Danish royal family is 'in the midst its own Megxit, expert says

Danish royal family is ‘in the midst its own Megxit’: Queen of Denmark stripping her grandchildren of their titles could ‘spook’ Charles and stop him cutting off Harry and Meghan – as he ‘watches what is happening with great interest’, expert says

  • Denmark’s Queen Margrethe removed royal titles from four of her grandchildren, sparking Megxit style row
  • Queen Margrethe said it will be ‘good for them in the future’ as Danish royal family is slimmed down 
  • Prince Nikolai, best known as a model, said he is sad, shocked and confused after royal title was stripped
  • His mother Countess Alexandra ‘says there’s no good reason’ for the move’. Prince Joachim claimed that he was given five days’ notice about the change 
  • Change impacts grandchildren Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena of Denmark
  • It follows plans to slim down monarchy in Britain and follows moves across Scandinavia and Netherlands 

The Danish Royal Family is in the midst of its own Megxit ‘crisis’ and King Charles III will be ‘watching carefully’ amid increasing pressure on him to take ‘decisive action’ on the futures of Prince Harry, Meghan Markle and his other relatives, royal experts told MailOnline today.

Queen Margrethe, 82, has removed princely titles from four of her eight grandchildren, saying it is ‘for their own good’ – prompting a bitter royal row with her family redolent of when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex quit the UK and emigrated to California in January 2020.

Europe’s only reigning Queen was inspired to revoke their titles by other royals – including her late cousin Queen Elizabeth II – and claimed it was to allow the four children of her younger son, Prince Joachim: Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena, to live more normal lives. It follows similar moves by other royal families in Europe, including the Windsors, to slim down their monarchies, the Danish palace said later. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘want to edit their Netflix series due in six weeks to remove barbs at Charles and William and delay its release’

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reportedly want to edit their docuseries with Netflix and delay its release ‘until next year’ after the Queen’s death, multiple sources have told Page Six.

The Duke, 38, and Duchess, 41, of Sussex, who now live in their $14million Montecito mansion with their two children, Archie, three, and one-year-old Lilibet – are working on a documentary as part of their $100 million deal with the streaming service.

It was previously expected that the production would be aired in December, following the fifth season of The Crown on November 9, according to the publication.

However, sources claimed the couple now want to make edits to the series, which would possibly delay its release until later in 2023, as they look to ‘downplay much of what they have said about King Charles III, Queen Consort Camilla, and the Prince and Princess of Wales’.

One Hollywood industry source said: ‘A lot of conversations are happening. I hear that Harry and Meghan want the series to be held until next year, they want to stall.

‘I wonder if the show could even be dead in the water at this point, do Harry and Meghan just want to shelve this thing?,’ they added.

 

But her decision has ‘upset’ her second son Joachim and his four children. His eldest sons Nikolai and Felix – from his first marriage – have been branded ‘playboy princes’ because they are professional models who failed to complete their two-year military education after both concluded it was ‘not right for them’. Prince Joachim insists his mother only gave him five days’ notice. His first wife Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, said last night she is ‘in shock’ and revealed: ‘The children feel ostracised’.

Jacob Heinel Jensen, royal correspondent for national tabloid BT who has been at the heart of the story in Denmark, told MailOnline that the Danish Royal Family is in ‘crisis’ – and is now in the midst its own Megxit.

He said: ‘The situation we have in Denmark today is what the UK had two years ago. Yesterday we had a Prince Joachim going rogue on TV saying how upset he was, how his children are suffering. The parallels between him and Harry are there for all to see’.

‘This slimming down is something we have seen all over Europe. The days of gigantic royal families with prince after prince and princess after princess, all paid for by the taxpayer, are over’, he added.

Mr Jensen said it is possible that she may have spoken about her plans of slimming down the monarchy with Charles at the Buckingham Palace ‘reception of the century’ on the eve of the Queen’s funeral.

