Prince Joachim Speaks Out After Queen Margrethe II of Denmark Removes His Kids' Royal Titles
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark announced she was removing the royal titles of four of her grandchildren.
MikeTyes
Prince Joachim of Denmark is speaking out after his mother, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, decided to to remove his four children's royal titles. Prince Joachim has two kids with his ex-wife, Alexandria, Countess of Frederiksborg. His children, Henrik and Athena, are with his current wife, Princess Marie, whom he married in 2008.
On Thursday, the 53-year-old royal spoke with Danish publication Ekstra Bladet outside of the Danish Embassy.
"We are all very sad. It's never fun to see your children being mistreated like that," he said, via translation. "They themselves find themselves in a situation they do not understand."
Following the announcement, Prince Joachim's ex, Alexandria, also spoke out about the change, noting that her children feel “ostracized” by the queen’s decision.
In a statement toB.T., her translated message said, “We are all confused by the decision. We are saddened and in shock," adding, “This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.”
Queen Margrethe II announced on Wednesday that four of her grandchildren’s royal titles will change. In a statement via the Danish Royal Director of Communications, Joachim's kids -- Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10 -- and their descendants will go now by Count and Countess of Monpezat. Their prince and princess titles will be "discontinued" at the start of 2023.
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“In April 2008, Her Majesty The Queen bestowed upon her sons, their spouses and their descendants the titles of count and countess of Monpezat. In May 2016, it was also announced that His Royal Highness Prince Christian, as the only one of The Queen’s grandchildren, is expected to receive an annuity from the state as an adult,” the statement read.
“As a natural extension of this, Her Majesty has decided that, as of 1 January 2023, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim’s descendants can only use their titles as counts and countess of Monpezat, as the titles of prince and princess that they have held up until now will be discontinued. Prince Joachim’s descendants will thus have to be addressed as excellencies in the future,” the statement continued.
The statement noted that the decision by the 82-year-old monarch was made to simply fall in line with similar adjustments made by other royal houses.
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“The queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years,” read the statement. “With her decision, 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.”
Queen Margrethe later spoke to reporters, who asked her about her decision.
"It is a consideration I have had for quite a long time and I think it will be good for them in their future," she said via HELLO!. "That is the reason."
When asked about her grandchildren feeling "ostracized" by the move, the queen responded, "Well, you have to see how you ... I haven't seen it myself, I must say."
Queen Margrethe II’s other grandchildren include Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and 11-year-old twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, whose father, Prince Frederick of Denmark, is heir to the throne.
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