Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s grandsons, Count Nikolai and Count Felix de Monpezat, have received a special honour since being stripped of their royal titles in 2023.
King Frederik X, who succeeded his mother in January last year, awarded Nikolai, 25, and Felix, 22, the Grand Cross of the Order of Dannebrog at a private event before his birthday celebrations at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen yesterday.
Taking to Instagram, the Danish Royal Family‘s official account posted, ‘At a private event before the family breakfast at Amalienborg, on the occasion of His Majesty the King’s 57th birthday, the King yesterday awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of Dannebrog to Their Excellencies Count Nikolai and Count Felix.
‘As a result of the appointment, the counts – like other Danish recipients of the Grand Cross – must have prepared a personal knight shield. When finished, it will be hung in the Knight Chapel at Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød.’
In the post, a selection of photographs showed Frederik honouring his nephews, the sons of Prince Joachim and his first wife, Alexandra Countess of Frederiksborg, with the order.
Nikolai later reposted the images with the writing, ‘Very honoured to have received the order Storkorset af Dannebrog yesterday from my uncle on his birthday.’
Nikolai and Felix were stripped of their royal titles by their paternal grandmother, Queen Margrethe, in a bombshell decision on January 1, 2023.
Margrethe, 85, announced in September 2022 that the four children of her younger son, 55-year-old Prince Joachim, would no longer be able to use the title of prince and princess after January 1.
Count Nikolai (pictured right) and Count Felix de Monpezat (pictured left) received a special honour from King Frederik X (pictured centre) yesterday – three years after being stripped of their royal titles
She said the decision was intended to allow Nikolai, Felix, Henrik, 16, and Athena, 13, to live normal lives without royal obligations.
Instead of being Princes and Princesses, they are Counts or Countess and referred to as Their Excellencies.
On the Royal Family and Succession to The Throne pages of the website, the four royals, who have maintained their positions in the line of succession, are mentioned with their updated titles.
It was a tumultuous time 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.
But speaking in a televised New Year’s address, 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’.
Nikolai appeared delighted as he received the honour during a private event at Amalienborg Palace
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s grandsons received the Grand Cross of the Order of Dannebrog (pictured)
Nikolai has since launched his own Instagram account to promote his modelling career – and has seldom been seen with his cousins and aunt since the announcement.
In 2022, Prince Joachim publicly spoke out against his mother’s decision in the days after she stripped his children of their titles- claiming that they 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 Queen Margrethe’s decision was announced, Joachim claimed that he had only been given five days’ notice before the news was made public.
In an interview with Danish publication Ekstra Bladet, Joachim said his four children had been ‘hurt’ by their grandmother’s decision.
‘I was given five days’ notice to tell them,’ he said, speaking outside the Danish embassy in Paris. ‘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.’
Meanwhile, his ex-wife Alexandra 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’.
Frederik, Nikolai, and Felix looked dapper in crisp suits and white shirts for the occasion yesterday
In response, 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.’
However, the Royal Family appears to have put the drama behind them in recent times as they came together to celebrate Princess Isabella of Denmark’s 18th birthday.
Despite previous tensions, any feelings of resentment appeared long gone at the birthday party.
With the birthday girl’s glittering ballgown, award-worthy performances, and a guest list spanning one thousand young people, Isabella’s 18th bash was one to remember.
Denmark’s royal family and it-girls arrived at the lavish Royal Theatre’s Old Stage in Copenhagen to mark Queen Mary and King Frederik X’s second child’s coming of age in April.
The official event saw the country’s elite gather at the venue alongside one thousand of Denmark’s young people, who secured tickets their tickets via a lottery, for a series of breathtaking performances by both established artists and emerging talents.
It was the second official event held in honour of Isabella’s birthday, with the first party held at Aarhus Hall on 11 April, which, according to Hello, cost a staggering £32,542, including security, catering, and entertainment, but not the cost of her £1,000 mystery birthday gift.
The birthday girl arrived in style alongside her parents and siblings, Crown Prince Christian, 19, Princess Josephine, 14, and Prince Vincent, also 14, before taking to the red carpet and posing up a storm.
While Danish royalty, including Queen Margrethe, assembled on the carpet in sparkling gowns, other invitees gathered on the theatre’s steps to catch a glimpse at the star-studded arrivals.
Once inside, guests wandered through chandelier-lit corridors before finding their place at the theatre in preparation for Their Majesties and Princess Isabella’s entrance.
Isabella’s cousins, Count Nikolai and Count Felix of Monzepat, the sons of Prince Joachim, were in attendance, wearing velvet suit jackets with smart bow ties.
