Prince Joachim and Princess Marie spent Christmas in Vietnam

It has been revealed that Prince Joachim of Denmark and his family spent Christmas in Vietnam when his children were officially stripped of their titles of prince and princess.

According to the Danish magazine, she and nuQueen Margaret’s youngest son and his wife, Princess Mary, celebrated the holiday with Count Henry, 13, and Countess Athena, 10, along with Joachim’s children Count Nicholas, 23, and Count Felix, 20.

The magazine detailed that the trip had been rescheduled from 2020 due to the pandemic, writing: “Joachim finally had the chance to show the children the country where their grandfather, Prince Henrik, spent many of his childhood and youth years. “.

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.

Prince Henrik lived in Vietnam during his early childhood and spoke the language throughout his life.

The royal, who was married to Queen Margarethe, died in 2018.

A few days ago, Prince Joachim attended the New Year’s reception with his family, however, other family members were absent, including his wife, Princess Marie.

It came as the royal family updated its website to show the new status belonging to four of Queen Margaret’s grandchildren after they were stripped of their HRH titles.

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.

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, 23, Felix, 20, born from Joachim’s first marriage, and Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, to live a normal life without real obligations.

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 a local media outlet BT.: ‘There is a lot to work on. Communication was what was missing. Now we have found each other and we are on the right track.’

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, 58, who was married to Joachim for 10 years until 2005, said their sons Nikolai and Felix had felt “pushed out” from the institution and that the decision had come as a ” jump”. of the blue’.

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.

While Prince Joachim’s family spent Christmas in Vietnam, his brother Crown Prince Frederik and his children traveled to Crown Princess Mary’s native Australia for the holiday.

Speaking in a televised New Year’s speech on Saturday, 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 ‘sure the family can enter the new year together with confidence, understanding and new courage.

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