Ever since the British Royal Family paid Denmark a visit in 2011, we've been fascinated by the Danish royals. And intrigue around the Danish monarchy intensified after their Queen stripped four of her grandchildren of their titles.
Queen Margrethe, now Europe’s only reigning queen after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, allegedly wanted to allow the children of her youngest son Prince Joachim to have normal lives. 'As of January 1 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,' a statement from the royal palace read.
'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,' it continued.
According to reports from the Danish media, her grandchildren Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena are 'shocked' by the decision, suggesting they had little to no forewarning of the decision. 'This came from out of the blue. The children feel excluded,' Countess Alexandra told the BT. 'They can’t understand why their identity is being taken from them.'
A week after the initial shock decision, Queen Margrethe has now apologised for the upset caused by her taking away her grandchildren's titles: 'I have made my decision as queen, mother and grandmother. But, as a mother and grandmother, I have underestimated the extent to how much my younger son and his family feel affected,' she said. 'That makes a big impression, and for that I am sorry.'
But what else is there to know about the drama-filled Danish royal family? We've rounded up everything you need to know...
Queen Margrethe II
Full Name: Margrethe Alexandrine Þórhildur Ingrid
Age: 82
Queen Margrethe’s Early Life
Princess Margrethe was born on April 16, 1940 at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen. She is the first born of Crown Prince Frederick and Crown Princess Ingrid.
The Queen is the second longest reigning Danish monarch after her ancestor Christian IV, having ruled for the past 45 years. She first took to the throne following the death of her father Frederick IX. Queen Margrethe II married Henri de Laborde de Monpezat in 1967 and they had two sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim.
Prince Henrik of Denmark
Full Name: Henri Marie Jean André de Laborde de Monpezat
Age: 83
Prince Henrik's Early Life
Henrik was born in Talence, France on 11 June, 1934. He is the son of André de Laborde de Monpezat and Renée Doursenot. He spent three years in the French Army during the Algerian War before joining the French foreign affairs ministry in 1962, as a secretary in the London embassy between 1963 to 1967.
Queen Margrethe announced that Prince Henrik would retire and give up most of his official duties commencing 1 January 2016. Prince Henrik then went on to remove his title of Prince Consort, which had been given to him in 2005.
Crown Prince Frederik
Full Name: Frederik André Henrik Christian
Age: 54
Crown Prince Frederik's Upbringing
Born on 26 May 1968 to parents Prince Henrik and the then Princess Margrethe, Frederik is the heir to the throne.
The Crown Prince was born at Rigshospitalet the Copenhagen University Hospital. At the time of his birth, his maternal grandfather was on the throne of Denmark and his great-grandfather was on the throne of Sweden.
He was given the title of Crown Prince of Denmark when his mother succeeded to the throne as Margrethe II on 14 January 1972.
Prince Joachim
Full Name: Joachim Holger Waldemar Christian
Age: 53
Prince Joachim's Upbringing
Crown Prince Frederik's younger brother, Prince Joachim, was born on 7 June 1969 at Rigshospitalet the Copenhagen University Hospital. He became the first royal to be christened outside of Copenhagen.
Prince Joachim is sixth in line to the throne behind Frederik, his two nieces and his two nephews.
Family Life
Prince Joachim married Alexandra Christina Manley on 18 November, 1995. The couple went on to have two children together, Prince Nikolai William Alexander Frederik and Prince Felix Henrik Valdemar Christian.
After nine years of marriage however, the couple divorced. They announced their separation on 16 September 2004. They now share joint custody of their sons.
A year later, Prince Joachim met Marie Cavallier and the couple wed three years later. Marie subsequently took the title as Princess of Denmark following their royal nuptials.
In 4 May 2009, the couple welcomed their first child, Prince Henrik Carl Joachim Alain. They then went on to have a little girl in 2012, named Princess Athena Marguerite Françoise Marie.
Crown Princess Mary
Full Name: Mary Elizabeth Donaldson
Age: 50
Crown Princess Mary's Upbringing
Mary was born in Hobart, Australia to Scottish parents. Her mum, Henrietta, was an executive assistant to the vice-chancellor of the University of Tasmania and her dad, Dr John Dalgleish Donaldson, was a maths professor.
The Royal Wedding
It was described as the ultimate fairytale romance when Mary married Prince Frederik. The couple first met at the Slip Inn while Prince Frederik was in Sydney for the summer Olympic Games in the year 2000. Following the meeting, the couple kept in touch.
Soon, Frederik began making secret visits to Australia. Mary eventually moved to Denmark in December 2001 while working as an English tutor in Paris.
Queen Margarethe gave her consent for the couple to marry on 24 September 2003. The pair became officially got engaged on 8 October 2003. Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederik wed on 14 May, 2004 at Copenhagen Cathedral.
The Royal Children
The couple have four children together, two boys and two girls. Crown Princess Mary welcomed their first baby on 15 October 2005. They went on to name him Prince Christian Valdemar Henri John.
Two years later, on April 21, the couple welcomed their second child, Princess Isabella Henrietta Ingrid Margrethe. On 29 April 2008, Queen Margrethe granted all male descendents the title as Counts of Monpezat. She also gave Isabella the title of Countess of Monpezat. Isabella is third in line to the crown.
On 8 January, Mary gave birth to twins, Prince Vincent Frederik Minik Alexander and Princess Josephine Sophia Ivalo Mathilda.
