Smiling as they trekked through the Swiss Alps slopes together, Denmark’s King Frederik and Queen Mary seemed to be in their happy place.
WATCH: Princess Mary and Prince Frederik dance together
And a royal insider reveals that the two-week ski break has corrected the course of the couple’s marriage after a tumultuous period, despite it coming just a month after they ascended the throne.
“This trip to the Alps not only put their marriage on track, but it also ‘saved’ the monarchy,” the royal source tells New Idea. “It’s not unusual for Mary and Frederik to have a winter vacation, but this time they extended it because they had a lot to discuss.”
Their luxury ski lodge is the prime place to relax and spend quality time as a couple. It boasts a sauna, spa and heating room along with stunning views.
It’s also a familiar place for Mary, 52, and Fred, 55, who have owned the dwelling for going on 14 years.
“This two-week trip gave them the privacy and connection they needed to get through the next few historic years,” the royal source adds.
Still, the family holiday raised eyebrows for some. With their eldest son and heir Prince Christian, 18, tagging along, it left Fred’s abdicated mother, Queen Margrethe, in charge of Denmark again while they were away.
But the royal source insists Margrethe, 83, was supportive of Fred and Mary taking a short break to focus on keeping their marriage in a healthy, solid place.
“It was Margrethe who insisted they take time out after the coronation to refocus their union and to recover from the shock of the past few transformative months,” the insider explains.
Of course, there was also business on the agenda for the King and Queen during their Swiss Alps getaway.
With so much to plan in their new roles, the insider explains the parents-of-four used the opportunity to “lay out some groundwork” for their busy year ahead.
“They needed this break to map out plans for the next couple of years of the monarchy,” the source says. “They have staff to hire, world tours to arrange, affiliations to agree on – it’s go, go, go since the coronation.”
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