Princess Marie of Denmark has said their family’s relationship with the Crown Prince Family is “complicated.”
During an interview she and her husband, Prince Joachim, gave to BT, the couple spoke about Queen Margrethe’s decision to strip royal titles from Joachim’s four children.
Prince Joachim stated that his children (Princes Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Princess Athena) felt punished and that he was only given days to inform them of the decision. This contrasts with the statement issued by the Royal House’s Head of Communications, Lene Balleby, who said Joachim had been involved in the process with his mother since May.
Princess Marie said that her family has not spoken to the Crown Prince Family (Crown Prince Frederik, Crown Princess Mary and their four children – Princes Christian and Vincent and Princesses Isabella and Josephine) and that their relationship is “complicated.”
When asked if Queen Margrethe has tried to talk to them, Prince Joachim said: “Unfortunately not. It’s also family. Or whatever we want to call it.”
Princess Marie thinks the situation has not been handled correctly. She said: “We would have liked to have had time to talk about it.”
Regarding the slimming down of the monarchy, Marie said: “That’s a good question. I don’t think it’s modern to have some injured children.”
Joachim then added, “The reality must still be: whether you modernise or slim down, it must be done in a proper way. It’s about children. Orderliness and children. It is a very heavy matter.”
However, Marie stressed that she understood that there are more important things going on in Europe at the moment: “I want to emphasise that, of course, there are some much more serious things in the world, especially these days. It is a bit strange to have to talk about your children’s names and titles when we are facing some very serious challenges. But you have to remember children’s way of thinking. Children’s conditions. And that is what is decisive.”
Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and their two children, Prince Henrik and Princess Athena, moved to Marie’s native France in 2019. Joachim works as a Military Attaché at the Royal Danish Embassy in Paris. He and Marie return to Denmark when they can to undertake royal duties.
