Queen Margrethe Of Denmark Breaks Her Silence After Stripping Grandchildren's Royal Titles

The British monarchy isn't the only royal family to have jaw-dropping drama. Recently, Queen Margrethe Of Denmark shocked the public when she decided to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles. The Danish queen, who was close to the late Queen Elizabeth II, made the change to be "in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years," according to an official statement. The statement, released on September 28, explains that removing the royal titles allows the queen's grandchildren to "shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties" that the Royal House of Denmark requires. Notably, the decision impacted only the children of her second son, Prince Joachim.

Queen Margrethe suffered backlash after the decision, including from within her family. Euronews reports that Prince Joachim expressed his dissatisfaction to Danish media, saying that he was given little notice before the decision went public. Similarly, Prince Nikolai, Prince Joachim's oldest son, told reporters, "I am very confused as to why it has to happen like this."

Now, days after she announced her decision, the queen is breaking her silence and responding to her critics.

On October 3, Queen Margrethe released a new statement regarding her decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles. In the statement, she explains that her decision "has been a long time coming" and was made with the future of the Danish monarchy in mind. She explains, "Holding a royal title involves a number of commitments and duties that, in the future, will lie with fewer members of the royal family. This adjustment, which I view as a necessary future-proofing of the monarchy, I want to take in my own time."

The queen goes on to insist that she still cares for her family and that she's "sorry" for the impact that the move had on Prince Joachim and his children. Meanwhile, Crown Princess Mary — who, along with her children and husband Frederick, Crown Prince of Denmark, are unaffected by the change — seemed to support the queen's decision. The princess told Danish media, "Change can be difficult and can really hurt. But this does not mean that the decision is not the right one."