Queen Margrethe arrives at a lavish New Year's reception in Copenhagen

2023-01-03

United front! Queen Margrethe of Denmark is joined by her Prince Frederik and his wife Mary for New Year’s reception – after confessing it ‘hurt’ to strip her younger son’s children of their titles

Crown Princess Mary, 50, wowed in grey at the New Year’s diplomatic reception
Joined by Prince Frederik, 54, and Queen Margrethe II, 82, in Copenhagen
The event is hosted by the Queen and honours ambassadors to Denmark
Read more: Danish royal family make removal of titles OFFICIAL

Queen Margrethe of Denmark was joined by her son Crown Prince Frederik and his wife at a lavish New Year’s reception today – after confessing it ‘hurt’ her to strip her grandchildren of their titles.

The 82-year-old Danish monarch led the glamour in a velvet burgundy gown adorned with pearls and broaches as she attended her family’s traditional New Year reception for the diplomatic corps at Christiansborg Palace.

Princess Mary, 50, oozed sophistication in a grey satin and lace gown which she paired with chic pearl drop earrings.

It comes after the family updated their website to show the new status belonging to Queen Margrethe’s son Joachim’s children after they were stripped of their HRH titles.

The Crown Princess Mary of Denmark (left) joined Prince Frederik (right) and Queen Margrethe for a lavish New Year’s reception at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen

Today, Mary draped a blue sash over her flowing floor length gown which featured the Order of the Elephant brooch.

The Order is Denmark’s oldest and most distinguished royal order of chivalry, and can be dated back to 1460.

Meanwhile Frederik looked dapper in full ceremonial dress complete with his traditional blue sash displaying his medals.

The Queen donned a new levee dress, which the Craftsmen’s Association in Copenhagen presented to Her Majesty on the occasion of her government’s jubilee in the year 2022.

Queen Margrethe led the glamour in a velvet burgundy gown adorned with pearls and broaches as she attended her family’s traditional New Year reception for the diplomatic corps

The Queen donned a new levee dress, which the Craftsmen’s Association in Copenhagen presented to Her Majesty on the occasion of her government’s jubilee in the year 2022

Queen Margrethe sat next to the Crown Prince Frederik and the Crown Princess Mary as they participated in the New Year’s levee for diplomacy

Princess Mary, 50, oozed sophistication in a grey satin and lace gown which she paired with chic pearl drop earrings

The new burgundy dress replaced the former royal blue levee dress, which Margrethe received more than 25 years ago.

The stunning ensemble, which featured black fur cuffs and collar, was paired with a matching handbag.

The New Year’s Diplomatic Reception is an annual event held in honour of the members of the diplomatic corps.

The family appeared in good spirits during the event, despite the controversy which has surrounded them over the last few months.

The 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.

Princess Mary draped a blue sash over her flowing floor length gown which featured the Order of the Elephant broach

Meanwhile Frederik looked dapper in full ceremonial dress complete with his traditional blue sash displaying his medals

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.

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.

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.

Denmark’s Royal Family has updated their website to show the new status belonging to four of Queen Margrethe’s grandchildren after they were stripped of their HRH titles. Pictured, Count Nikolai, left, and right, Count Felix

But 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 courage’.

Days ago, the Royal Family appeared to put the drama far behind them as they arrived for their glamorous New Year’s dinner at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.

Despite the fallout, Prince Joachim was seen stepping out at the lavish event, as were his brother Crown Prince Frederik and wife Crown Princess Mary, as well as the Queen’s sister Princess Benedikte. Prince Joachim’s wife, Princess Marie, stayed in Paris with their son, who was ill.

The 82-year-old monarch announced in September that the four children of her youngest son, 53-year-old Prince Joachim, would no longer be able to use the title of prince and princess after January 1. Pictured, Countess Athena, left, and right, Count Henrik

The Danish Queen (pictured with her sons and their wives) has said the decision to 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

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.’

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.

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

Denmark’s Prince Felix, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Princess Athena, Prince Henrik and Prince Nikolai in September

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.

‘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.

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.

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