Queen Margrethe of Denmark strips grandchildren of titles

 Four grandchildren of Denmark’s monarch were on Wednesday stripped of their prince and princess, as well as “His/Her Highness” titles. 

Did they commit any wrong? 

No, they did not. The royal palace announced that the decision was made by the monarch, Queen Margrethe II. The four are children of Prince Joachim, the Queen’s second son, and will – from January 1, 2023 – be addressed as His Excellency Count of Monpezat or Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat. Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg – Prince Joachim’s ex-wife and mother to two of the said grandchildren – reacted to the news the same day, expressing “confusion, sadness, and shock”. 

Is there a tussle on the line to the throne? 

Not at all. All four grandchildren – Nikolai (23), Felix (20), Henrik (13), and Athena (10) – maintain their places in the order of succession. They are currently 7th through 10th in the line to the throne. The children of the heir to the throne, Crown Prince Frederik, were exempted from the decision and retained their order on the line to the throne. Unlike their cousins, Prince Christian (16), Princess Isabella (15), and 11-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine will continue to be part of the royal house. 

What’s the reason for this? 

While noting that the decision is in line with similar adjustments in other royal houses in recent years, the Danish palace said its objective is to allow the stripped grandchildren more freedom in charting the course of their lives. “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,” the palace said in the statement.