Queen Margrethe II’s renouncement of four of her grandchildren’s royal titles is NOT going over well with their parents. Can’t say we’re surprised…
Sooo, remember how we reported the Danish Matriarch announced she was stripping Nikolai, Felix, Henrik, and Athena of their royal HRH and “Prince/Princess” titles, effective January 1, 2023?! Instead of being a Prince or Princess, the kids “will thus have to be addressed as excellencies” in the future instead. In her announcement, it was officially being presented as a benevolent decision made by a concerned grandparent… Well, it turns out there’s WAY more to it. Something is rotten in the state of Denmark…
As a refresher, Wednesday’s Royal House release explained:
“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.”
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It sounded like she was trying to encourage the kids to go out and discover themselves outside of their royal identities. However, her son, his Royal Highness Prince Joachim, begs to differ. In a Thursday statement to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet, he explained:
“We are all very sad. It’s never fun to see your children being mistreated like that. They themselves find themselves in a situation they do not understand.”
“Mistreated”?? DEFINITELY sounds like there was a lack of communication between the Queen and her descendants, and her son does not seem very pleased! Prince Joachim’s ex-wife, Alexandria, Countess of Frederiksborg, with whom he shares 23-year-old Nikolai and 20-year-old Felix, also spoke out following the announcement, telling B.T.:
“We are all confused by the decision. We are saddened and in shock. This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.”
You gotta admit, growing up for years as a Prince or Princess and having that suddenly ripped away from you would definitely present some pretty challenging feelings to navigate. Alexandra’s press secretary Helle von Wildenrath Løvgreen, opened up more to CNN, revealing the Countess was “very sad and in shock”:
“She can’t believe why and why now, because there’s no good reason. They would lose their titles anyway when they get married one day. Her sons are young men so maybe they might get married in the near future so why shouldn’t it wait until that day so that the titles would disappear on a happy day?”
Von Wildenrath Løvgreen revealed how the kids found out, saying:
“Their father told his children. They were quite shocked. He’s really a man of honor. He’s lived all his life in his family with that title and he’s shocked and nearly cried this morning when one of the European tabloids talked to him in Paris.”
Her Majesty herself later followed up the announcement, which claimed her decision was “in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years,” with a bit more context, telling Hello!:
“It is a consideration I have had for quite a long time and I think it will be good for them in their future. That is the reason.”
Related: Why Prince Harry & Meghan Markle Want To Edit The Crown Following Queen’s Death
When prodded regarding her grandchildren’s feelings of being cut out of the family, she responded:
“Well, you have to see how you … I haven’t seen it myself, I must say.”
Shady! Her other grandchildren, Joachim’s brother Prince Frederik‘s kids — 16-year-old Prince Christian, 15-year-old Princess Isabella, and 11-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine — have not been affected by the decision. As of now, Prince Joachim’s four children still hold their places in the line of succession to the throne — which are, of course, behind their cousins.
Crazy stuff! What do you think of all the Royal drama, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments (below)!
[Images via ITV News/YouTube & MEGA/WENN]
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