The heir and spare who CAN get on! New King Frederik of Denmark proves brother Prince Joachim is a key part of the monarchy by including him in first official engagement with Queen Mary – after family feud over titles
The new King and Queen of Denmark sent a message that Prince Joachim is still a key part of the monarchy today, by including him in their first official engagement since taking the throne.
It was a remarkable turnaround for the brothers’ relationship, which was rocked in September 2022, when Queen Margrethe stripped his children of their royal titles – a decision Prince Joachim claimed had ‘harmed’ his family.
Amid the ructions, Joachim, 53, and his second wife Princess Marie, 46, admitted their relationship with his older brother Crown Prince Frederik, 54, and his sister-in-law Crown Princess Mary, 50, was ‘complicated’.
But there was no sign of tension between the brothers today, as Joachim joined the royal couple at Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen for their first official engagement as the new King and Queen.
While there may be echoes of Prince William and Prince Harry’s feud, the pair have proved that it is possible to overcome the tensions in a brotherly relationship where one is destined to be King.
On the steps of parliament, Frederik greeted his brother Joachim, showing there’s no ill will between the pair
Joachim (pictured right), who famously fell out with his mother when his children lost their Prince and Princess titles, appeared to show it was all water under the bridge as he proudly stood alongside her today
Clearly accustomed to the Danish chill, Mary braved the weather in a pair of blue leather gloves
The new face of Danish royalty: Crown Prince Christian sat alongside his mother and father as Queen Margrethe and Prince Joachim sat behind
Prince Joachim with his wife Princess Marie in September 2022. He is also pictured alongside his four children, who were stripped of their HRH status by their grandmother
Joachim, who famously fell out with his mother when his children lost their Prince and Princess titles, appeared to show it was all water under the bridge as he proudly stood alongside her today.
Perhaps in a nod that everything is peaceful within the family, second-born Joachim wore a tie emblazoned with elephants.
The Order of the Elephant (Elefantordenen) is Denmark’s highest honour. The honour is typically given to children of the monarch and their spouses, as well as heads of state and foreign royals.
In 2022, Queen Margrethe shocked royal watchers as she sensationally announced Joachim’s four children would lose their titles.
Nikolai, 24, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 11, are now known as ‘Count and Countess’ and referred to as Their Excellencies, rather than Their Royal Highness.
The Queen insisted the move would be ‘good for them in their future’ and allow the children – who have maintained their positions in the line of succession – to ‘shape their own lives without being limited by the special considerations and duties’ that a formal affiliation with the Danish Royal Family involves.
After the family were stripped of their titles in September 2022, Prince Joachim claimed that his mother’s decision had ‘harmed’ his children.
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.
The brothers seemed as close as ever as they sheltered under an umbrella going into parliament
Clutching a bouquet, she was joined by the new King as the pair braved -2C weather
Joachim also appeared close with his mother again as her hugged and kissed her
Frederik sweetly greeted his mother outside of parliament as he took over the new role
Showing no sign of sadness after stepping down, Queen Margarethe looked delighted as she wondered into parliament
The royal family popped up umbrellas to protect themselves from the sleet in the chilly temperatures
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.’
He added that he had only been given five days’ notice before the news was made public.
Meanwhile, Prince Joachim’s 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’.
The Royal Household released a further statement that 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,’ the statement added.
None of Joachim’s children – or his wife – joined him at the ascension yesterday.
However, there appears to be no hard feelings from his eldest son Nikolai, who posted sweet throwback pictures with both his uncle and grandmother.
The student, who is currently studying in Sydney and on holiday in Bali, added that he was eating Danish food, perhaps in a a sign he was missing home.
After the parliamentary reception, most of the royals headed to a reception in the parliament, however Joachim left to fly back to the US.
The second son works as Denmark’s Military attaché to the United States and is based in Washington DC.
Once inside parliament, the family listened to speeches from Danish politicians, including the Prime Minister, before the Danish National Girls’ choir sang Hans Christian Andersen’s ‘Denmark, my Fatherland,’ causing Mary to cry.
Braving the -2C (28F) temperatures and rainy weather, Mary and Frederik greeted their family outside the building before watching speeches by politicians.
