Denmark’s Queen Margrethe announced her intention to deprive four of her grandchildren of the titles of prince and princess. “It’s something I’ve been thinking about for a long time,” Margrethe told reporters after the decision was announced. “I believe it will be beneficial to them in the future.”
Today, after Prince Joachim and his family expressed their dissatisfaction with the decision, Margrethe issued a second statement, saying, “I have made my decision as Queen, mother, and grandmother, but as a mother and grandmother, I have underestimated the extent to which my younger son and his family feel affected.”
What Happened
Margrethe II of Denmark “It has been decided that, as of 1 January 2023, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim’s descendants will only be able to use their titles as counts and countesses of Monpezat, as the titles of prince and princess, which they have held up to this point, will be discontinued. In the future, the descendants of Prince Joachim will have to be addressed as excellencies. The Queen’s decision is consistent with similar changes made by other royal houses in various ways in recent years “according to the Danish Royal House.
“Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution entails,” the statement continued.
Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik, and Princess Athena, Prince Joachim’s four children, will keep their places in the succession order.
Prince Joachim, whose children will lose their titles, expressed his displeasure with Queen Margrethe’s decision immediately. Joachim spoke to the press and told B.T., “My children are depressed, I can say. My children are unsure which leg to stand on. What they ought to believe. Why should their identities be concealed? Why should they be punished in this manner?” According to Joachim, he was given five days’ notice, but the Royal Household says he was informed in May.
His first wife, Countess Alexandra, mother to Nikolai, 23, and Felix, 20, was also unhappy. “She can’t believe why and why now, because there’s no good reason,” Helle von Wildenrath Lvgreen, Countess Alexandra’s press secretary, told CNN. “They’d lose their titles anyway if they ever married. Her sons are young men, so perhaps they will marry soon, so why not wait until that time so that the titles will disappear on a happy day?”
“It’s simply a loss of identity, and it’s especially difficult for small children and young men. ‘What will they write in my passport now?’ Prince Nikolai asked.” Lvgreen was added.
What was Queen Margrethe’s reaction to all of this drama?
Queen Margrethe weighed in again five days after her decision. “There have been strong reactions in recent days to my decision regarding the future use of titles for Prince Joachim’s four children. Of course, this has an impact on me “she wrote in a statement distributed by the Danish Royal House.
She went on, “My decision has taken a long time to come. With my 50 years on the throne, it is natural for me to look back as well as forward. As Queen, it is my duty and desire to ensure that the monarchy always shapes itself in accordance with the times. This sometimes necessitates difficult decisions, and finding the right time is always difficult.”
