Denmark's Queen Margrethe – who is now Europe's only reigning queen following the death of Queen Elizabeth II – has stripped four of her eight grandchildren of their titles.
The move means that the four children of her youngest son, Prince Joachim will not be permitted to use their Prince and Princess titles. "As of January 1 2023, the descendants of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim will only be able to use their titles of Count and Countess of Monpezat, their previous titles of Prince and Princess of Denmark ceasing to exist," a statement from the royal palace said earlier this week.
Prince Joachim has four children from two marriages: Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena, ranging in age from 23 to 10.
Why did Queen Margrethe strip her grandchildren's titles?
Announcing the news that Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena will no longer be known and Princes and Princesses, the palace said the reason for the move is to allow the children to live more 'normal' lives – this follows similar moves by other royal families in Europe who are slimming down their monarchies.
With her decision, Her Majesty the Queen wants to create a framework for the four grandchildren, to a much greater degree, to be able to shape their own existence without being limited by the special considerations and obligations that a formal affiliation with the Royal House as an institution implies," the palace noted. "The Queen’s decision is in line with similar changes that other royal houses have carried out in recent years in different ways."
According to 23-year-old Nikolai (the oldest of Prince Joachim's children), the siblings are "very sad" about the change. "[We are] in shock at this decision and at how quickly it has actually gone," Nikolai told Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet. "I am very confused as to why it has to happen like this."
The young royal added that he was only informed of the change "a little over a week ago" but feels more upset now that it has been publicly announced. "As I said, we were shocked. But it is clear that it hits even harder now that it has been published," he added.
Similarly, Prince Joachim told the newspaper: "It’s never fun to see your children being mistreated like that."
In her statement, Queen Margarethe said all four siblings will maintain their places in the order of succession despite being stripped of their Prince and Princess titles.