Denmark's Queen Margrethe II Deprives Four Grandchildren of Their Royal Titles

While the decision has been framed as allowing the royals to shape their own lives without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the royal house implies, it has sparked anger and bitterness from Countess Alexandria, who said her children felt “ostracized.”

Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II has stripped four of her eight grandchildren of their royal titles in a massive shakeup of the royal family.

According to a statement from the Danish Royal House, the children of Prince Joachim, the monarch’s youngest son — Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, and their descendants —will only go by the title of Count/Countess of Monpezat, whereas the titles of prince and princess that they have held up until now will be discontinued starting in 2023.

The official reason given was to allow the royals to live more normal lives. In doing so, the Danish royal family followed its European peers which have trimmed down their monarchies. Most recently, King Charles was reported to harbor plans to slim down monarchy to just seven key members.

“The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years,” the statement read further. “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.”

Prince Joachim shares his two oldest children with his ex-wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. Following the announcement, Alexandra spoke out, noting that her children feel “ostracized” by the queen’s decision.

“We are all confused by the decision. We are saddened and in shock,” she told the newspaper BT. “This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.”

82-year-old Queen Margrethe II’s other grandchildren include Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and 11-year-old twins, Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine, with their father Prince Frederik being heir to the throne.

Margrethe II is currently Europe's longest-serving current head of state, having reigned as Denmark’s monarch for over 50 years, and the world's only current queen regnant.