Experts share the idea behind candid Prince Christian photo

The Danish royal family have shared a pointed photo of Prince Christian, Princess Mary’s eldest son, on his 17th birthday – and it’s purposefully in a relaxed style for a reason.

The European royals have been in the spotlight recently after Queen Margrethe, 82, revealed she would be removing the princely titles from her youngest son Joachim’s four children Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10.

Prince Frederik’s four children have managed to keep their titles – for now – as he is the heir to the throne, despite royal experts prophesying that they might for up for discussion soon.

On Sunday the family’s official Instagram account shared a black and white photo of Prince Christian ‘taken by his friend’ that is in stark contrast to some of the more official portraits the Danes have shared in the past.

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The Danish royal family have shared a pointed photo of Prince Christian, Princess Mary’s eldest son, on his 17th birthday – and it’s purposefully in a relaxed style for a reason

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Royal house expert and historian Lars Hovbakke Sørensen told BT that trying to paint the young prince as ‘ordinary’ is a genius tactic

Royal house expert and historian Lars Hovbakke Sørensen told BT that trying to paint the young prince as ‘ordinary’ is a genius tactic.

‘It is clear that you want to signal more relaxedness and people-ness, and that he is a completely ordinary young man. It signals that he is a prince who lives a completely ordinary everyday life – and it fits the image that you want to draw of him in public,’ he said.

The royal title changes were announced news through a palace statement earlier this month which said: ‘As of January 1 2023, the descendants of His Royal Highness Prince Joachim will only be able to use their titles of Count and Countess of Monpezat, their previous titles of Prince and Princess of Denmark ceasing to exist.’  

Queen Margrethe said she wants the four children to live more normal lives, however her decision upset Joachim and his four children, with the prince insisting his mother only gave him five days’ notice – despite the Royal Household claiming the decision ‘has been a long time coming’. 

Now the attention has turned to the Queen’s remaining grandchildren after Princess Mary told reporters last Friday: ‘We will also look at our children’s titles when the time comes’.

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Historian and royal house expert Lars Hovbakke told BT he imagines that Frederik and Mary’s children will be divided into two groups – with the twins (pictured) potentially losing their titles

Without offering any further information, royal experts are presuming the Princess may be saying her youngest children – twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent – might lose their titles in the future.  

Historian and royal house expert Lars Hovbakke told BT he imagines that Frederik and Mary’s children will be divided into two groups.

‘You can easily slim down the royal house by, for example, looking at the twins’ titles. It would correspond to the process that is underway in other European royal houses,’ he said.

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The Danish royal family has found itself in the midst of a real crisis, according to an expert who said the very public row sparked by Queen Margrethe (pictured) stripping her four youngest grandchildren of their titles has shown people a different side 

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Prince Joachim (centre) has publicly voiced his dismay at his mother’s decision to strip his children of their titles (pictured L-R: Prince Felix, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Princess Athena, Prince Henrik and Prince Nikolai in September)

But he believes Prince Christian, who is third in line to the throne, and Princess Isabella, will keep theirs. 

‘I don’t think it will affect [Princess Isabella] because titles are needed at the top of the succession,’ he said.

Speaking after the public announcement was made, Prince Joachim told Ekstra Bladet his children had been ‘hurt’ by the decision and that he had only been given five days to break the news to them before it was publicly announced.

Amid the scandal, Joachim and his second wife Marie admitted their relationship with his older brother Crown Prince Frederik and his sister-in-law Crown Princess Mary is ‘complicated’. 

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The Danish Royal Family tree. Prince Joachim’s children Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, will all be losing their titles on January 1, 2023

And the Spanish magazine Vaniatis Elconfidencial has since sparked more speculation around the rift, after reporting that Joachim ‘was deeply in love with his sister-in-law Mary’.  

While Prince Joachim is understood to have since met with his mother to discuss the rift, reports say Crown Prince Frederik was not part of the meeting’.

Following the meeting, the palace confirmed that the monarch and Joachim want to ‘look forward’ and are trying to ‘find their way through’ their differences, amid the very public row.

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