This week, Queen Margrethe made the audacious choice to revoke the royal titles of four of her grandchildren, shocking the Danish royal family in the process.
The Queen has decreed that the royal titles of Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, will be taken away as of January 1. The royal children will be given the title of Count or Countess of Monpezat, she continued.
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According to the statement from the Danish Royal Court, “The Queen’s decision is consistent with similar adaptations that other royal houses have carried out in various ways in recent years.”
Despite this, the Queen, who has ruled for more than 50 years, has stated that all four royal children will remain in their respective positions in the succession.
Angered by the information, Prince Joachim, second son of Margrethe, stated: “We’re all very depressed. Observing your children being mistreated in that way is never enjoyable. They discover themselves in an unfamiliar situation.”
Added him: “I received a plan in May that basically said it would occur when the kids reached the age of 25. In January, Athena turns eleven.”
The mother of Prince Joachim’s two eldest sons also expressed her shock at the choice in a statement to Danish media.
“This appeared out of nowhere. The kids feel left out “The Daily BT was informed by Countess Alexandra. They find it difficult to comprehend why their identity is being stolen.
In an effort to further explore the subject and consider how it might affect the British royal family, the HELLO! team spoke with three royal authorities.
According to royal biographer Christopher Wilson, Queen Margrethe’s announcement fits right in with how the European royal family landscape is changing.
“Every European royal court regularly exchanges information, either between courtiers or between principals. It makes sense to do this because they all struggle with the same issue of remaining relevant in a world that is changing quickly.”
Christopher responded when asked if Charles would likely follow the European trend, “King Charles would have been made aware of these changes in the Swedish and Danish courts ahead of time, as a courtesy, but any decisions he takes about his own grandchildren’s titles will be based on local issues surrounding the House of Windsor, without being influenced by the actions of other royal houses.”
Marlene Koenig, a royal historian, has taken a similar stance, asserting that “there have been indications of this for a long time.” She asserted that there is a greater need for monarchies to “focus on the few,” citing The Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, and Norway as examples of countries that have done so.
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Marlene predicts that King Charles will make a “bombshell announcement” in the form of a new letter patent as his next move. The children of the sovereign, the children of the heir or heiress apparent, and the children of the eldest child of the heir apparent will be the recipients of the new letters patent, she said.
Danielle Stacey, the online royal editor for HELLO!, said she thought the titles for Harry and Meghan’s children would have been decided while they were in the country after the Queen’s passing, and that “we will know the outcome of this before the coronation.”
She continued that there might be a “further announcement” regarding royal titles, but that it wouldn’t have been motivated by what occurred in Denmark.
Archie and Lilibet, the children of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, are likely to be impacted by the decisions made in this matter, but Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice may also be affected.
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Marlene clarified that the two Princesses would never be working royals and that the Way Ahead campaign of that era led to a slimming down of the royal family, resulting in the styling of the children of Prince Edward and Sophie Wessex as the children of an Earl. There was disagreement over whether the two Princesses might lose their titles.
If Archie and Lilibet lost their royal titles, she reasoned that a move was likely and might help to steady the ship. “If you want uniformity, then you have to make some sacrifices,” Marlene said.
She does, however, believe that it would ultimately align with what Harry and Meghan initially desired for their children, given that they turned down the title of Earl of Dumbarton that was initially extended to Archie.
“They’re American citizens. It cannot be placed in your passport. It’s the complete opposite of the life they want to live “Marlene uttered. “They left the aristocracy. They themselves were denied access to the HRH title. It contradicts their way of life in America. Why should they burden their children with that responsibility when they will be attending American schools, picking up an American accent, and viewing the world through American lenses? What purpose does it serve?”
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Christopher, on the other hand, was of the opinion that King Charles would be aware of the Queen’s “great affection” for her granddaughters and that he would also be hesitant to “inflict too great an injury on the House of York” as he makes an effort to prevent Prince Andrew from resuming his full royal responsibilities.
The biographer added that it won’t be simple to decide to take away Archie and Lilibet’s HRH titles because of the tense “relations between the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and ‘royal central,'” which may make the action appear “vindictive” to the general public.
Danielle also emphasized the King’s challenges on this front, but from a logistical perspective. King Charles is unable to expel HRH styles from the extended royal family, according to her, because doing so would require a parliamentary act. The Titles Deprivation Act, passed by King George V in 1917 to strip several German royals of their British peerage titles during the First World War, was the last time this occurred.
