The Danish prince and princess have taken a swipe at the Queen over her decision to strip their children of their royal titles.
Princess Marie of Denmark said that she and her husband Prince Joachim were “not happy about the way” the decision was made.
Queen Margrethe of Denmark decided to strip the titles from Prince Joachim’s children in 2022.
This meant that the kids lost their prince or princess titles and their His/Her Highness styling but remained in line to the throne.
Queen Margrethe stripped the titles of her youngest son's children
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From the beginning of 2023, the children were known as Counts and Countesses of Monpezat, rather than HRH.
The changes affected four of Joachim's children; Nikolai, 24 and Felix, 21 whom he shares with his first wife and Henrik, 14 and Athena, 11, with whom he lives with in Washington.
The couple spoke to the Washington Post about the Queen’s decision and how it challenged their family.
Marie said: “We weren’t happy about the way it happened. But it’s a family thing. It’s complicated.
Prince Joachim of Denmark and his wife, Princess Marie of Denmark, pose for a portrait at the Embassy of Denmark in Washington, DC
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“It’s also their name. It’s their identity since they were born. So it’s more than just what people see as a title.”
However, Joachim said that the family has since tried to put the row behind them stating: “We’ve moved on.”
Prince Joachim moved his family to Washington, DC, in 2023 as he started a new job as Defence Industry Attaché.
At the time of the Queen’s decision, which seemed to be taken without much consultation with the rest of the family, the prince said his family was “very sad” about the move.
Queen Margrethe greets Prince Joachim at the Danish Parliament on January 2024
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Princess Marie and Prince Joachim stand with Prince Felix and Prince Nikolai
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He said that they had been “put in a situation they do not understand,” and that “it’s never fun to see your children being harmed.”
During the Queen’s announcement about the titles being removed, Margrethe said that she wanted to “create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent” without the responsibilities that come with the Royal House of Denmark.
The Queen, who abdicated the throne earlier this year, later apologised for causing any hard feelings but defended the move as “necessary future-proofing of the monarchy.”
Time has seemed to heal the wounds caused by the Queen’s actions as both Prince Joachim and Prince Frederik joined the Queen with their children at Marselisborg Palace for Christmas in 2023.