Prince Michael and a camera shy blonde: Danish beauty is intriguing stand-in for Princess Pushy at ballet

The Queen’s cousin invited Marianne Krex, a well-known socialite in her home city of Copenhagen, to the London Coliseum performance after his wife of 30 years, Princess Michael, was unable to attend at the last minute.

Pas de deux: Miss Krex leaves the ballet with the Prince, where she tries hard not to be photographed

But her friendship with the 66-year-old Prince has started tongues wagging, especially because she appeared desperate not to be photographed with him at the premiere of Russian ballet Spartacus. Both the Prince and Princess have long been dogged by rumours that they have dated other people during their marriage.

Yesterday, Miss Krex’s sister, Nina, told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Her relationship with Prince Michael of Kent is her own business. Marianne lives in London now and has her own life. She is allowed to spend time with anyone she wishes.’

Miss Krex did not want to be photographed at the ballet

When The Mail on Sunday spoke to Miss Krex, who is believed to be in her 30s, she refused to comment and said only: ‘How did you get this information?’

Inside the Coliseum, Miss Krex tried to hide from the flashbulbs by holding her black jacket up to her face, and later tried to elude the waiting photographers as she left the theatre after the Mikhailovsky Ballet performance.

After spotting the group she swiftly crossed the road and walked away,  covering her face with a shawl.

The Prince, who left separately, looked baffled when he emerged from the theatre and tried to work out where she had gone; at one point appearing to call her on his mobile phone.

After they found each other, the couple were driven to the first-night reception for the ballet at the Russian embassy. According to a source, they left that event at the same time.

‘Princess Michael had been invited along with her husband but she was unable to attend at the last minute because apparently she hadn’t arrived back in time from a weekend away,’ said the source.

‘Instead, Marianne’s name was put on the list. She specifically asked not to be photographed inside the theatre, which seemed strange.

‘She and the Prince didn’t mingle with the others at the reception much, they just stood together talking intently then left together.’

A Copenhagen-based friend of Miss Krex’s added: ‘Marianne is a typical Danish girl – good fun and keen to enjoy the good things in life. She moved abroad because she wanted to expand her horizons. She’s a very hard-working business girl but likes letting her hair down. She’s a single woman so is perfectly entitled to hang around with anyone she chooses.

‘Marianne is very well-educated and comes from a classy family. She would be very comfortable in the company of Royalty. It would be fair to say that Marianne likes a bit of glamour and excitement in her life.

‘She likes hanging around with successful people but is definitely not a show-off. She would not try to take advantage of her famous friends.’

Miss Krex, who works for City recruitment firm Stephen Raby, has been photographed at several high- profile events in recent months.

Emma Pigott, who works part-time at the firm, said colleagues would have had no idea she was spending time with the Prince. She said Miss Krex was single, adding: ‘She’s quite private so I doubt she would have told anyone about it.’

Prince Michael has been married to Austrian born Marie-Christine von Reibnitz since 1978 and they have two children, Lady Gabriella and Lord Freddie. But their marriage has long been the subject of rumours of affairs on both sides – though nothing has ever been substantiated.

Six years after their marriage, Princess Michael was linked to 44-year-old Texan oilman Ward Hunt, who is said to have proposed marriage. Further speculation followed of an affair with Elizabeth Taylor’s sixth husband John Warner, an American senator.

The Princess, whose reputation for demanding behaviour has led to the nickname Princess Pushy, was also photographed with Russian millionaire Mikhail Kravchenko in 2006. Both denied an affair, claiming they were friends and business partners.

That year American artist and socialite Lucy Weber claimed to have had an eight-year relationship with Prince Michael, although the Prince refused to comment.

Just months earlier, the Prince arrived at a glamorous London party arm-in-arm with statuesque blonde writer Leonie Freida. And in 1994 he was said to be courting former Royal Ballet principal dancer Bryony Brind, 18 years his junior.

The Prince’s spokesman said he is currently away and cannot be reached, but he insisted: ‘They are just friends.’

... and another bash they both attended

Its not known when the Prince first met Marianne Krex, but they both attended the same society exhibition last month.

Marianne and Todd Morley, left, were at the same event as the Prince and his wife

Marianne was pictured with investment banker Todd Morley, above left, at a display of Prince Dimitri of Yugoslavia’s jewellery collection at fine art dealer Partridge.

The Prince was with his wife, above right, who hosted the event and who bears a striking resemblance to his new friend.