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ROYAL FAMILY

Danish palace removes prince and princess titles from Queen’s grandchildren

The children of Queen Margrethe’s second son, Prince Joachim, will lose their prince and princess titles from January 1st next year, the Danish palace said on Wednesday.

Danish palace removes prince and princess titles from Queen’s grandchildren
Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Prince Felix, Prince Nikolai, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena earlier this month. Prince Joachim's children will no longer be princes or princesses from 2023. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix

Queen Margrethe has decided to strip four of her grandchildren, the children of her second son Prince Joachim, of their prince and princess titles as of January 1st, the palace said in a statement.

The four grandchildren will retain other titles as counts and countesses of Monpezat.

“Prince Joachim’s descendants will thus have to be addressed as excellencies in the future. The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years,” the palace said.

The Queen wants to give the four children freedom 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,” it said.

The four grandchildren are Nikolai, age 23 and Felix, age 20, from Prince Joachim’s first marriage to Countess Alexandra; and Henrik (13) and Athena (10) with his current wife, Princess Marie.

Prince Joachim is the younger of the Queen’s two children. His older brother, Crown Prince Frederik, is the heir to the Danish throne. The decision does not affect Crown Prince Frederik’s children, who will still have the title of prince or princess.

Newspaper BT reported on Wednesday that Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and Countess Alexandra were not expecting the decision.

“We are all uncomprehending over this decision. We are sad and in shock. It comes as a bolt of lightning. The children feel rejected. They can’t understand why their identity is being taken from them,” BT quotes Countess Alexandra as saying on behalf of herself, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie.

In the statement, the palace said the move was a long-term progression of an earlier decision made in relation to Crown Prince Frederik’s oldest child, 15-year-old Prince Christian, who is second in line to the throne.

“In May 2016, it was… 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 [when he turns 16, ed.],” it said.

“As a natural extension of this, Her Majesty has decided that [as of January 1st], His Royal Highness Prince Joachim’s descendants can only use their titles as counts and countess of Monpezat, as the titles of prince and princess that they have held up until now will be discontinued,” it said.

All four grandchildren keep their places in the order of succession.

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CULTURE

Queen Margrethe to design set for ballet at Copenhagen Tivoli

Queen Margrethe may have abdicated as Denmark's monarch but she hasn't given up her side job as a set designer, returning to the role for a performance of Hans Christian Andersen's Blockhead Hans this summer.

Queen Margrethe to design set for ballet at Copenhagen Tivoli

A ballet baseed on the popular fairy tale, called Klods-Hans in Danish, will be performed this summer in the Pantomine Theatre at the Tivoli Gardens amusement park, which celebrates its 150th year in 2024. 

“There are so many possibilities in the fairy tale about Blockhead Hans, who is a person you can’t help but like, and that gives us many possibilities on stage,” Margrethe said in the press release issued by Tivoli. 

Queen Margrethe has previously designed the sets for six performances at the Pantomime Theater, including those for “Cinderella”, “The Tinder Box” and “The Swineheard”, all stories by Hans Christian Andersen. 

Margrethe has also helped to create the two critically acclaimed ballets at Tivoli’s Concert Hall, “The Nutcracker” and “The Snow Queen”, where she has created more than 100 costumes and numerous stage images.

“I have tried to make performances for the Pantomime Theater before and have a good feeling for what works well on the small stage. I am looking forward to getting started with that together with the other forces behind the show,” she said. 

Tobias Praetorius, choreographer and soloist at the Royal Ballet, is behind the choreography for the ballet performance. Conductor and TV host Phillip Faber has written the music.

“It has been exciting work to make the orchestra’s sound merge with Andersen’s story, Tobias’ thoughts and choreography and Queen Margrethe’s visual universe,” Faber said in the announcement.

Blockhead Hans will be performed approximately 30 times in Tivoli over the summer, with the premiere on June 22nd.

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