A work trip with your teenage daughter in tow hardly screams ‘romantic getaway’.
But a recent visit by Queen Mary and King Frederik X of Denmark to the picturesque Faroe Islands has caught the attention of royal watchers.
It wasn’t the breathtaking backdrop of the North Atlantic Ocean territory that had people talking. Rather, it was how ‘connected’ the royal couple appeared in the pictures they shared from the visit.
Those who have followed the Danish King and Queen – particularly over the tumultuous past few years – instantly recognised the significance of the photos, which are a world away from ones taken just a year ago.
Last week, Frederik, 57, and Mary, 53, boarded the Royal Yacht Dannebrog for a three-day visit to the autonomous Danish territory, accompanied by their 14-year-old daughter Princess Josephine.
On paper, this was simply another royal trip that ticked all the official visit boxes. There were formal ceremonies, meet and greets with well-wishers, participation in cultural traditions, and the showcasing of local organisations and charities.
The trio even pushed the boundaries with a thrilling zip ride across a gorge in Vágseiði.
But a glimpse at the Danish Royal House’s Instagram grid subtly told a different story.
Namely, that King Frederik, 57, and Queen Mary, 53, appear romantically reconnected after a frosty chapter.
This was demonstrated by a run of of five consecutive posts taken throughout the Faroe Islands visit and shared to the royals’ official Instagram.
The lead picture on all five posts showcased the King and Queen sharing some kind of tactile connection. It’s subtle, yet unmistakable.
For instance, on day two, Mary and Frederik visited several destinations on Suðuroy, which is the southernmost island of the Faroe Island. This included a stop at a workshop, a sports college, a nursing home and tree plantation, just to name a few.
But the lead picture summarising this day showed Frederik warmly wrapping an arm around his wife’s shoulder, holding her in tightly by his side.
One remark on this picture noted the couple appeared ‘more in love every day’. It was a sentiment echoed by a number of royal fans in the comments.
Another post from the trip saw the King and Queen stand side-by-side on board their yacht, holding hands. The translated caption read: ‘Ready for a new day.’
In response to this image, one fan replied with a comment directed at the monarch. They wrote: ‘Dear King Frederik I love the way [you] show your love to Queen Mary.’
Another image from aboard the boat was taken on the final day of the royals’ visit.
Once again, it depicted the married couple of 21 years with fingers interlaced and hands tightly clasped together.
A royal watcher described them as ‘connected’. Another noted they enjoyed seeing Frederik and Mary having ‘time to enjoy the magnificent nature and each other’s company’.
Then, there was a beautiful photo taken of Their Majesties from behind during a hike of the Eiðiskollur mountain.
The couple were seated on the grass overlooking the natural scenery, with Mary’s arm angled in towards her husband’s back, while both gently leaned inwards.
The run of posts also included a picture of the King and Queen meeting with local citizens. While it was the only one in the series of posts where the royals weren’t sharing physical contact, they brushed shoulders and mirrored each other’s features and expressions, projecting the image of a united couple.
The photo series was bolstered by an unexpected admission made by King Frederik during the trip.
At a gala dinner held at the prestigious Hotel Føroyar in Tórshavn on June 11, Frederik warmly thanked the crowd before delivering heartfelt words about his family and marriage.
He said: ‘Thank you very much for the personal, kind, and well-crafted words the Lord Chancellor directed to my wife, to me, and to our children.
‘For us, our children are part of our unity. They are what keep our family together, which is half of our population.’
The statement, together with the recent slew of intimate images, combined to present a new narrative of absolute alignment.
It’s a striking turnaround from the frosty pictures of the couple taken just over a year ago.
Between late 2023 and mid 2024, Frederik and Mary endured what was arguably the most trying time in their marriage, all while grappling with their newfound roles as the heads of the royal family.
It came after former monarch Queen Margrethe II stepped down in January 2024 to allow her son Frederik to ascend the throne.
But the timing was complicated by the royal having just been embroiled in a tabloid furore in the months prior to the promotion after he was pictured with another woman.
While there was no suggestion of impropriety, the friendship was ill-advised and was widely seen as a breach of trust. The press, local and international, had a field day.
The start of the King’s new reign metaphorically represented a fresh start.
But royal watchers and body language experts pointed to tell-tale signs that Frederik and Mary’s relationship was struggling in the fallout of the recent upheaval.
As much as they tried to put on a brave face, pictures at the time told a different story.
An awkward kiss shared on the palace balcony at the January 2024 coronation fuelled ongoing speculation of marital discontent.
Strained interactions continued at subsequent events. Even displays of physical contact were undermined by perceptible emotional distance. Minimal effort was made to feign smiles.
A body language expert confirmed at the time the couple exhibited ‘frosty and awkward’ interactions. Dr Louise Mahler observed the Australian-born queen looked to be trying to subconsciously ‘block’ her husband.
But the latter half of 2024 saw the beginnings of a shift.
In the ‘city of love’ at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the Danish royals began to appear more relaxed and comfortable in their partnership.
And the latest online pictures are among the most intimate and joyful in a long time.
Is it a case of time healing all wounds? Or a growing ease with their new royal position? Perhaps both.
But the message is clear: the royal couple are well along on a path of rekindling.
One royal fan summed it up best in a much-liked comment on one of the recent Faroe Islands Instagram galleries.
‘It is a joy – probably for everyone, but especially for us too, who have followed this couple closely for more than 20 years – to see how happy the royal couple is for each other and the special chemistry they have,’ they said.
‘They have no need to prove a thing. But there are constantly small spontaneous kisses, hugs, a hand on the thigh, arm around each other, an arm on the lower back. It’s nice to see… after 25 years of togetherness.’
