the way as she could and with an unperturbed smile, while [Joachim’s wife] Marie witnessed the embarrassing moment.”
The publication also went on to allege that Joachim, 53, was “deeply in love” with Mary, 50, and “it didn’t help that in 2007 he announced his engagement to a French girl [Marie] with the same name and a striking physical resemblance”.
If the shocking allegations are true, it may explain the deep rift between Mary’s
husband, future king Frederik, 54, and his brother. The Danish royal family is splintered down the middle after Margrethe, 82, stripped her younger son Joachim’s children of their royal titles late last month.
UNREQUITED LOVE
Insiders say the brothers’ long-simmering tensions could well have stemmed from Joachim’s misguided affections.
“Fred and Joachim haven’t been close for years, and this so-called crush on Mary could very much be the reason why,” an insider tells Woman’s Day exclusively.
“It also explains why Mary and Marie have clearly never been very close, despite being sisters-in-law.”
Vanitatis El Confidencial alleges that the rift between Fred and Joachim’s families became so noticeable that Margrethe “called them to order” and “started a campaign to show that there were no problems between the two women”.
Insiders tell Woman’s Day that Margrethe tried for years to brush her sons’ feud under the rug, but eventually it all came to a head.
Fred’s fury at his brother was also said to be part of the reason his mother publicly stripped her younger son’s children of their prince and princess titles.
“Joachim is furious about how it’s all played out, and blames Fred’s ego and his powers of persuasion over their mother,” says a source.
“Joachim hasn’t publicly denied his crush on Mary, but of course he’s been forced to do it privately. According to him, he and his family have been left out in the cold, thanks to petty family squabbles and salacious rumours.”
For Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman, splitting their time between the US and Australia is getting more difficult by the day.
From their home in Nashville, 54-year-old Keith has managed to tour relentlessly through North America, juggling his life on the road with his wife’s glittering Hollywood career – along with the schedules of their two daughters, Sunday, 14, and Faith, 11.
“For a long time, life was easy,” says a source. “They had everything they wanted
– it was a dream come true for both Nicole and Keith, even though being so far from home wasn’t ideal.” But in recent years, the reality of distance has sadly become all too much.
PERSONAL PRIORITIES
Friends say Keith and Nicole are finding it harder and harder to be away from Australia and their mothers.
“Especially now that both their dads have passed away. Nicole has yearned to be closer to her mum ever since her dad passed, and Janelle is very much starting to slow down.”
Keith, meanwhile, recently moved his own mum Marienne – who was widowed when the singer’s father Robert died in
2015 after a long battle with cancer – into a cosy home on the Queensland Sunshine Coast.
Now, it seems Keith has made the ultimate sacrifice for their family, opting not to return to his lucrative role on The Voice while he’s home, and instead spending more time with Janelle and Marienne.
OVER-COMMITTED
“He’s just coming off a massive tour in the US and as soon as that’s over in a couple of weeks, they’re hightailing it to Australia,” says a source.
‘The main purpose of this trip is to be with their mums’
“He’s doing a few tour dates here for the home crowd to keep the money rolling in over summer, but the main purpose of this extended trip is to be with his and Nic’s mums. Adding The Voice into his schedule
– as much as he loved being a coach – was just too much. He wants to use the time at home to focus on his family.”
Keith says, “I don’t think of it as the end of a chapter because I love doing the show. Hopefully the door can stay open because I would jump back in a heartbeat.”
CHERISHED CHRISTMAS
In January, Nicole confirmed her 81-year-old mum’s health was failing, explaining she was in Sydney at the time to “take care” of her and “surround her” with grandchildren.
Now, Keith has shed further light on Janelle’s health, appearing to suggest this could be their last Christmas with her. “My mum just turned 80 and Nic’s mum – who knows how many Christmases we get with anybody ever but particularly with our mums
– I really cherish that chance to spend Chrissy with them and our family in Oz,” he revealed. “Having the kids there is great but extended family as well because we don’t have any family in Nashville.
“So it’s incredible to have all of the cousins and aunts and uncles and everybody... it’s just amazing.”