Queen Margrethe of Denmark has stripped half of her grandchildren of their royal titles to slim down the royal family.
The monarch, now the only Queen in Europe, announced four of her descendants will no longer hold the titles of prince and princess.
Under the changes, the four children of her second son Prince Joachim will now only be referred to as ‘counts and countesses of Monzepat’ or ‘your excellence’.
The move impacts Princes Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, and Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10.
Queen Margrethe, who is now the longest reigning monarch on the continent, said it was ‘in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years’.
But the move has fuelled speculation of a royal rift and the wing of the family hit by the changes are said to be ‘in shock’.
The four children of Crown Prince Frederick, her eldest son who will inherit the throne, will continue to be princes and princesses.
Despite the fact the four children stripped of their titles will continue to be in the line of succession, it has prompted an ugly response.
The monarch said she intended to give the four grandchildren more freedom away from the royal life and there has been total silence from Prince Joachim.
But a representative of Countess Alexandra, who is Prince Joachim’s ex-wife and mother of two of his children, responded angrily to Danish celebrity magazine Se Og Hor.
They were quoted as saying: ‘We are all confused by the decision. We are saddened and in shock.
‘This comes like a bolt from the blue. The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is taken from them.’
Parallels will be drawn with the decision to remove Harry and Meghan’s titles after they announced they no longer wanted to continue with frontline royal duties.
It remains to be seen whether Prince Charles, who has long been said to favour a ‘slimmed down’ royal family, will take similar action.
A statement from Queen Margrethe read: ‘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.
‘Prince Joachim’s descendants will thus have to be addressed as excellencies in the future.
‘The Queen’s decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years.
‘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.
‘All four grandchildren maintain their places in the order of succession.’
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