Mr Jensen said: ‘Margrethe was very close to the Queen. She was one of the few people who called her “Lilibet” – and Her Majesty called her “Daisy”, her nickname in Denmark. I don’t know how close she is to Charles – but her importance as arguably Europe’s most senior royal was reflected in just how close she was to the Queen’s coffin in London’.

He added: ‘Charles has spoken about the need to slim down his family for many years – he will be watching what is happening in Denmark with great interest’.

Today Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, the future queen, has defended her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe’s decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, and suggested her own children’s positions might not be secure. Mr Jensen said this is a clear ‘olive branch’ to Prince Joachim because they fear what he will do next.

Mr Jensen said that Queen Margrethe is hugely popular in Denmark – and much like her late cousin Queen Elizabeth II, she is admired for her duty to the throne and the people of her country.

But polling suggests that the Danish population is split on her decision – with some branding her ‘The Ice Queen’ – which could spook Prince Charles if he is considering cutting off Harry, Meghan and their children.

Queen Margrethe of Denmark, 82, attended the ‘reception of the century’ at Buckingham Palace, which was hosted by King Charles and Camilla before Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral. The royal household in Denmark has drawn comparisons to Megxit and slimming down of royal families across Europe

Royal watchers have said that Denmark’s royal crisis is its Megxit – after the rows sparked by Harry and Meghan’s decision to walk away from the UK

Margrethe said her decision is so the four children of her younger son, Prince Joachim: Nikolai, Felix, (together left) Henrik and Athena (right), to live more normal lives

Prince Joachim’s children Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, will all be losing their titles on January 1 2023

Charles III has long talked about slimming down the monarchy. Experts predict the decisions in Denmark could hasten the process

Prince Joachim of Denmark has once again hit out at his mother Queen Margrethe II’s decision to strip his four children of their royal titles.

As of January 1, Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, will become Counts and Countesses, and will be known as Their Excellencies, rather than His or Her Royal Highness, it was announced on Wednesday.

Commenting on their reaction to the move to B.T., Joachim said his children ‘don’t know which leg to stand on as their identity is removed’ – and questioned ‘why must they be punished in that way?’.

The prince, who is Margrethe’s youngest son, said: ‘I can say that my children are sad. My kids don’t know which leg to stand on. What they should believe. Why should their identity be removed? Why must they be punished in that way?’

He also doubled down on his claim that he had only been told the news five days before it was made public – despite the Royal Household insisting the decision ‘has been a long time coming’.

‘I don’t want to engage in speculation and mudslinging,’ said Joachim. ‘I am telling the truth… I was given five days notice… I was given five days’ notice of this. To tell my children that on New Year’s their identity will be taken from them.’

He added that in May, he was presented with a plan that his ‘children’s identity should be taken from them when each of them turned 25’, to which he asked ‘to be allowed to come back with my proposal’.

But he said he was given just five days notice that the decision was to be accelerated, adding: ‘I am so sorry for my children. I just demand the truth.’

The streamlining of Europe’s royal household began in earnest at the end of 2018 – a year before Megxit – when the King of Sweden used his annual Christmas speech to address why he chose to strip five of his grandchildren of their royal titles. 

In the Netherlands King Willem Alexander has slashed back the number of working royals to just five as well as the number of his palaces, staff, limousines and working heirs.

The Danish Crown’s statement even addressed this comparison and trend, saying that the Queen’s decision is ‘in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years’. 

King Charles III is known to have spoken for decades about the need for the House of Windsor to be slimmed down. Margrethe, Europe’s only reigning Queen, will also have seen her cousin Queen Elizabeth II’s hard line on her son Prince Andrew, who was stripped of all his military titles and royal patronages in January over his links to Jeffrey Epstein and his multi-million-dollar settlement with Epstein’s sex slave, Virginia Roberts Giuffre. 

Margrethe’s move will pile pressure on Charles to speed up his plans – including making a swift decision on Harry and Meghan’s future and whether Archie and Lilibet should be HRH, experts have warned. 

