Margrethe II of Denmark stripped her son Joachim's four children of their princely titles to allow them to live more normal lives.
The queen, the only one in Europe and with the longest reign on the continent, announced the news on Wednesday.
"From January 1, 2023, the descendants of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim will only be able to use their titles of Count and Countess of Monpezat, their previous titles of Prince and Princess of Denmark becoming obsolete", specifies a royal press release.
Prince Joachim, 53, has four children aged 10 to 23 from two marriages: Nikolai, Felix, Henrik and Athena.
“Children feel left out”
"Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create a framework in which the four grandchildren can shape their own lives to a much greater extent, without being limited by the special considerations and obligations that formal affiliation with the Royal Household entails," said the press release.
The mother of the prince's two eldest sons expressed bewilderment and "shock".
“It falls like a hair on the soup, declared the countess Alexandra to a Danish media.
Children feel left out.
They cannot understand why their identity is taken away from them.
The Queen's four other grandchildren, children of Crown Prince Frederik, 54, retain their titles.
In adulthood only the eldest will receive an appanage, a decision taken in 2016.
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