Royal families are by nature hereditary and hierarchical. But it seems that the frustration of coming second to his brother, heir to the crown, might have got to the normally dutiful Prince Joachim, youngest son of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark.
In a filmed interview with Danish tabloid Ekstra Bladet, Prince Joachim erupted on camera, publicly criticizing the Queen's recent decision to withdraw the royal status of princes and princesses for Joachim's children. The move exposes divisions in the Danish Royal Family, which had looked unified from the outside. The popular Queen Margrethe is the oldest female monarch in the world and celebrates her jubilee this year.
Prince Joachim (53) has lived in Paris since January 2019 with his second wife, Princess Marie, of French origin, and their two children, Prince Henrik (13) and Princess Athena (10). The move to Paris as a military attaché to the Danish embassy provided Joachim with an official function away from his older brother's shadow in Denmark.
A hurtful announcement
It was on a pavement in Paris on September 29 that Joachim gave his first interview reaction to the Queen's decision: "It is never fun to see your children hurt; they've ended up in a situation they don't quite understand."
Visibly moved, the Prince told reporters that the Queen hadn't discussed the decision with his family. He refuted the Queen's claim that he was informed of the decision in May, stressing that his family was only given five days' notice. The Prince added that he hadn't spoken with the Queen since the announcement.
Not dissimilar to the falling out between British princes William and Harry, Princess Marie confirmed speculation that her husband's relationship with his brother Crown Prince Frederik and wife, Crown Princess Mary, is "complicated". Referring to the Queen's efforts to modernise the royal family, she said "I don't think it's modern to hurt children."
Prince Joachim added: "Regardless of whether it is about modernising or slimming down, it has to be done properly. It is about children."
In a press release on September 28, the Queen explained her intention to "enable [her grandchildren] to lead their own lives more easily, without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation to the Royal House of Denmark, as an institution, implies."
Modernising the monarchy
In 2016, the Danish Royal Family decided that only Christian, the son of Crown Prince Frederik, would be publicly supported by the state as an adult. His two sisters, his brother, and his cousins would need to shape their own lives.
Other royal families are also slimming down. In 2019, Swedish king Carl Gustaf XVI, a cousin of Margrethe II, announced that the children of his two younger brothers wouldn't belong to the royal family and receive an income, even if they could keep their titles.
Related News
- Margrethe II of Denmark now oldest and only female European monarch
- Belgium in Brief: Monarchy in the UK
- Belgium in Brief: A royal drain on public funds?
Prince Joachim said that he and the Queen had previously discussed removing the children's titles at the age of 25. But he said that to do so without warning is taking away their identities. Crown Princess Mary conceded that "change could be extremely difficult and really hurt". Yet she went on to state "that doesn't mean the decision isn't the right one." She added that she and her husband will consider their children's titles "when the time comes. "
A shocked public
The public has been shocked by the emotional reactions of Prince Joachim and his wife. Countess Alexandra, Joachim's first wife, also denounced the move, as did the eldest of their two children, Prince Nikolai, 23 – a model and student at Copenhagen business school.
Commentators argue that there is public support for the Queen's decision to slim down the monarchy but criticise the way she has done this. Many believe that her failure to reach out to her family before and after the decision was coldhearted.
Communication experts now say that the Queen herself must take action: "The Queen needs to say publicly that she as a grandmother and mother didn't handle the situation well. Maybe for the first time in her life she will make a big, emotional interview, so the Danish public will be reassured that she's not emotionally stunted," said Anna Rørbæk in Berlingske.
Berlingske's editor Tom Jensen called on the Queen to ensure that she passes on "to future generations a monarchy as strong and invulnerable as it seemed a few days ago."
The Queen has apologised on Instagram on October 3, admitting that she "underestimated how much [her] youngest son and his family would be affected."