Former MP Norman Baker, a leading expert on royal finances, told MailOnline: ‘Why is Harry still an HRH? Charles says he wants to slim down the monarchy, but this must be real, not just superficial. He must slim down the costs to the taxpayer. It just needs it be him, Camilla, William and Kate and their children. The rest of them should get their P45s and retire or go out an earn a living’.

He added: ‘The need to slim down the bloated British royal family has been clear for decades and only become more clear as other European monarchies like the Danish slim down as befits the 21st century. It is increasingly absurd that minor bit players like the Gloucesters and the Kents still come as part of the package’.

Author and investigative journalist Tom Bower, who wrote a recent biography of Meghan Markle, said: ‘To save the monarchy from criticism, Charles does need to reduce the numbers. His big test is to neutralise the Sussexes’ venom, which does threaten his reign. The Sussexes’ problem is that their financial survival depends on spewing venom against the Royal family in their book and their Netflix series. Charles’ best tactic would be to threaten to remove their titles if they are disloyal’.

Some have noted Margrethe’s warmth towards Charles when they met at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the Queen’s funeral – and pondered whether slimming down their royal households may even have been discussed.

Royal expert Phil Dampier said: ‘The King, who was seen talking to Queen Margrethe at his mother’s funeral, may be encouraged by her to take decisive action over Harry and Meghan. The Sussexes have already been demoted on the royal website.

But Charles will possibly be wary of making too many decisions until he knows the contents of Harry’s book and Netflix programme, both of which seem to be moving back in time.  The Danish Queen has been decisive – but divisive. Charles will want to learn lessons and do things his way, but he can’t put off decisions forever’.

And it is not just Britain’s royals that will have influenced Margrethe II’s decision. Her neighbour King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden announced in 2019 that the children of his daughter Princess Madeleine would lose their HRH status – with only the heir to the throne Crown Princess Victoria and her children keeping their titles. 

Meghan Markle cries at the funeral of the Queen alongside Prince Harry amid tensions between them and Charles and William


Charles is said to think there is no role for his brother in the royal family. His mother stripped him of his titles in January

Prince Nikolai said that he is sad, shocked and confused after his royal title was stripped ‘quickly’. Pictured modelling during the Dior Pre-Fall 2019 Men’s Collection show on November 30, 2018 in Tokyo


Felix made his modelling debut in February by posing in a series of moody snaps for jeweller Georg Jensen’s new Reflect collection

Could MORE Danish royals lose their titles?

Speaking in Copenhagen today (pictured) Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has defended her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe’s decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, and suggested her own children’s positions might not be secure

Crown Princess Mary of Denmark has defended her mother-in-law Queen Margrethe’s decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, and suggested her own children’s positions might not be secure. 

Australian-born Princess Mary, 50, is the wife of Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark, who is Queen Margrethe II’s eldest son and heir. Their eldest son, Prince Christian, 16, is second-in-line to the throne behind his father Frederick. 

It was announced on Wednesday that the four children of the Queen’s youngest son, Prince Joachim would be stripped of their royal titles and would no longer be known as His or Her Royal Highness. 

As of January 1, Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, will become Counts and Countesses, and will be known as Their Excellencies. 

Frederick and Mary’s four children – Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, 11 – remain unaffected as they are direct descendants of the future King. 

However speaking in Copenhagen today, Princess Mary suggested that might not always be the case. 

‘We will also look at our children’s titles when the time comes,’ she said in an interview with Ekstra Bladet in Copenhagen today. ‘Today we cannot see what the royal house will look like when it is Christian’s time, or when Christian’s time begins to approach.’

The Dutch royal family has also been pared back significantly. King Willem-Alexander’s brother Prince Constantijn, and his wife, Princess Laurentien, both work full time jobs and do not receive constitutional allowances from the crown as European royal families battle to remain popular and relevant. 

