Queen Margaret caused quite a storm in the teacup. Now he comments.
Prince Frederik, Queen Margareeta, Prince Henrik and Prince Joachim on the balcony of Amalienborg Palace in 2013. Prince Henrik died in 2018. PDO
Denmark’s Queen Margaret II shocked not only her family but the whole nation by announcing last week that her four grandchildren would be stripped of their royal titles.
The change concerns Margareta’s younger son, the prince Joachim’s, descendants. Joachim’s children are Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10.
From the beginning of 2023, Joachim’s children will be known only by the names of Count or Countess of Monpezat. The titles of prince and princess are no longer used for them.
In the future, they will also not be called Royal Highnesses, but Excellencies.
Prince Joachim’s children will be known for a while as Prince Nikolai (on the right), Prince Henrik, Prince Felix and Princess Athena. Joachim’s wife, Princess Marie, is on the left side of the picture. PDO
The change does not affect the order of succession to the crown. Prince Joachim is currently sixth in line to the crown and his children follow him in order of age.
The Queen’s announcement has caused strong reactions.
Joachim’s ex-wife and mother of the two eldest sons, Countess Alexandra, commented on the queen’s decision to the Danish BT magazine. Judging from the Countess’s words, the new decision was not made by consensus.
– We are all confused. We are saddened and shocked, this came out of the blue. Children feel rejected. They can’t understand why their identity is being taken away from them, Alexandra said, not only for herself, but also for Joachim and his now-wife Princess Marie on behalf of.
Joachim, on the other hand, commented:
– I have to tell my children that their identity will be taken away. I’m really, really sad to see them so sad and clueless about this.
The cause of the uproar itself, i.e. Queen Margareeta, did not say another word about it until today.
Among other things, the Queen organized a gala dinner at Christiansborg Castle over the weekend. The media gathered at the place were naturally interested in getting additional statements about the burning title question.
– I will not comment today, the queen replied sharply.
Danish court expert Jacob Heinel Jensen was outraged by the queen’s indifference:
– It seems that Hovi didn’t really even understand what it was about. It behaves like nothing, he stated.
On Monday, however, the Queen finally commented. His comments were posted on the Danish Court’s official Instagram account:
– In recent days, there have been strong reactions regarding the future titles of Prince Joachim’s four children. Of course these reactions affect me too, the published comment begins.
The queen continues by saying that she sees the reforms as necessary safeguards for the continuity of the monarchy.
– I have made my decision as a queen, mother and grandmother. But as a mother and grandmother, I underestimated how much my decision would affect my younger son and his family. The decision has big consequences and I am sorry for that, the queen states in her comment.
– There is no doubt that my children and grandchildren would be my great joy and pride. I hope that we as a family can find an agreement in this situation, sums up the queen.
If the Instagram embed is not visible, you can access it from this link.
In time, Denmark will be ruled by Margareta’s first-born son, Crown Prince Frederik. Frederik and the Crown Princess Mary’s have four children together. Only the eldest of them, the prince Christian16, is entitled to an annual allowance paid by the state after reaching the age of majority.
Mary is said to support the Queen’s decision.
The relationship between the prince brothers, Frederik and Joachim, is described as complicated by the queen’s decision to de-title.
Source: Svenskdam