Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II has stripped four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, sparking speculation King Charles III may follow suit in the UK.
The change does not affect any of Crown Prince Frederik or Crown Princess Mary’s children, but it’s a huge change for the Danish monarchy.
Queen Margrethe announced that the children of her youngest son, Prince Joachim, will no longer be allowed to use the titles of prince or princess, nor will they have the status of His/Her Royal Highness.
They will be allowed to continue to use their titles as counts and countess of Monpezat and retain their places in the Danish line of succession.
Denmark’s Queen Margrethe II with (L-R) Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, (bottom row L-R), Princess Athena and Prince Henrik.
(Image: Getty)However, the Queen wants the children “to shape their own lives” outside of the royal family and the expectations that come with a HRH title.
“Her Majesty has decided that, as of 1 January 2023, 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,” the Danish royal household said in a statement.
It noted that Prince Joachim’s descendants be referred to as “excellencies” in the future and that the change is “in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made” recently.
The Swedish royal family made similar changes in 2019, when King Carl XVI Gustaf revoked the royal status of five of his grandchildren.
The changes will not affect Princess Mary’s children (left).
(Image: Getty)“With her decision, Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create the framework for the four grandchildren 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 concluded.
The move has sparked speculation that newly anointed King Charles III of Britain may soon announce similar changes for the UK’s monarchy.
There have long been rumours that he envisions a more “slimmed down” monarchy for his reign, with talk he may cut down the number of senior working royals.
WATCH: Queen Margrethe welcomes Prince Harry to Denmark
Reports have already suggested that he may further reduce his disgraced brother, Prince Andrew’s, royal role in his first years as King.
Meanwhile the monarch has chosen not to confirm if Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s two children, Archie and Lilibet, will inherit HRH titles following his ascension.
The children automatically became prince and princess when their grandfather became King, however there has been no official statement about the children’s titles from the palace as of yet.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s royal roles may also be in jeopardy, as they were bumped to the bottom of the royal family’s website this week.
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