But Prince Joachim, 53, now married to second wife Princess Marie, told Danish news outlet Ekstra Bladet: ‘We are all very sad. It’s never fun to see your children being harmed. They are been put in a situation they do not understand’. He said he had been given only five days’ notice of the decision. Prince Joachim’s four children are: Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena, ranging in age from 23 to 10. They will lose their titles from January 1.

The queen’s four other grandchildren, born to Crown Prince Frederik, 54, will retain their titles but when they come of age only the future king, Prince Christian, will receive government funding, a decision taken in 2016.

In Britain King Charles and his son Prince William, his heir, remain at loggerheads with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, especially over their security while in the UK and also whether their children will be Prince and Princess.

There has still been no announcement on any future titles for Archie and Lilibet. The Prince and Princess of Wales’s new titles have already been updated on the Royal Family’s website – but Archie and Lilibet’s have not.

Following the death of their great-grandmother three weeks ago, the youngsters, who are sixth and seventh in line to the throne, are now entitled to be called prince and princess. But Buckingham Palace have refused to confirm yet as to whether this will officially happen.

And last week a spokesman for King Charles said it was ‘unlikely’ that any announcement would be made until at least September 26, when the period of royal mourning ends. There has still been no statement.

Archie, three and Lilibet, one, became eligible for the titles on the death of the Queen under rules set out by King George V in 1917 limiting the number of royal family members able to claim a HRH title.

His Letters Patent -a written order of the monarch’s wishes- restricted royals allowed to use an HRH title to the children of the sovereign, the children of the sovereign’s sons, and the eldest living son of the eldest son of the Prince of Wales.

King Charles is widely reported to be planning a ‘slimmed-down’ monarchy during his reign, which would mean he could be focusing on his heirs – rather than his disgraced brother the Duke of York

Royal experts have said that Charles believes there is no longer a role for Prince Andrew in the monarchy, adding that the Duke of York will not be given any of his military titles again after he was stripped of them following revelations about his ties to Epstein emerged.

Queen Margrethe of Denmark at the main entrance to Frederiksborg Palace where she welcomes her grandchildren, Prince Felix and Prince Nikolaj 

In 2019 King Carl Gustaf of Sweden (pictured) used his annual Christmas speech to address why he chose to strip five of his grandchildren of their royal titles

The decision affected the children of Prince Carl Philip and his wife Sofia Hellqvist – Prince Alexander, then three, and Prince Gabriel, then two (pictured)

Princess Laurentien and the King of Holland’s brother Prince Constantijn (pictured together right) have full time jobs and do not receive royal allowances, appearing usually once a year in public. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima 

Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix’s mother says she’s ‘in shock’ by move to strip them of their royal titles 

Earlier this month, Alexandra attended Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee celebrations at the Danish Royal Theatre in Copenhagen (pictured)

Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg – Prince Joachim’s ex-wife and mother to Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix – said she is ‘in shock’ over Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s decision to strip her sons of their royal titles.

Nikolai, 23, and Felix, 20, along with their younger siblings Prince Henri, 13, and Princess Athen, 10, from their father’s second marriage, will all have their titles of prince and princess removed from January 1 2023, the palace announced yesterday.

‘We are all confused by the decision. We are saddened and in shock,’ Alexandra said in a statement from her press advisor Helle von Wildenrath Løvgreen, reported Danish magazine Se og Hør.

The statement continued: ‘This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracised. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.’

Earlier this month, Alexandra attended Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee celebrations at the Danish Royal Theatre in Copenhagen.

Prince Joachim married his second wife Princess Marie in 2008, and they later welcomed Prince Henrik and Princess Athena.

Buckingham Palace announced in January that the Prince would be stripped of all his military titles and patronages by his late mother the Queen. It is understood King Charles and Prince William were instrumental in influencing the decision.

And in Denmark the turmoil over Queen Margrethe’s decision continues.

Prince Nikolai said that he is sad, shocked and confused after his grandmother Queen Margrethe stripped him and his siblings of their titles ‘for their own good’ as his mother ‘says there’s no good reason’ for the move.