Princess Mary appeared to well up as she listened to ‘Danmark, mit fædreland’ (Denmark, my fatherland) which was written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1850
Mary listened intensely to the speeches, seemingly taking well in her first day as monarch
Queen Mary , 51, in a blue skirt suit and dress hat tiptoed up the stairs into Christiansborg Palace – the Danish parliament – in stilettos
Mary and Christian chatted to one another from the viewing gallery
Christian and Mary spoke to one another from the viewing gallery of parliament
Mary, Frederik and Christian walked into the viewing gallery first and were followed by the rest of the royals
The family stood to sing the national anthem before listening to speeches
Margrethe, known for her quirky fashion sense, opted for a fur coat inside parliament
The royals arrived in three separate cars , baring the Danish flag, before heading into the parliament building
After entering parliament, Mary – clutching a bouquet – headed into the chamber with husband Frederik and son Christian sitting either side of her.
Joachim, Benedikte and Margarethe sat behind as they listened to a speech by Mette Frederiksen, the Danish Prime Minister.
Other MPs also gave speeches before the Danish National Girls’ Choir – known as DR Pigekoret – sang to the royal family.
The choir performed, ‘Danmark, mit fædreland’ (Denmark, my fatherland) which was written by Hans Christian Andersen in 1850.
The poem is about his love for the Danish country and language, and is often proposed as a new national anthem of Denmark.
The song is reportedly a favourite of he new Queen’s, who closed her eyes and shed a tear as it played.
‘It’s more than a song. It is a declaration of love for Denmark, for history, for the language, for the culture, for the landscape. A love song that even I, even though I was not born in Denmark, can feel deep in my heart. And I know that you don’t have to be born in a country to feel at home,’ she said during a speech in 2017.
It’s been a whirlwind start to the year for the Danish royals.
Christian, Mary and Frederik stood in front of Benedikte, Joachim and Margrethe
The royals laughed and smiled as they listened to parliament
Mary looked animated as she watched the speeches in parliament
Mary looked engaged as she listened intently to parliament
Young Christian appeared to take well to his new role as Crown Prince as he chatted to his mother
The family marked their first official engagement as royals
The royal looked delighted to listen to speeches in the parliament
The royals watched over parliament as they delivered speeches
Frederik took a seat in the front row with Queen Margrethe behind him
The new king seemed at ease in his new role in parliament
Passing the torch! Margrethe looked proud as she took a seat behind her son
Queen Margrethe, 82, announced her abdication in a shock New Year’s Eve speech.
Yesterday, 100,000 Danes gathered on the streets of Copenhagen to celebrate King Frederik’s ascension.
An emotional Frederik promised to be a modern monarch ‘of tomorrow’ as he asked his ‘beloved wife’ and family for support during a new reign – but a body language expert has questioned how ‘spontaneous’ his kiss with Queen Mary was, as he sealed the moment with a public smooch.
In his first public speech after being proclaimed King, the father-of-four, 55, as per a translation by royal blogger Gert’s Royals, said: ‘My mother, Her Majesty Queen Margrethe the second, has ruled Denmark for 52 years. For half a century, she has followed the times with our common heritage as a starting point.
‘She will always be remembered as a Monarch beyond the ordinary. Like few, my mother has managed to be at one with her kingdom. Today, the throne passes on.
‘My hope is to become an unifying king of tomorrow. It’s a task I’ve been waiting for all my life. It is a responsibility I take on with respect, pride and great joy.
‘It is a deed I will take pains to carry out and carry through the position I have been entrusted with.
‘I need all the support I can get. From my beloved wife, from my family, from you and from that which is greater than us. I face the future knowing that I am not alone. Bound, committed, for the Kingdom of Denmark.’
Mary showed off her new status in a royal blue dress with matching accessorises
Meanwhile Margarethe, 82, wrapped up warm in a grey fur coat and hat for the celebrations
Mary looked at ease in her new role as Queen as she carried flowers inside
The royal was visibly moved at Christiansborg Castle, and wiped away tears at the historic occasions as roaring crowds cheered him on.
But Frederik’s ‘genuinely happy and highly emotional display’ on the balcony revealed potential tensions in his marriage, a body language expert said.
Adrianne Carter told FEMAIL: ‘When Mary joins him we initially see quite a distance between the two of them as they hold hands, he moves closer which she accepts. A literal distance can often mean a distance in a relationship.
‘When the children join them, they all move in together. Mary encompasses her children showing that’s her important focus.’
