Denmark's Royal House Updates Website After Prince Joachim's 4 Children Officially Lose Their Titles

MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty Images

The children of Denmark's Prince Joachim are no longer princes or a princess.

On Jan. 1, Joachim's four kids — sons Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, and Henrik, 13, and daughter Athena, 10 — lost their prince or princess titles and "His/Her Highness" styling, appellations which they inherited at birth as the grandchildren of Queen Margrethe II. As seen on the updated website of the Danish Royal House, the siblings are now styled as His Excellency Count of Monpezat or Her Excellency Countess of Monpezat.

Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena retain their places in the order of succession; they are currently seventh through to the tenth in line to the throne behind their father.

In September 2022, the palace announced via press release that Prince Joachim's four children would lose their royal titles on the first day of 2023.

RELATED: Denmark's Queen Margrethe Stars in New Portraits as Grandchildren Prepare to Lose Royal Titles

Danish Royal Family

The announcement created strain within the royal family. Joachim, 53, told the press he felt blindsided by the bombshell and claimed he was only given five days' notice. Queen Margrethe, however, has maintained that the plans had been in motion for a while and said the decision was made in the best interests of her grandchildren.

Five days after the news broke, she issued an apology saying she "underestimated" how greatly the shock of the news would affect the family dynamic and calling the change "necessary future-proofing of the monarchy."

The shakeup does not affect the four children of Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary. Unlike their first cousins, Prince Christian, 17, Princess Isabella, 15, and 11-year-old twins Prince Vincent and Princess Josephine remain in the royal house for the foreseeable future as the children of the Crown Prince couple. The eldest son of Queen Margrethe and the late Prince Henrik, Frederik, 54, is first in line to the Danish throne.

Danish Royal Family

Queen Margrethe, 83, spoke about the situation in her annual New Year Address over the weekend. Much like the British monarch's annual Christmas speech, which King Charles III took over this year following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, the Danish Queen has addressed her country each year of her reign with a televised broadcast on New Year's Eve.

Touching on global and local issues, as well as major milestones achieved by Danish people, the sovereign acknowledged the discord that rocked her family's dynamic after it was announced that Joachim's children would lose their titles this year. Prince Joachim shares his two eldest sons with his first wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg. He remarried in 2008 to Princess Marie, and they later welcomed Henrik and Athena. (Though their children have lost their royal titles, Joachim and Marie retain their prince and princess styling.)

"For most of us, our family is one of the most important things in life. We see how our children develop, and how they tackle life's challenges each in their own way. We are happy for them, we worry about them, and we wish for them to do well," the Queen said.

Ole Jensen/Getty Images

RELATED: Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark Breaks Silence on Queen's Decision to Strip Grandchildren's Titles

"I always feel great love for my entire family. Difficulties and misunderstandings may arise in any family, also in mine. The whole country has witnessed that," she continued. "That the relationship with Prince Joachim and Princess Marie has run into difficulties makes me sad."

"We have now had a quieter period and time for reflection, and I am sure that our family can embark on the new year together with confidence, understanding and new courage," she added. "After the coronavirus has released its grip on society, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess have had plenty to do once again with a full program. They have looked forward to this and have thrown themselves into the task with great enthusiasm."

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Towards the close of her address, Queen Margrethe spoke about the joy her grandchildren bring her and the big year ahead for Prince Christian, who will inherit the Danish throne one day.

"All my eight grandchildren are a source of great joy to me. How they have grown, how time flies! Next October, Prince Christian will turn 18. It will be a special day, which we are all looking forward to," she said, before pivoting to well-wishes for the new year.

"Tonight is New Year's Eve. A year has passed — a year with many joyful events, but also a year characterized by tensions, unrest and economic challenges," Queen Margrethe reflected. "It is my wish and hope for the new year that people may live in peace and harmony again, and that the joy of life may prevail again. We must all contribute to that."

LISELOTTE SABROE/Ritzau Scanpix/AFP via Getty

On Sunday, the day after the speech aired, Prince Joachim attended the Queen's New Year's levee and banquet at Amalienborg Royal Palace in Copenhagen. He was seen arriving alone. Also in attendance at the annual banquet were his mother Queen Margrethe, his brother Crown Prince Frederik and his sister-in-law Crown Princess Mary.

Joachim was not pictured at the New Year's reception for the diplomatic corps at Christiansborg Palace on Tuesday, which Queen Margrethe, Prince Frederik and Princess Mary attended together.