Prince Frederik and Princess Mary of Denmark appear distant

Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary of Denmark put on a frosty display this morning as they arrived at the Christiansborg Palace for a New Year reception.

Frederik, 55, dressed in military regalia, while Mary, 51, looked chic in a navy dress as they met with Queen Margrethe, who will step down in 11 days time.

Walking side-by-side into the palace, the couple appeared tense as they walked to greet the diplomatic corps

Insiders told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet that the 'the couple did not look they were enjoying themselves' and described the atmosphere as being at 'freezing point'.

'Words were exchanged between the two, and it didn't look like they wished each other good luck' the paper claims.

Queen Margarethe, who took over the throne in 1972,  announced she is abdicating in a shock New Year's Eve speech and will be succeeded by her son on January 14, after 52 years on the throne. 

The couple kept a polite distance and barely exchanged words as they walked towards the Knights' Hall, flanked by soldiers.

The atmosphere remained cold when they took their place beside Queen Margrethe inside the hall, both dressed formally for the occasion.

Queen Margrethe, who has been dubbed a 'style icon' by Vogue,  arrived in a fur coat.

She was also highly decorated in medals, atop a deep red dress with black detailing on the collar and sleeves. 

It's been a tumultuous few years for the Danish royal family.  Margarethe stepping down comes two months after photographs emerged of Crown Prince Frederik enjoying a night out with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova in Madrid in October.

The rumours began when Prince Frederik was photographed enjoying a night out in Spain  with his friend Genoveva Casanova without his wife.

The family headed for a pre-Christmas break to Mary's native Australia, as well as visiting New Zealand.

Before the family's flight from New Zealand Princess Mary shared a cryptic post about loneliness and the need for positive human connection ahead of Christmas.

In the letter posted on the Mary Foundation website, the future queen reflected on the past year - and said she felt it was shorter than previous years.

'And at the same time, so much has happened that it is impossible to put it all into words,' she continued.

An excerpt shared on the official Instagram of the Danish Royal House had some speculating the princess was using her foundation to hint at the affair rumours.

'We need each other if we are to succeed.' And that's not only true in the working world and for those of us who are working to combat social isolation,' it read.

'This is true for all of us. Humans need humans.'

The post and powerful words were pictured alongside a gorgeous picture of the royal in the snow.

She wore a purple jacket beneath a warm woolen wrap and gave a soft smile toward the camera.

'The Danish royal family are lucky to have you. I hope your husband realises he has embarrassed you and his children immeasurably. You will make a fine queen,' one fan commented.

Another wrote: 'I think this is a sad year for Mary, her husband's (alleged) betrayal and it's public. What a brave woman, she can handle anything. I just adore her.' 

Some came to the defence of the royals calling for people to stop talking about the alleged affair.

There has been speculation that Queen Margrethe's abdication may have been driven to save the marriage of her son and Princess Mary in the wake of the alleged 'affair'.

Ms Casanova has denied allegations of any relationship with Frederik.

Royal commentator Phil Dampier told The Telegraph: 'It's possible that the Queen took this action because she would have been terrified of the marriage breaking up and the royal family losing Mary. It would have caused major problems. 

'The Queen has always seen Mary as a tremendous asset.'

The Prince and his Australian Princess have been rocked by rumours of infidelity since November - placing their 'fairytale romance' under the microscope.

In 2022 Margrethe sparked a public rift with  Joachim after stripping his four children of their royal titles. She subsequently apologised about the timing of the announcement but stood by the edict.

Joachim had spoken out against his mother's decision in the days that followed - claiming that his children born from Joachim's first marriage to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg - and Henrik and Athena had been 'harmed' in the process.

Months later, the sixth-in-line to the throne admitted that 'communication was missing' within the Royal Family in the lead-up to the shock announcement.

Joachim told local news outlet B.T.: 'There is a lot to work on. Communication was what was missing. Now we have met and we are on the right track.'

Shortly after his children were stripped of his titles, Joachim claimed that he had only been given five days' notice before the news was made public.

Following the Queen's announcement, Joachim spoke to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet outside the Danish Embassy in Paris, where he lives with his French-born wife Princess Marie and his two youngest children, and said his four children had been 'hurt' by their grandmother's decision.

'I was given five days' notice to tell them. In May, I was presented with a plan which, by and large, was that when the children each turned 25, it would happen. Now I had only five days to tell them. Athena turns 11 in January,' he clarified at the time.

Meanwhile, his ex-wife Alexandra said that her sons, Nikolai and Felix, had been left feeling 'ostracised' from the institution and the decision had come like a 'bolt out of the blue'.

The Royal Household released a further statement, saying: 'As the Queen stated yesterday, the decision has been a long time coming.

'We understand that there are many emotions at stake at the moment, but we hope that the Queen's wish to future-proof the Royal Household will be respected.'