Forget the House of Windsor’s problems with Prince Harry’s upcoming memoir Spare – these European dynasties have also been in crisis recently with family dramas of their own …
The House of Glucksburg, Denmark
“There is something rotten in this state of Denmark,” remarked the Prince of Denmark in Shakespeare’s most famous tragedy, Hamlet. A prescient comment perhaps on the current state of relations within the House of Glucksburg.
Until late last year, the Danish royal family was considered to be one of the most popular and harmonious in Europe. Queen Margrethe II, who has reigned for over 50 years, is arguably Europe’s most intellectual and hands-on monarch with many creative talents and interests.
Affectionately known as “Daisy”, she is passionate about art and archaeology which she studied at Cambridge university (one of five universities she has attended), often going on excavation holidays. She has been an artist throughout her life and her watercolours are in many museums in Denmark, where she has also designed costumes and scenography for ballets.
She married French diplomat Conte Henri de Laborde de Monpezat, who died in 2018, and they had two sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim.
Photograph via @detdanskekongehus Instagram. Photo rights: Per Morten Abrahamsen, Royal House ©?.
Seemingly out of the blue, in September 2022, Queen Margrethe announced that Prince Joachim’s four children would have their HRH titles removed and would no longer be able to use the title of prince and princess. An official statement explained, “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.”
While the idea of a more streamlined royal family chimes with King Charles III’s plan for the House of Windsor, media scrutiny has been intense. The news came as a shock to Prince Joachim and his children – Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix with his ex-wife Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg and Prince Henrik and Princess Athena with his second wife Marie. Both Joachim and Alexandra released emotive statements at the time. “My kids don’t know which leg to stand on. What they should believe. Why should their identity be removed? Why must they be punished in that way?” asked Prince Joachim, who is sixth in line to throne.
Queen Margrethe defended her difficult decision, declaring it was “necessary future-proofing of the monarchy”. It was noted that neither of her sons spent Christmas with their mother – Crown Prince Frederik spent the holidays in Australia and Tasmania with his Australian wife Princess Mary.
A Danish newspaper has reported that Prince Joachim, who currently lives in Paris where he works as a defense attaché, will move to Washington DC later this year. As of January 1, his children are now known as the Counts and Countess of Monpezat. Both Count Nikolai and Count Felix have burgeoning modelling careers. Nikolai has featured on the cover of Vogue Scandinavia, while Felix starred in an advertising campaign for Georg Jensen. No doubt they will continue to capitalise on the media interest in their family.
As for brothers Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, their relationship is said to be “complicated”, though they were photographed together for an official family portrait and attended a New Year’s Day banquet at Christina VII’s palace in Copenhagen.
In her new year address, Queen Margrethe stated: “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. 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.”
