‘THINGS HAVE CHANGED SO MUCH'

Australian-born Princess Mary is missing home more than ever as she and Fred grow apart

For Princess Mary, the past 12 months have been the most difficult time for her since she joined the Danish royal family on the arm of Crown Prince Frederik in 2004 – and friends fear it’s taking a dramatic toll on her marriage.

The future king and queen have not only been forced to reckon with the global pandemic just like the rest of us, but there’s also been family in-fighting that’s almost driven Fred, 52, and Mary, who turns 49 this week, to the brink.

And now, Woman’s Day has images of Mary dabbling in a new hobby with a mystery man by her side, driving speculation that all is not well on the home front for the Tassie-born royal.

“She’s loving horseriding and finds it is an excellent way to blow off steam,” says a source. “I’m sure it helps that the guy she’s hanging out with there, who seems to be her instructor, is easy on the eyes!”