Wednesday March 22, 2023 – Prince Joachim of Denmark is moving to America after his children were stripped of their royal titles in a move that sparked outrage last year.
The palace announced that the second son of Queen Margrethe will move to Washington D.C this summer with his wife, Princess Marie.
The 53-year-old will start a new job at the Danish Embassy under the Ministry of Defense on Sept. 1.
It is believed that the couple’s two children, 13-year-old son Henrik and 11-year-old daughter Athena, will join their parents for the big move.
Joachim is also a father to sons Nikolai, 23, and Felix, 20, from his previous marriage to Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg.
The union lasted from 1995 until 2005. He remarried in 2008 to Marie.
The palace announcement noted that Joachim and his wife, 47, moved to France four years ago.
“The reason was that Prince Joachim initiated France’s highest-ranking military training course as a supplement to the Prince’s long-term commitment to the Defense,” the statement read. “After completing their education, both the Prince and Princess were associated with the Danish Embassy in Paris as the Defence Attaché and Special Cultural Representative, respectively.”
The move is significant as the queen announced last year that she was stripping Joachim’s four children of their prince and princess titles.
In early 2023, they became known as His/Her Excellency Count of Monpezat instead of His/Her Highness.
Following the announcement, the prince sat down with Danish outlet B.T. for a joint interview with the princess.
Joachim alleged that he hasn’t talked to his mother, his brother Crown Prince Frederik or his sister-in-law Crown Princess Mary following the shocking news.
He also claimed that the monarchy “unfortunately” had not connected with them since the announcement of the title changes.
“It’s also family. Or whatever we want to call it,” he said.
Joachim, who is friends with British Prince Harry, is sixth in line to the Danish throne.
His children will maintain their places in the order of succession, which is currently seventh through 10th.
“With her decision, 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,” the palace previously said in the statement when announcing Joachim’s children have been stripped of their titles.
It is believed the change was made to streamline the monarchy’s future.
However, Joachim argued that family should come first.
“The reality must still be: Whether you modernize or slim down, it must be done in a proper way,” he told the outlet.
“It’s about children. Orderliness and children. It is a very heavy matter.”
The queen, 82, apologized for upsetting members of her family with the decision. However, she refused to change her mind.
“It is my duty and my desire as queen to ensure that the monarchy always shapes itself in keeping with the times. Sometimes, this means that difficult decisions must be made, and it will always be difficult to find the right moment,” she said in a statement.
“This adjustment … I view as a necessary future-proofing of the monarchy,” Europe’s longest reigning monarch said. She has not altered her decision.
“I have made my decision as queen, mother and grandmother. But, as a mother and grandmother, I have underestimated the extent to which my younger son and his family feel affected. That makes a big impression, and for that I am sorry,” Margrethe said in the statement.
Joachim previously told the Ekstra Bladet daily in Paris where he lives and works, that they “are all very sad.”
“It’s never fun to see your children being mistreated like that. They… find themselves in a situation they do not understand,” he said.
When asked how the decision had affected his relationship with his mother, Joachim replied, “I don’t think I need to elaborate here.”
Joachim’s first wife said they were confused, saddened and in shock.
“The children feel ostracized. They cannot understand why their identity is being taken away from them,” Alexandra said.
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