After the sudden withdrawal of the title by Queen Margrethe II, the young Danish royals are already feeling the consequences. Especially the youngest, Princess Athena, is having a hard time at school. Prince Joachim and Princess Marie raise serious allegations against the palace.
The Danish royal family was deeply shocked by the decision to change the titles and forms of address of Prince Joachim’s children. The ten-year-old daughter, Princess Athena, who lives with her parents in Paris, is already feeling the severe consequences. “Athena is being bullied at school. They come and say, ‘Are you the one who isn’t a princess anymore?'” Princess Marie explained.
The change is not just about a title, Princess Marie continued: “We believe that there are two serious things in this case. The first is to change the name of a child. Athena and Henry of Denmark. That are their names,” says Princess Marie, adding, “The second is: The children were put on public display. It means that as parents we didn’t have time to prepare them for the change and for people’s reactions.”
This step was allegedly not agreed with those affected. Countess Alexandra von Frederiksborg, the ex-wife of Prince Joachim and mother of the princes Nikolai and Felix, told the Danish newspaper “B.T.” :”We are sad and in shock”.
Prince Joachim had previously stated that he was only notified five days in advance, but the royal household’s chief communications officer, Lene Balleby, claimed the prince had known about the decision since May. However, Prince Joachim made it clear that this was not true. It was a completely different plan that was presented to him in May. Namely that the children would lose the titles when they turned 25 years old.
“I can say that my children are upset. My children do not know which leg to stand on. What to believe. Why should their identity be stolen? Why do they have to be punished like this?” asked Joachim.
The Danish Queen Margrethe II recently announced via Instagram that the titles and forms of address for many family members will change from next year. The family branch of her youngest son Prince Joachim of Denmark and his wife Princess Marie of Denmark is affected. Both the couple and the children, Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena, may no longer be addressed as prince or princess from the beginning of 2023, but only with “Excellence”.
