Counts Nikolai, 23, and Felix, 20, are seen in public after being stripped of their royal titles.

The grandsons of Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Count Nikolai and Count Félix de Monpezat, have been seen in public for the first time since they were stripped of their royal titles.

Nikolai, 23, and Felix, 20, attended the funeral of their maternal grandmother Christa Manley in Vienna, Austria, along with their mother Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, on January 27.

The brothers made the trip from Copenhagen, where they study, reported point of viewand accompanied his mother and two maternal aunts to the Ober-Sankt-Veit parish church for the funeral.

His grandmother, Christa, died at her home in the Austrian capital on January 5 at the age of 89, according to the publication.

Nikolai and Felix were stripped of their royal titles by their paternal grandmother, Queen Margaret, in an explosive decision that took effect on January 1.

Talking to the Danish publication BT About her mother, Alexandra, 58, who was married to Prince Joachim of Denmark for 10 years until 2005, she said: “She loved her family and friends and loved to travel.”

‘He had a great appetite for life, and he passed that on to us. So it’s obvious that he leaves a huge void in the family.

Earlier this month, the Danish royal family’s website was updated to show the new status of the children of Queen Margrethe’s son Joachim after they were stripped of their HRH titles.

The 82-year-old monarch announced in September that the four children of her youngest son, Prince Joachim, 53, would no longer be able to use the title of prince and princess after January 1.

She has said the decision was intended to allow Nikolai, Felix, born of Joachim’s first marriage, and 13-year-old Henrik and 10-year-old Athena to live normal lives without royal obligations.

Instead of being Princes and Princesses, they are Counts and Countesses and are referred to as Their Excellencies, a change now reflected on the family’s website.

Under the Royal Family and Succession to the Throne pages of the website, the four young royals, who have maintained their positions in the line of succession, are listed with their new titles.

It was a tumultuous autumn for the Danish royal family after the monarch stripped Joachim’s four children of their titles of prince and princess, a move he spoke out against.

But speaking in a televised New Year’s address, Margrethe admitted: “It pains me that the relationship with Prince Joachim and (his wife) Princess Mary has run into difficulties.

‘Difficulties and disagreements can arise in any family, including my own. The whole country has witnessed this.

She added that she was “confident that the family can enter the new year together with confidence, understanding and new courage.”

But earlier this month, the royal family seemed to put the drama behind them when they arrived for their glamorous New Year’s Eve dinner at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.

Despite the fallout, Prince Joachim was seen leaving the lavish event, as were his brother Crown Prince Frederik and his wife Crown Princess Mary, as well as the Queen’s sister Princess Benedikte. Prince Joachim’s wife, Princess Maria, stayed in Paris with her son, who was ill.

Last year, Prince Joachim publicly spoke out against his mother’s decision in the days that followed, claiming that his children had been “harmed” in the process.

Months later, the sixth in line to the throne admitted that “communication was lacking” within the Royal Family in the lead up to the shock announcement.

Joachim told local BT news: ‘There is a lot to work on.

Communication was what was missing. Now we have found each other and we are on the right path.’

Shortly after his sons were stripped of their titles, Joachim claimed he had only been given five days’ notice before the news broke.

Following the queen’s announcement, Joachim spoke to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet outside the Danish embassy in Paris, where he lives with his French-born wife Princess Marie and their two youngest children, saying their four children had been “hurt” by his grandmother’s decision. .

They gave me five days notice to tell them. In May, they presented me with a plan which, broadly speaking, was that when the kids turned 25, it would happen. Now she only had five days to tell him. Athena turns 11 in January,” he clarified

Meanwhile, his ex-wife Alexandra said their sons Nikolai and Felix had felt “excluded” from the institution and the decision had come “like lightning”.

The Royal Household issued a further statement, saying: “As the Queen said yesterday, the decision has been a long time coming.

“

“We understand there are a lot of emotions at play at the moment, but we hope that the Queen’s wish to prepare the Royal House for the future is respected.”

Last year, Joachim and his family were said to be moving to the US after he got a new job in the defense industry in Washington, according to local media reports.

The 53-year-old Danish royal has decided to move to Washington DC with his wife and two young children, Henrik and Athena, Danish daily. BT informed.

The royal couple is currently based in Paris, where the prince has worked as a defense attaché since 2020. However, that job is expected to end in June, meaning the sticks are likely to rise.

in the second half of the year.

The communications department of the Danish Royal Court did not confirm Joachim’s next reported move.