King Frederik of Denmark has made the decision to grant the Grand Cross of the Order of Dannebrog to Nicolás and Félix. This decoration, one of the country's highest honors, was awarded to them during the celebration of his 57th birthday (57º) at Amalienborg Palace. This gesture symbolizes an approach and recognition toward the young men.
In 2022, Queen Margrethe II withdrew the titles of princes from Joaquín's children. The reason was that she sought to allow them a more normal life, away from royal obligations. This step created tensions within the family, especially with Joaquín and his ex-wife Alexandra of Frederiksborg, who expressed their discontent.
King Frederik of Denmark takes the final step with his family
Last Monday, on the occasion of King Frederik of Denmark's 57th birthday (57º), several celebrations were organized in the country. Surrounded by his entire family, Mary's husband wanted to show everyone how close he is to his family.
Proof of this is the emotional step Frederik took with his nephews, the sons of his brother Joaquín. The king has decided to restore Nicolás and Félix's position within the royal family. To do so, he presented them with the Grand Cross of the Order of Dannebrog, which had been withdrawn from them three years ago.
Frederik of Denmark's action in granting this honor to his nephews not only returns them to a prominent position within royalty. It also shows the public that family relationships are good after the rift his mother created in 2022. Then-Queen Margrethe withdrew the honors from her grandchildren with the intention that they would lead a normal life.
However, it seems that this step was not agreed upon with the family, especially with her son Joaquín. King Frederik's brother was deeply hurt by this gesture from his mother and publicly showed his discomfort. The prince's close circle revealed that he felt "very sad" and that he spoke clearly of "exclusion" within the Danish royal house.
Now, his older brother and current king has restored his nephews' honor, reuniting the entire family once again.
King Frederik of Denmark challenges his mother
Queen Margrethe, in 2022, withdrew the titles from Prince Joaquín's children, creating family tensions. With this, she caused the relationship between King Frederik of Denmark and his brother Joaquín to cool. In the eyes of the younger of the two, it was a way to reduce the monarchy to Frederik and Mary's family.
Three years after what happened and just as the royal family is under the media spotlight, the king has challenged his mother. Frederik now tries to ease those tensions through an action that not only honors Nicolás and Félix, but also shows respect toward his brother Joaquín.
Nicolás and Félix, as the sons of Prince Joaquín, had seen their institutional visibility reduced with the withdrawal of their titles of princes in 2022. By restoring their position, their uncle corrects the measure taken by his mother, marking a clear difference between the two. This leaves Margrethe in a delicate situation as it is interpreted that she did not think of family unity as Frederik has.
The king's decision has been well received and the majority of the Danish people support the reconciliation. With this, he has managed to strengthen his image and send a clear message about the changes he intends to make to his reign.
Nicolás and Félix have thanked their uncle for the gesture and have expressed their satisfaction with this step he has taken. From now on, it is expected that family relationships will be good and based on forgiveness and reconciliation.