Princess Mary was a woman on a mission when she stepped out last week to address Queen Margrethe’s explosive decision to dramatically strip four of her grandchildren of their titles, which has sparked a cold war in the Danish royal household and set brothers Prince Joachim and Prince Frederik even further apart.
“Change can be extremely difficult and can really hurt. But this does not mean that the decision is not the right one,” Mary bravely told Danish paper Ekstra Bladet, adding that when the time comes, her own kids, Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, 11, may also lose their titles.
They were comments that didn’t sit well with Fred’s brother Joachim and his wife Princess Marie, who are reeling after Margrethe’s decision to strip their children, Prince Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, of their titles, and who haven’t spoken to the 82-year-old monarch since.
Queen Margrethe allegedly had good intentions.
(Image: Getty)As of January 1, 2023, the children will become counts and countesses and will be known as their excellencies.
While Margrethe hoped it would allow her grandchildren “to shape their own lives without being limited by the special considerations and duties” that come with being born into royalty, Joachim and Marie have hit back, claiming the news blindsided them.
They even chose to publicly air their feud with Fred, 54, and Mary, 50, telling the press that their relationship with them is “complicated… That’s it.”
Princess Mary feels terrible for Marie.
(Image: Getty)CHILDREN AT RISK
Now, royal insiders say Mary is fearing for the future of her family. “Mary and Marie have never been the best of friends, but Mary feels terrible for her and how awfully this has all played out for her kids,” says a source.
“Mary has lived with the competition between her husband and his brother for her entire marriage, and it has frustrated her at times, but none more so than now. Fred and Joachim barely speak, which means Marie and Mary have had very little to do with each other either.”
Things have indeed taken a turn for the worse for Joachim, 53, and Marie, 46, with the pair revealing their children were shocked by the news.
Their model son Nikolai broke his silence to say he was “very sad” and “confused” by the news. More worryingly, it’s been revealed his sister Athena is suffering at school following her grandmother’s decision.
Speaking to Danish news outlet BT, Marie said, “Athena is bullied at school. They come and say, ‘Is it you who is no longer a princess?’
“I think I have to defend our children now. We think there are two serious things in this case. The first is to take a name from a child. Our children. It’s about their name, it’s not about titles at all. Athena and Henry of Denmark. Those are their names,” said Marie.
Princess Mary confessed Athena has been bullied at school since her title was stripped.
(Image: Getty)Despite her loyalties to Fred and Margrethe, Marie’s comments struck a chord with Mary.
“When she heard Marie and Joachim’s daughter was being bullied at school over the whole ordeal, she knew enough was enough. Her own kids were recently embroiled in a bullying scandal, so she knows just how hard that can be on a mum.
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“She wants to contact Marie and try to bury the hatchet, at least between the women. Fred’s not so keen on the idea, but Mary has always been her own woman, and if she insists, he won’t be able to stop her. Mary wants Marie to know she’s there if she ever wants to talk – after all, she’s the only other woman on the planet who knows what life is really like behind palace doors.”
According to insiders, Mary isn’t exactly thrilled with how her husband, who jetted off to France and was spotted enjoying himself on a boat despite all the drama, is handling the situation and feels Fred and Joachim should be working together to ensure the safety and happiness of all the royal children.
“He seems happy to put his head in the sand and let it all blow over, but Mary feels he should be doing more to help smooth out all the rifts with his family members, starting with his brother and Marie,” says a source.
“After all, there are children involved, and those children are their niece and nephews.”
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