Prince Joachim and Princess Marie spent Christmas in Vietnam

2023-01-04

Revealed: Prince Joachim of Denmark spent Christmas in VIETNAM to show his family the country where his father Prince Henrik grew up – after his children were stripped of their titles

Prince Joachim and Princess Marie spent Christmas in Vietnam with children
Came as the Margrethe II stripped the children of their prince and princess titles
Instead they are Counts and Countess and referred to as Their Excellencies
Read more: Queen Margrethe is joined by Frederik for New Year’s reception

Prince Joachim of Denmark and his family spent Christmas in Vietnam as his children were officially stripped of their prince and princess titles, it has been revealed.

According to Danish magazine, Her & Nu, Queen Margrethe’s youngest son and his wife Princess Marie celebrated on holiday with Count Henrik, 13, and Countess Athena, ten, along with Joachim’s sons, Count Nikolai, 23, and Count Felix, 20.

The magazine detailed the trip had been rescheduled from 2020 due to the pandemic, writing: ‘Joachim finally got the opportunity to show the children the country where their grandfather, Prince Henrik, spent many of his childhood and youth years.’

It was a tumultuous autumn for the Danish Royal Family after the monarch stripped Joachim’s four children of their prince and princess titles – a move which he publicly spoke out against.

Prince Joachim of Denmark and his family spent Christmas in Vietnam as his children were officially stripped of their prince and princess titles, it has been revealed (pictured on holiday in 2018)

Prince Henrik lived in Vietnam for the early years of his childhood, and spoke the language throughout his life.

The royal, who was married to Queen Margarethe, died in 2018.

Days ago, Prince Joachim attended the New Year’s reception alongside his family, however other family members were absent, including his wife Princess Marie.

It came as the royal family updated their website to show the new status belonging to four of Queen Margrethe’s grandchildren after they were stripped of their HRH titles.

It was a tumultuous autumn for the Danish Royal Family after the monarch stripped Joachim’s four children of their prince and princess titles – a move which he publicly spoke out against (pictured, Queen Margarethe with her sons Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, and their wives Crown Princess Mary and Princess Marie)

Instead of being Princes and Princesses, they are Counts and Countess and referred to as Their Excellencies – a change which is now reflected on the household’s website.

Under the Royal Family and Succession To The Throne pages of the website, the four young royals – who have maintained their positions in the line of succession – are mentioned with their new titles.

The 82-year-old monarch announced in September that the four children of her younger son, 53-year-old Prince Joachim, would no longer be able to use the title of prince and princess after January 1.

She has said the decision was intended to allow Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20 – born from Joachim’s first marriage – and Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, to live normal lives without royal obligations.

Prince Henrik, who was married to Queen Margrethe before his death in 2018, lived in Vietnam for the early years of his childhood, and spoke the language throughout his life

Denmark’s Prince Felix, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Princess Athena, Prince Henrik and Prince Nikolai in September – the children have now been stripped of their titles, and are Counts and Countesses

Last year, Prince Joachim publicly spoke out against his mother’s decision in the days that followed – claiming that his children had been ‘harmed’ in the process.

Months later, the sixth-in-line to the throne admitted that ‘communication was missing’ within the Royal Family in the lead-up to the shock announcement.

Joachim told local news outlet B.T.: ‘There is a lot to work on. Communication was what was missing. Now we have met and we are on the right track.’

Out of a title: The four grandchildren who are no longer TRHs

Nikolai of Denmark, 23: The Copenhagen Business School student and model regularly tops lists of the world’s most eligible bachelors. He lives in Denmark but has jetted around the world to walk for designers in Paris and London. Nikolai has also appeared on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia.

Felix of Denmark, 20: Following in his brother’s footsteps, Prince Felix has also had success as a model and has starred in an advertising campaign for Georg Jensen. He had a short stint at the Royal Danish Military Academy but quit after two months because it ‘wasn’t for him’.

Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, of Denmark: The youngest of Prince Joachim’s four children, Henrik and Athena are the product of his second marriage to Princess Marie. They live with their parents in Paris.

Shortly after his children were stripped of his titles, Joachim claimed that he had only been given five days’ notice before the news was made public.

Following the Queen’s announcement, Joachim spoke to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet outside the Danish Embassy in Paris, where he lives with his French-born wife Princess Marie and his two youngest children, and said his four children had been ‘hurt’ by their grandmother’s decision.

‘I was given five days’ notice to tell them. In May, I was presented with a plan which, by and large, was that when the children each turned 25, it would happen. Now I had only five days to tell them. Athena turns 11 in January,’ he clarified

Meanwhile, his ex-wife Alexandra, 58, who was married to Joachim for 10 years until 2005, said that her sons, Nikolai and Felix, had been left feeling ‘ostracised’ from the institution and the decision had come like a ‘bolt out of the blue’.

The Royal Household released a further statement, saying: ‘As the Queen stated yesterday, the decision has been a long time coming.

‘We understand that there are many emotions at stake at the moment, but we hope that the Queen’s wish to future-proof the Royal Household will be respected.’

Last year, it was said that Joachim and his family are relocating to the US after he landed a new job in the defence industry in Washington, according to local media reports.

While Prince Joachim’s family spent Christmas in Vietnam, his brother Crown Prince Frederik and his children travelled to Crown Princess Mary’s native Australia for the holiday

The Danish royal, 53, has decided to move to Washington DC with his wife and their two young children, Henrik and Athena, Danish newspaper BT reported.

The royal couple are currently based in Paris, where the prince has worked as defence attaché since 2020. However that job is expected to come to an end in June, meaning they are likely to up sticks in the second half of the year.

The Danish Royal Court’s communications department did not confirm Joachim’s reported upcoming move.

While Prince Joachim’s family spent Christmas in Vietnam, his brother Crown Prince Frederik and his children travelled to Crown Princess Mary’s native Australia for the holiday.

Prince Joachim’s children Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, all lost their titles on January 1 2023

Speaking in a televised New Year’s address on Saturday, Margrethe admitted: ‘That the relationship with Prince Joachim and (his wife) Princess Marie has run into difficulties hurts me.

‘Difficulties and disagreements can arise in any family, including mine. The whole country has witnessed this.’

She added that she was ‘sure that the family can enter the new year together with confidence, understanding and new courag

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark reunites with Prince Joachim in public for the first time since he criticised the monarch for stripping his children of their royal titles
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