The prince, 23, will no longer be able to use the title His Royal Highness, after he and his three siblings were told by their grandmother the Queen that removing their titles will be ‘good for them in the future’. 

It comes as his mother Countess Alexandra’s press secretary questioned why the change could not have waited until their wedding day, when they would ‘lose their titles anyway’.

‘My whole family and I are of course very sad. We are, as my parents have also stated, in shock at this decision and at how quickly it has actually gone,’ Prince Nikolai, Prince Joachim’s eldest son, told Danish newspaper Extrabladet.

‘I am very confused as to why it has to happen like this,’ he told reporters from outside the Copenhagen apartment where he lives with his girlfriend.

Countess Alexandra, mother to Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix, 20, is also ‘very sad’ and ‘shocked’ about the decision.

‘She can’t believe why and why now, because there’s no good reason.’ Helle von Wildenrath Løvgreen, press secretary to Countess Alexandra told CNN.

‘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?’

On Thursday morning, the Danish royal household hit back after Prince Joachim claimed his four children were only given five days’ notice that they would be stripped of their titles by their grandmother Queen Margrethe. 

The palace said in a statement today that there are a ‘lot of emotions’ but that the decision had been a ‘long time coming’ and was designed to ‘future-proof’ the monarchy.  

Prince Joachim, 53, the youngest of Margrethe’s two sons, said his children Nikolai,  Felix, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, had been ‘harmed’ by the news that they will have prince and princess removed from their titles, and will no longer be able to use His or Her Royal Highness. 

‘We are all very sad. It’s never fun to see your children being harmed. They are been put in a situation they do not understand,’ he said in an interview with Danish news outlet Ekstra Bladet

Speaking at a function at the National Museum in Copenhagen this week, pictured, Margrethe said: ‘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’

Front: Queen Margrethe, Middle Row (left to right): Prince Vincent, Princess Josephine, Princess Athena, Prince Henrik. Back row (left to right): Princess Benedikte, Princess Isabella, Crown Princess Mary, Crown Prince Frederik, Prince Christian, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, Prince Felix and Prince Nikolai in a portrait celebrating Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee

Countess Alexandra’s press secretary questioned why the change could not have waited until their wedding day, when her sons would ‘lose their titles anyway’. Pictured, Alexandra Countess Of Frederiksborg

Prince Joachim, who is sixth-in-line to the throne behind his brother and his children, was speaking outside the Danish Embassy in Paris, where he lives with his second wife Marie and their children Henrik and Athena. 

Nikolai and Felix, who are both models, are the product of his first marriage to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. 

Alexandra, 58, who was married to Prince Joachim for 10 years until 2005, said the news came like a ‘bolt out of the blue’ and her sons now feel ‘ostracised’ from their family. Her spokesperson also claimed Joachim learned the news through a royal aide, rather than from his mother directly. 

Margrethe’s other four grandchildren – Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and 11-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine – born to her eldest son and heir Crown Prince Frederik will maintain their titles. 

The move has created an ‘icy’ atmosphere within the Royal Family, according to one local media report, and has driven a wedge between a seemingly united family. ‘There has never been a public conflict between the Queen and Prince Joachim,’ Danish royal reporter Kenth Madsen told FEMAIL. 

Indeed, they put on a united front just weeks ago when they celebrated Queen Margrethe’s Golden Jubilee. 

