Will the Danish royals have a family Christmas this year? A few weeks ago, the removal of the title from Prince Joachim’s (53) children by his mother, Queen Margrethe II (82), caused a stir and criticism. Now it is clear: the monarch will spend Christmas without her sons and grandchildren.

According to a statement from the palace, Crown Prince Frederik (54) is traveling with his family to Australia, the native homeland of his wife, Crown Princess Mary (50). “It has been five years since the Crown Prince and their four children last visited the Crown Princess’ home country,” the palace writes.

Prince Joachim and his wife Marie (46) have also been planning a trip abroad for a long time and are now tackling it with their children over Christmas. Further details are not known.

Queen Margrethe resides in Marselisborg Palace in Aarhus over Christmas. “The Queen will be at the Palace from December 21-30 and will be celebrating Christmas Eve with Her Royal Highness Princess Benedikte and private friends in Djursland,” it said. Princess Benedikte (78) is the Queen’s sister.

On New Year’s Eve “Her Majesty delivers her annual New Year’s speech from Amalienborg Palace at 18:00”.

Thus, the hatchet seems still not to be buried behind the Danish palace walls. At the end of September, Prince Joachim expressed surprise and dismay at the Queen’s decision to revoke the titles of prince and princess from his four children, Nikolai (23), Felix (20), Henrik (13) and Athena (10). In a press release, the Danish royal family had previously announced that their children would only be called the Count or Countess of Monpezat from the turn of the year. From January 1, 2023, they will only carry the title “Excellencies”, no longer “Royal Highnesses”.