A major legal development raises fresh questions for the Danish royal family about a tabloid scandal they have so far steadfastly refused to acknowledge – and which shows no sign of fading from view.
Mexican-born TV personality Genoveva Casanova last week lost her courtroom battle against the magazine that splashed photos of her enjoying a night out in Madrid with then-Crown Prince Frederik.
The 14-photo spread, published two years ago, showed Casanova spending hours with Denmark’s future king: strolling in a park, attending an art exhibition, and dining while watching flamenco.
The pictures – reportedly taken over October 25 and 26 – also showed the pair walking through the city before heading to her apartment building, changing clothes, and going back out for another evening together.
Notably absent from the photos was Frederik’s Tasmanian-born wife, then-Crown Princess Mary.
The images, first published by Spanish magazine Lecturas in November 2023, became a cause célèbre in Spain and Denmark, and also rippled through English-language media, including in Mary’s home country of Australia.
This year, Casanova made good on past threats to pursue a lawsuit against Lecturas – as was recently confirmed by Spanish newspaper El Economista, which spoke with Lecturas’ editor-in-chief, Luis Pliego.
In Spain, like Australia, plaintiffs generally have one year from the date of publication to commence proceedings, meaning Casanova would have begun the process sometime in 2024.
Queen Mary and King Frederik, seen here at a state dinner in Latvia on October 28, have not addressed the infamous 2023 photos nor the recent court case surrounding them
Genoveva Casanova, seen in November 2022, instructed lawyers to pursue a case against Lecturas magazine for reporting on her October 2023 outing with then-Crown Prince Frederik
Casanova’s lawyers reportedly filed a 400-page lawsuit against Lecturas and several other Spanish outlets that spread the story, claiming the images and associated articles violated Genoveva’s privacy and irreparably damaged her reputation.
El Economista quoted editor Pliego, who said Casanova’s lawyers were demanding one million euros in compensation for publishing the scandalous snaps.
Pliego previously explained that the magazine’s defence centred on ‘the journalistic relevance of the story’.
The outlet’s lawyers argued that public interest justified publishing the story, as it ultimately ‘led to Queen Margrethe’s abdication and Frederik’s ascension to the throne’.
In essence, the media’s defence was that public interest in the story outweighed the privacy rights of the future King and Casanova – who, it should be noted, has been famous in Europe for years because of her television career and former marriage to the Spanish nobleman Cayetano Martínez.
Now, the judge has handed down a decision, ruling that the scoop published by Lecturas did not violate her privacy or honour, and that the published material was indeed protected ‘by freedom of expression and information’.
‘The exclusive report on the meeting between the actress and the crown prince, given the circumstances, clearly and undeniably carries social and political significance due to the qualities of both public figures,’ the translated ruling states – as proudly reported by Lecturas.
But in a consolation prize, the magazine was ordered to pay Casanova €175,000 – not for defaming her or violating her privacy, but for use of her Instagram photos.
A judge ruled the scoop published by Lecturas (pictured) did not violate Casanova’s privacy, and the published material was indeed protected ‘by freedom of expression and information’
Lecturas has, however, been ordered to pay Ms Casanova (seen in 2023) €175,000 – not for defaming her or violating her privacy, but for use of her Instagram photos
Surprisingly, some publications, including ¡Hola! have claimed this payout – which Lecturas’s lawyers are appealing – as a win for Casanova.
While the compensation is substantial, it likely pales in comparison to how much was spent on Casanova’s lawyers by her aristocratic ex-husband Martínez, the father of her two children.
A clear-cut win for Casanova, of course, would have been Lecturas admitting the photos and articles were misleading, and apologising unreservedly for any suggestion of impropriety.
Had this been the outcome, it might also have benefited the Danish royal couple, providing closure to lingering questions about Frederik’s activities during those two enigmatic days in 2023.
But now that that’s been rejected, suspicions will inevitably continue.
Ultimately, even with Lecturas having to pay Casanova six figures for copyright infringement, the result fails to answer the question of whether she and King Frederik were just friends or something more. (Though it should be noted this was never the trial’s purpose, and Casanova has always denied any suggestion of impropriety.)
As news of the legal decision became public, all eyes naturally turned to Queen Mary for her reaction – but she was nowhere to be found.
Instead, she had left Denmark bound for Brazil on a pre-arranged trip. As the decision was handed down in a Madrid courthouse, she was literally in the middle of the Amazon rainforest.
As news of the legal decision became public, all eyes turned to Queen Mary for her reaction – but she was nowhere to be found. Instead, she had left Denmark bound for Brazil
Mary was visiting South America to discuss environmental research and sustainability with local organisations as part of the lead-up to COP30.
There, she met with various researchers and groups working to protect the rainforest and promote sustainable living.
Dressed in outdoorsy gear and flashing a relaxed smile as she mingled with locals, Mary showed no sign of concern over the legal storm brewing thousands of kilometres away.
Rather, she seemed far too busy learning about Amazonian agriculture, tasting cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients, and meeting stakeholders dedicated to protecting the area’s astonishing biodiversity.
As ever, there was not even a hint of a comment from Mary about any legal decision concerning the pictures of her husband and Ms Casanova.
But it’s not over yet.
According to ¡HOLA!, Casanova’s legal team already plans to request a reassessment of the compensation.
The Australian-born Queen’s visit to South America saw her discuss environmental research and sustainability with local organisations as part of the lead-up to COP30
As ever, there was not even a hint of a comment from Mary about any legal decision concerning the pictures of her husband and Ms Casanova
‘They aren’t thrilled with the amount, which falls far short of the million euros they initially demanded, and they’re confident that the final ruling could still shift in their favour,’ the article states.
While her lawyers reportedly seek a bigger payment, the magazine is fighting tooth and nail not to pay her any compensation at all for using her social media pictures.
Lecturas’s lawyers are doubling down on their defence that the story and all accompanying images were ultimately in the public interest and they should therefore be required to pay nothing.
All this squabbling over the bill for a few selfies means the matter won’t be going away anytime soon.
For her part, Casanova continues to maintain a dignified silence, as she always has – instead letting her lawyers do the talking.
Realistically, this court case – in which Frederik played no part – was never going to decisively rule whether the King had an improper relationship outside his marriage.
But as the case continues to drag on through the legal system, questions are likely to persist in the public’s mind – all at a time when Frederik and Mary have worked so diligently for the past two years to put the scandal in their rearview mirror.
Behind Denmark’s palace walls, there’s little doubt they’re quietly hoping the drawn-out appeals wrap up sooner rather than later.
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