Prince Joachim (right back), 53, the youngest of Margrethe’s two sons, said he was only given five days’ notice that Nikolai (left), 23, Felix (second from left), 20, Henrik (far right), 13, and Athena (second from right), 10, will have prince or princess removed from their titles, and will no longer be able to use His or Her Royal Highness. Pictured with their grandmother Queen Margrethe (centre) and Princess Isabella (behind Princess Athena)

The move is said to have driven a wedge between Margrethe and her four grandchildren. Pictured, the Queen (centre) with sons Joachim (left) and Crown Prince Frederick (right). Also pictured: Crown Prince Frederick’s wife, Crown Princess Mary (right) and son Prince Christian (in his lap) and Prince Nikolai and Prince Felix (left) who will be affected by the change

Nikolai modelling a short and gloves and a leather bumbag for Dior during Paris fashion week in 2020 

Queen Margrethe, 82, who attended the funeral with her eldest son Crown Prince Frederick, said she hoped the move would allow her grandchildren to ‘shape their own lives without being limited by the special considerations and duties’ that come with a formal affiliation with the Danish Royal Family. 

The statement also hinted that it is a move designed to streamline the monarchy – in echoes of King Charles’ desire for the British Royal Family, and those of other European royal households. 

Queen Margrethe last night defended her decision, saying at an event in Copenhagen: ‘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.’

It had been reported that Prince Joachim was first informed of the decision in May, however he has claimed this morning that he was only informed of the decision five days ago. 

‘I was given five days’ notice to tell them. In May, I was presented with a plan which, by and large, was that when the children each turned 25, it would happen. 

‘Now I had only five days to tell them. Athena turns 11 in January,’ he clarified. 

His ex-wife, Countess Alexandra, added in a statement to Danish magazine Se og Hør: ‘This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them.’

Her spokesperson Helle von Wildenrath Løvgreen told another news organisation that Joachim learned of his children’s fate via an aide. 

Queen Margrethe spoke neither to her sons nor her grandchildren, it is claimed. 

‘The children have received the message that they are losing their titles, delivered by their father, just as Countess Alexandra was told by Prince Joachim,’ the spokesperson added. 

This afternoon the Royal Household released another statement, saying: ‘As the Queen stated yesterday, the decision has been a long time coming. 

‘We understand that there are many emotions at stake at the moment, but we hope that the Queen’s wish to future-proof the Royal Household will be respected.’ 

Under the agreement, Nikolai, Felix, Henrik, and Athena will be known as either His Excellency Count of Monpezat or Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat from January 1, 2023. 

However they will maintain their positions in the order of succession. 

They are currently seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth, but would move down if any of Crown Prince Frederick’s children were to have children. 

The bombshell announcement was made in a statement released yesterday by the Danish Royal Household.

It read: ‘In April 2008, Her Majesty the Queen conferred the titles of Count, Countess and Comtesse of Monpezat on her sons, their spouses and their descendants. 

‘In May 2016, it was also announced that His Royal Highness Prince Christian, as the only one of the Queen’s grandchildren, is expected to receive an annuity from the state as an adult.

‘As a natural extension of this, Her Majesty has decided that with effect from 1 January 2023, the descendants of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim can only use their titles as Count and Countess of Monpezat, as their previous titles as Prince and Princess of Denmark will lapse. 

‘Prince Joachim’s descendants will henceforth have to be addressed as Excellencies. 

‘The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adaptations that other royal houses have implemented in different ways in recent years. 

‘With her decision, Her Majesty the Queen wants 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,’ concluded the statement.

Margrethe, who is the world’s longest serving queen and celebrates her Golden Jubilee this year, is affectionately known as ‘aunt Daisy’ by European royals due to her close personal ties with many reigning monarchs.

Prince Nikolai, from left, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim and Prince Felix arrive for the command performance at the Danish Royal Theatre to mark the 50th anniversary of Danish Queen Margrethe II’s accession to the throne in Copenhagen, Saturday, September 10, 2022

Prince Nikolai of Denmark celebrated his 23rd birthday in August at home with his parents and siblings in Copenhagen. Pictured left with Prince Felxi, 20, Prince Henrick, 13 and Princess Athena, ten 

Nikolai with his stepmother Princess Marie, siblings, and father Prince Joachim, on the balcony of Amalienborg palace during the Danish Queen’s 78th Birthday in April 2018

Out of a title: The four grandchildren who will no longer be TRHs 

Nikolai of Denmark, 23: The Copenhagen Business School student and model regularly tops lists of the world’s most eligible bachelors. He lives in Denmark but has jetted around the world to walk for designers in Paris and London. Nikolai has also appeared on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia. 

