According to the palace of the Danish Royal Family, Queen Margrethe has stripped four of her eight grandchildren of their titles to allow the children ‘to shape their own existence.’
Queen Margrethe’s official reason for this move was to allow the four children of Prince Joachim, her youngest son, to live more normal lives. This decision follows similar actions by other European royal families to cut down their monarchies.
A statement put out by the royal palace read, “As of January 1st 2023, the descendants of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim will only be able to use their titles of Count and Countess of Monpezat, their previous titles of Prince and Princess of Denmark ceasing to exist.”
“With her decision, Her Majesty the Queen wants to create a framework for the four grandchildren, to a much greater degree, to be able to shape their own existence without being limited by the special considerations and obligations that a formal affiliation with the Royal House as an institution implies,” the palace explained.
Speaking to Danish media, Countess Alexandra, the mother of Prince Joachim’s two eldest sons, explained she was “shocked” by the move, feeling like “their identity is being taken from them.”