Queen Margrethe II of Denmark declared on September 29 that she intends to strip four of her grandchildren of their Danish royal titles in 2023.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark grins while visiting the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Germany on September 10, 2014. Queen Margrethe is on a two-day visit to Berlin.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
As previously reported by Insider, the Danish monarch stated on the website of the royal family that the children of her youngest son, Prince Joachim of Denmark, will lose their royal titles in 2023.
This decision impacts Prince Nikolai, age 23, Prince Felix, age 10, Prince Henrik, age 13, and Princess Athena, age 10. According to the announcement on the royal website, they will still be permitted to use the titles of count and countess of Monpezat.
According to the statement, the Queen took the choice so that her grandchildren “may construct their own lives” without being officially associated with the royal household.
The offspring of Margrethe’s eldest son and successor to the throne, Prince Frederik, may continue to use their royal titles.
Representatives of the Danish royal family did not immediately react to an inquiry from Insider.
Prince Joachim criticized the queen’s choice, stating that his four children were distressed.
Prince Joachim of Denmark and the Duke of Sussex were captured on camera in 2017 in Copenhagen.
Photograph by Chris Jackson/Getty Images
Prince Joachim sent a statement to the Danish media on the day of the Queen’s announcement, expressing his children’s displeasure at their grandmother’s decision.
“We’re all pretty depressed. It’s never enjoyable to witness such mistreatment of your children “He stated to the Danish publication Ekstra Bladet. They are in a predicament that they do not comprehend.
In addition, he stated that he was only given five days’ warning of his mother’s decision, although he was aware of Queen Margrethe’s plans to revoke his children’s titles in May 2022.
Prince Joachim’s representatives did not react promptly to Insider’s request for comment.
Prince Nikolai, the eldest son of Joachim, expressed dismay at the decision.
In August 2017, Prince Nikolai of Denmark was photographed on the royal ship Dannebrog.
Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images
According to a translation provided by the New York Post, in an interview with Ekstra Bladet on September 29, Nikolai stated that he was “shocked” by the decision and “quite bewildered as to why it has to happen in this manner.”
Prince Nikolai’s representatives did not react promptly to Insider’s request for comment.
In an interview when they discussed the Queen’s declaration, Prince Joachim and his wife, Princess Marie, appeared emotional.
Princess Marie and Prince Joachim both hail from Denmark.
Photograph by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty
The royal couple appeared tearful when answering questions about the Queen’s announcement with the tabloid B.T. on October 1, according to an English translation by Hello Magazine.
During the interview, a French woman told the couple that their children will always be princes and princesses in their eyes, leaving “the pair stunned, and they both began to cry because they were so moved,” as reported by Hello Magazine.
During the conversation, Prince Joachim addressed rumors that the Queen had stripped his children of their titles in an effort to streamline the monarchy.
“Regardless of whether you choose to modernize or trim down, it must be done properly. It focuses on children. Orderliness and children. It is a very weighty issue “he stated.
Queen Margrethe delivered a public apology, explaining that she made the decision to safeguard the monarchy for the future.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark waves from the Town Hall balcony after lunch on her 75th birthday, April 16, 2015, during celebrations.
Mark Cuthbert/UK Press courtesy of Getty Images
Margrethe addressed the “strong reactions” to her choice on the website of the royal family of Denmark on October 3.
She argued that royal titles entail commitments and responsibilities that will fall on fewer members of the royal family in the future, which she believes is necessary to “future-proof” the monarchy.
“I have reached a decision in my capacities as queen, mother, and grandma. As a mother and grandmother, though, I have misjudged the degree to which my younger son and his family are affected. This leaves a significant impression, and I apologize for that,” Margrethe wrote, adding that her children, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren are “my greatest source of joy and pride.”
She wrote, “I now hope that we as a family may find the peace to navigate this situation.”