Felix of Denmark, 20: Following in his brother’s footsteps, Prince Felix has also had success as a model and has starred in an advertising campaign for Georg Jensen. He had a short stint at the Royal Danish Military Academy but quit after two months because it ‘wasn’t for him’. 

Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, of Denmark: The youngest of Prince Joachim’s four children, Henrik and Athena are the product of his second marriage to Princess Marie. They live with their parents in Paris. 

She is a first cousin of Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf and a second cousin of Norway’s King Harald V. 

She enjoyed a close relationship with the Queen, a distant cousin, and the Duke of Edinburgh, and shared deeply personal tributes following their deaths. 

She was joined by her son Crown Prince Frederick at the Queen’s funeral earlier this month.   

The Queen seemingly enjoys a close relationship with both sons and all eight of her grandchildren, and makes regular appearances with both families.

However there is now said to be an ‘ice-cold air’ between the Queen and her grandchildren. 

‘There is ice-cold air between Queen Margrethe and her grandchildren after she decided that they will lose their titles as prince and princess from the New Year,’ leading Danish publication Ekstra Bladet reported. 

‘The news, which has crushed both the four children and their parents, was not delivered by the queen herself.

‘They have not been called to Amalienborg for a cold coke and an explanation as to why they must henceforth be addressed as counts and countesses. Not even that far.’

Queen Margrethe has a well-cushioned allowance, with the Danish Civil List granting her £800,813 a month, or £9.6 million for the year to run the royal household – including staff, properties and administration, according to Business Insider. 

Meanwhile, Celebrity Net Worth lists her net worth at around £37million.

Around £183,750 per month is reportedly given to the Queen’s children. Crown Prince Frederik receives the largest amount of this money, of which 10 per cent is given to his wife, Princess Mary.

Many of the Danish Royal Family’s properties are owned by the state, and run by the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties.


Nikolai wearing a pastel suit for Dior in 2018 at Paris Fashion Week. Right: The royal strutting his stuff on the runway in January 2020

This includes the main residence of Amalienborg, their spring home of Fredensborg palace, their summer house of Gråsten Palace and the hunting lodge Eremitageslottet .

The Danish Queen’s personal properties include Marselisborg Castle, Château de Caix in France, and the royal hunting lodge in Jutland at Trend.

Prince Joachim lives with his second wife Princess Marie in Paris, where he has been working as a Defense Attaché at the Danish Embassy since September 2020 – but when he returns home to Denmark it is sometimes to the Schackenborg Castle in southern Jutland.

The estate was the prince’s private residence from 1993 to 2014, before he sold the property. 

But since Prince Joachim and Princess Marie are on the board of the Schackenborg Castle Foundation, they occasionally return to live there for short periods of time. 

In the summer of 2020, Prince Joachim suffered a stroke while holidaying in France with his family and had to be rushed into hospital for emergency brain surgery.

Prince Joachim’s eldest sons, Felix and Nikolai, are Margrethe’s eldest grandsons and have embraced a life in the public eye. 

The 20-somethings, who both live in Denmark, both enrolled in the National Military Academy but dropped out before completing their studies. 

They have enjoyed flourishing careers as models, posing for several advert campaigns and on the cover of magazines. 

Nikolai caught international attention in 2018 when he walked in the Burberry show at London Fashion week, before a front row that included Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Michelle Dockery, Naomi Watts, Zendaya, and Idris Elba.

He is signed to Scoop Models agency in Denmark and has been multiplying his modelling gigs. 

Nikolai in a loose, tailored suit on the runway during the Dior Homme Menswear Spring/Summer 2019 in Paris in 2018


Nikolai has become a runway staple at every fashion show after making his debut for Burberry in 2018, left. Right, pictured walking for Dior Homme Menswear that same year

The grandson of Queen Margrethe made royal swoons in his official birthday portraits, pictured, before taking to modelling  

He sent royal fans into a frenzy in February when he graced the cover of Vogue Scandinavia.

