Prince Joachim of Denmark Says He Hasn't Spoken to Queen Margrethe Since She Stripped His Kids' Titles

Mar. 15, 2025

Prince Joachimof Denmark says there’s a silence within the royal family.

The Danish royal, 53, claimed in a new interview that he hasn’t talked to his motherQueen Margrethe II, his brotherCrown Prince Frederikor his sister-in-lawCrown Princess Marysince the palace announced his four children will lose theirprince and princess titlesnext year.

Opening up to Danish outletB.T.in a joint interview with his wife Princess Marie on Saturday, Prince Joachim said relations remain strained amid the major shakeup.

When the reporter asked if the dynamic felt difficult, Marie, 46, replied, “It’s complicated, namely. That’s it.”

Her husband added that Queen Margrethe, 82, “unfortunately” had not connected with them since releasing the news of the titles change.

“It’s also family. Or whatever we want to call it,” he said.

Pierre Suu/Getty

PARIS, FRANCE - OCTOBER 08: (L-R) Princess Marie of Denmark, Prince Joachim of Denmark, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark and Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark attend a Grand dinner at the Town Hall on October 08, 2019 in Paris, France. (Photo by Pierre Suu/Getty Images)

Princess Marie added that she and Prince Joachim “would have liked to have had time to talk about it” with their family. Joachim shares sons Prince Nikolai, 23, and Prince Felix, 20, with his first wife,Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. He got remarried to Marie in 2008, and they went on to welcome son Prince Henrik, 13, and daughter Princess Athena, 10.

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Point de Vue Out Mandatory Credit: Photo by Shutterstock (13382908ao) Prince Joachim and Princess Marie of Denmark attending a lunch reception at The Royal Yacht Dannebrog for the Queen her 50th Jubilee of Government in Copenhagen. Lunch reception at The Royal Yacht Dannebrog, Copenhagen, Denmark - 11 Sep 2022

Robin Utrecht Photography/Getty

GRASTEN, DENMARK - JULY 24: Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, Crownprince Frederik, Crownprincess Mary, Prince Christian, Princess Isabella, Prince Vincent, Princess Josephine, Prince Joachim, Princess Marie, Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena attend the annual summer photo call for the Royal Danish family at Grasten Castle on July 24, 2014 in Grasten, Denmark. (Photo by Robin Utrecht Photography/Getty Images)

“The reality must still be: whether you modernize or slim down, it must be done in a proper way,” Joachim toldB.T. “It’s about children. Orderliness and children. It is a very heavy matter.”

Though her son said they haven’t spoken one on one since the shocking shakeup, Queen Margrethehas maintainedthat the plans had been in motion for a while.

Explaining her decision the day it was announced, the Queen told reporters, “It is a consideration I have had for quite a long time and I think it will be good for them in their future. That is the reason,“Hello!reported.

Queen Margrethe with Prince Joachim and his family.Patrick van Katwijk/Getty

Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Prince Joachim of Denmark, Princess Marie of Denmark, Prince Nikolai of Denmark, Prince Felix of Denmark, Prince Henrik of Denmark and Princess Athena of Denmark during the confirmation of Princess Isabella of Denmark at on April 30, 2022 in Fredensborg, Denmark.

Asked if the move was for her grandchildren’s “sake,” the monarch said, “Yes, of course.”

She also addressed reports that theyfelt “ostracized"and said, per the outlet, “Well, you have to see how you … I haven’t seen it myself, I must say.”

Rune Hellestad/Getty

OSLO, NORWAY- SEPTEMBER 26: Queen Margrethe of Denmark speaks as the recipient of this year’s Nordic Association’s Language Award on September 26, 2022 in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by Rune Hellestad/Getty Images)

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To that end, Princess Mary said she isn’t even sure what the Danish royal household will look like when her 16-year-old sonPrince Christianbecomes the monarch one day.

Prince Vincent, Crown Prince Frederik, Princess Isabella, Queen Margrethe, Prince Christian, Princess Josephine and Crown Princess Mary.Patrick van Katwijk/Getty

Queen Margrethe of Denmark, Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark, Prince Christian of Denmark, Princess Isabella of Denmark, Princess Josephine of Denmark and Prince Vincent of Denmark during the confirmation of Princess Isabella of Denmark at Fredensborg Palace on April 30, 2022 in Fredensborg, Denmark.

Commentingon the newsaffecting her niece and nephews, the future Queen Consort said, “I can understand that it is a difficult decision to make and a very difficult decision to receive,“Hello!reported Friday. “Change can be difficult and can really hurt. But this does not mean that the decision is not the right one.”

“We will also look at our children’s titles when the time comes,” Princess Mary continued, pointing to the status of her three younger children:Princess Isabella, 15, and 11-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine. “Today we do not know what the royal house will look like in Christian’s time, or when Christian’s time begins to approach.”

Unlike their first cousins, the four children of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary remain in the royal house for the foreseeable future.

source: people.com