However, when the King pulls Mary close as the children leave the balcony – Mary is ‘the first to pull away’.
She continued: ‘Frederik gives Mary a win, which means we’re in this together. He pulls her in for a kiss, which he tries to do a few times before it actually happens. This is something he has planned, rather than something spontaneous.’
It comes following rumours that the couple’s marriage is on the rocks after Frederik was pictured with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova in Madrid without his wife in October.
Beautiful in blue! Mary and Frederik looked delighted to arrive at the parliament building
The couple appeared at ease in their new roles within parliament
They chatted to various politicians and aides on their way in
Just moments before his first appearance as King, Frederik’s mother Queen Margrethe II had signed her historic abdication after 52 years as monarch, Danish broadcaster DR has said – and BBC reports say that her poignant last words before leaving the Council of State were: ‘God save the King’.
A beaming Frederik was then joined by his wife Mary – who is now Queen of Denmark – and their children Christian, 18, Isabella, 16 and twins Vincent and Josephine, 13.
Sunday’s transferrence of power has kicked off as Crown Prince Frederik and Crown Princess Mary – along with their son Prince Christian – made their way to Christiansborg Castle.
A procession of cars set off with the royals being driven in a 1958 Rolls-Royce from Amalienborg.
Margrethe II followed in a carriage, waving at delighted crowds as she left from Christian IX’s Palace.
Both passed through Frederiksgade, Bredgade, Kongens Nytorv, Holmens Canal and Prince Jørgen’s Courtyard on the way.
At Christiansborg Palace, Margrethe, Frederik, and Christian all took part in a Council of State at with the Government and the Council of State secretary and Her Majesty signed a declaration of her abdication.
A beaming Frederik was then joined by his wife Mary – who is now Queen of Denmark – and their children Christian, 18, Isabella, 16 and Vincent and Josephine – both 13
Margrethe then made her way back to Amalienborg, while Frederik and Mary are holding a formal reception for specially invited guests.
At 3pm Danish time, the couple made a balcony appearance at Christiansborg Palace. The Prime Minister then proclaimed the King’s accession to the throne.
After this, the newly crowned monarch made an impassioned speech as he admitted his wish to be a ‘unifying king’.
It was followed by an honorary cannon salute from the Sixtus Battery – a heritage site on Holmen, Copenhagen – and the Royal Standard will then be lowered at Christian IX’s Palace (Margrethe’s home) and reraised at Frederik VIII’s Palace, where the new King and Queen are based.
Frederik and Mary then took part in a carriage ride from Christiansborg Palace back to Amalienborg, escorted by a mounted squadron.
At 5pm Danish time, there was a transfer of the royal colours from Christian IX’s Palace to Frederik VIII’s Palace.
Speaking to FEMAIL, body language expert Adrianne also said there were ‘no signs of nervousness’ from Magrethe as she beamed at delighted crowds from her carriage – and waved – when the festivities kicked off Sunday.
‘Genuine smiles from the Queen in the carriage,’ she explained. ‘Full beaming smiles, she’s enjoying seeing so many people in attendance.’
Copenhagen’s streets were lined to the brim as Sunday’s festivities kicked off in the morning.
Elsewhere, excited royal fans in Copenhagen queued to buy cakes decorated with a seal of the soon to be crowned King Frederik X, displayed in the window of the well-known confectionery shop La Glace.
And the celebrations began on Saturday night as Margrethe was seen listening to the public sing to her in Copenhagen on the eve of her abdication.
The royal ruled Denmark for more than 52 years and became Europe’s longest-reigning monarch after Queen Elizabeth II passed away in September 2022.
The Queen, known for her chain-smoking and flamboyant style – was seen on the clip walking around her home and peering out at the crowd.
Margrethe, who in the past had said she would remain on the throne for life, did not give an exact reason for her decision to step down.
However, she said that a major back surgery she underwent in February last year had made her consider her future.
‘The surgery naturally gave rise to thinking about the future – whether the time had come to leave the responsibility to the next generation,’ she said in her speech.
‘I have decided that now is the right time. On January 14, 2024, 52 years after I succeeded my beloved father, I will step down as Queen of Denmark. I leave the throne to my son, Crown Prince Frederik.’
The monarch delivered the shock news during her traditional New Year’s Eve speech.