The 22-year-old oozed sophistication when appearing in the magazine and looked effortlessly stylish in a matching pink Dior jacket and trousers as he posed in front of a number of colourful flowers.

When he is not modelling, Nikolai is studying Business Administration and Service Management at the  In 2019, Prince Nikolai began his B education at Copenhagen Business School.

Last year he was living in Paris as part of a school exchange, and could see his younger siblings and his dad more easily. 

At the end of last year, he started training at the Royal Danish Military Academy to become an Army Lieutenant, but in October it was announced that he’d quit after just two months because it ‘wasn’t for him’.

Prince Felix chose to make his modelling debut for jeweller Georg Jensen, appearing in pictures and an advert promoting the new Reflect collection of necklaces, earrings and rings. 

The royal is further down the line of succession, pursuing his own career path rather than being a ‘working royal’ was expected choice for Felix even before his grandmother’s announcement, and modelling is certainly a popular choice for minor royals across the globe. 

While they are growing to be their own person, Felix and Nikolai do attend royal events on occasion. 

They both looked very dapper as they attended the celebrations for their grandmother’s golden jubilee with their parents in early September.

Princess Marie with Prince Joachim, Prince Felix, Prince Nikolai, Princess Athena and Prince Henrick with Joachim’s first wife’s Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg in 2020

Queen Margrethe and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark at the State Funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Margrethe tested positive for Covid-19 only 24 hours after Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday September 19

Queen Margrethe was pictured out and about for the first time on Monday after testing positive for Covid-19 last week. She attended a gala dinner at the Grand Hotel in Oslo after receiving the Nordic Association’s Language Award 

Margrethe tested positive for Covid-19 last Tuesday, just 24 hours after attending Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral and mourning events in London. 

She was in attendance at Westminster Abbey along with her son Crown Prince Frederik, and the two went on to the Queen’s Committal Service in Windsor afterward.

The royal also paid her respects to the Queen by visiting her coffin in Westminster Hall the night before the Queen’s funeral, and attended the Buckingham Palace ‘reception of the century’ where she was pictured chatting closely with King Charles.

On Monday, the monarch made her first appearance since she tested positive for Covid, joining Queen Sonja of Norway at a literary event in Oslo.

Queen Sonja of Norway presented the Nordic Association’s annual language award to Queen Margrethe of Denmark at Nordens Hus before they attended a gala at the Grand Hotel. 

Margrethe wore a vibrant long pink skirt for the gala dinner, which she paired with a navy blue lace top. 

She pinned her hair tightly back and was pictured with a navy shawl over her shoulders as she arrived at the Grand Hotel. 

Revealed: The Danish Royal Family’s VERY glamorous palaces 

It’s perhaps no surprise that a European Royal Family enjoys several castles and palaces – however for the Danish household, many of the properties are owned by the state, and run by the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties.

This includes the main residence of Amalienborg, the family’s spring home of Fredensborg Palace, their summer house of Gråsten Palace and the hunting lodge Eremitageslottet .

The Danish Queen’s personal properties include Marselisborg Castle, Château de Caix in France, and the royal hunting lodge in Jutland at Trend.

Prince Joachim lives with his second wife in Paris – but when he returns home to Denmark it is sometimes to the Schackenborg Castle in southern Jutland.

The estate was the prince’s private residence from 1993 to 2014, before he sold the property. 

But since Prince Joachim and Princess Marie are on the board of the Schackenborg Castle Foundation, they occasionally return to live there for short periods of time. 

Amalienborg, the Danish household’s main residence, pictured

The family’s spring home of Fredensborg Palace, pictured

The Danish Queen’s personal properties include Marselisborg Castle, pictured

The Royal Danish family’s summer residence of Grasten Slot, pictured

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