Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has stripped four of her eight grandchildren of their royal titles in the hope they can live a more normal life, it has been announced.
The children of the monarch’s second son, Prince Joachim, will no longer be referred to as prince or princesses from 1 January 2023, this is contained in a statement the 82-year-old Queen Margrethe issued on Wednesday, as reported by Sky News.
The affected grandchildren, Prince Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, and Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, instead “can only use their titles as counts and countess of Monpezat”, and will be addressed as excellencies in the future.
The decision of the Royal Majesty which was revealed by the Danish royal family reads:
“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 involves.
“All four grandchildren maintain their places in the order of succession.”
However, the news was not well-received by all members of the royal family, New York Post reports.
Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg — the mother of Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix, who are set to lose their royal titles, said she was “confused” by the news.
Crown Prince Frederik, his wife Princess Mary, and their four children will keep their royal titles.
“We are saddened and in shock,” Prince Joachim’s ex-wife said in a statement from her press advisor Helle von Wildenrath Løvgreen, according to Danish magazine Se og Hør.
“This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.”
No changes were made to the titles of Prince Frederik, the heir to the throne, as well as his wife, Princess Mary, and their children — Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and 11-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine.
Prince Joachim, 53, is currently sixth in line to the Danish throne, with his children following from seventh to 10th, respectively the report stated.
The decision is in line with “similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years,” the statement added.
Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, both 11, will retain their royal titles.
Queen Margrethe, who was crowned in 1972, became the longest-serving monarch in Europe following the death of Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September.