Hell freezes over as Queen Mary's self-exiled in-laws return after their children were stripped of their titles. But is the family rift really over? SHARON HUNT on latest royal drama from Denmark
There are times when the lines drawn between warring family factions seem too deep to ever truly heal. Until one day, suddenly, reconciliation no longer feels impossible.
Feelings of this nature surely permeate the palace walls of the Danish royal household after a series of recent interviews – and likely come as welcome relief to reigning couple King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark.
Frederik and Mary's sister-in-law Princess Marie is a woman of limited words – or at least, she was until recently.
The wife of Prince Joachim has recently given a flurry of media interviews on the back of celebrating a milestone birthday, having turned 50 on February 6.
Perhaps it's the wisdom that comes with age, or the opportunity to finally open the lid on what has until now been a tightly capped bottle, but Marie has been freely speaking her mind to the press on a number of royal family matters – including some of the more sensitive issues.
The big pink elephant in the Christiansborg Palace room, of course, is the series of events that culminated in Marie and her husband Prince Joachim, along with their two teenage children Count Henrik and Countess Athena, fleeing Denmark for the US.
That decision came hot on the heels of former monarch Queen Margrethe's 2022 decree to remove the official titles of all Joachim's children – including his two older sons Count Felix and Count Nikolai from his first marriage.
The act was one of the last decisions made before stepping down as monarch and passing the crown to her eldest son Frederik, and it saw Margrethe strip the four grandchildren of their prince and princess titles, downgrading them to Counts and Countesses.
Princess Marie, pictured here on her official 50th birthday portrait, has given a spate of new media interviews to coincide with her milestone celebration
Princess Marie, pictured here on January 1, has directly addressed some of the tense underlying royal family issues in her recent interviews
Queen Margrethe made the controversial decision as part of a long-held plan effort to streamline the number of working royal family members.
Even after facing worldwide backlash for the move, she remained adamant in a subsequent statement that the dissolution of the titles was 'necessary' for 'future-proofing the monarchy'.
But the absolute blindsiding of the decision, however, created understandable bitterness amongst Joachim and Marie, who were not shy in making their unhappy feelings known about their children's royal demotion.
Very soon afterwards, in September 2023, they stepped away from the inner royal family fold, as Joachim took up a position as defence industry attaché at the Danish Embassy in Washington D.C. The move meant they would no longer be on the ground as working royals in Denmark.
Since then, the family have remained at arm's length, appearing to actively distance themselves from the royal family machine. Until now.
Time heals all wounds, as the old saying goes. And in Princess Marie's most recent run of interviews, she's given the clearest indications yet that a few years of distance may have been exactly the healing that was needed.
And with a fresh reign under Frederik and Mary since they took the throne in 2024, the idea of starting anew suddenly doesn't seem so far-fetched.
In the clearest and most direct sign yet, Marie's recent exclusive interview with BILLED-BLADET saw her confirm that the family will return to Denmark next year, after Joachim's contract at the Danish Embassy expires in 2027.
Princess Marie confirmed that she and her family will definitely be returning home from the US once her husband Prince Joachim's contract finishes next year. They are pictured here with their teenage children, Count Henrik and Countess Athena
'Yes,' she replied confidently when asked if they were moving back.
'We are really looking forward to it. It has been really exciting to be out of the country and to be able to support Denmark abroad.'
Marie divulged further details on their impending move, explaining why now is the right time to come home.
'The most important thing for me and my family is the years that lie ahead of us,' she told the Danish publication.
'Right now, as you know, we are staying in the US for another year-and-a-half. Then the children can finish their schooling. Henrik will finish high school, he will be 18, and then we will move back.
She continued: 'Athena will start high school here in Denmark. I think Henrik will want to continue his studies straight away, but we will have to see. He loves chemistry, physics and mathematics. But he has to work hard.
'As I said before, I'm looking forward to getting back to my work and my patronages. And getting back to Denmark. And what happens after that, time will tell.'
The years of underlying and seemingly irreparable tension between Joachim's family and the rest of the royal clan appear to have finally dissipated.
Princess Marie and Prince Joachim have only returned for intermittent royal events over the past few years since moving to the US. They are pictured here attending the royal family's New Year's Dinner on January 1
Previously, Joachim and Marie opted for vague and non-committal statements about the possibility of returning home. These have now been replaced with firm affirmations that it's now a matter of when, not if.
But does this imminent homecoming mean all the sore spots are entirely forgotten? Perhaps, not quite.
In another recent interview – again from the now-chatty Princess Marie – she told the publication Børsen that although they have accepted the decision about the royal title change of her and Joachim's children, they are certainly not entirely at peace with how it was handled.
When the local publication posed the question about how Marie felt about the title debacle, she replied: 'I understand that you ask, because it's no secret that it came as a shock to all of us. Suddenly.
'And the process was, I would say, far from perfect. But we've put it behind us.'
With room and space to process the decision privately, Marie explained how the family has moved on.
'It's really important for us to do it because the children don't have to be reminded of it for the rest of their lives,' she said. 'The children are thriving now, and it's fantastic, so I don't want to talk about it anymore.'
On the surface, comments like this should be a huge relief to King Frederik and Queen Mary, who are already thin on the ground as far as working royal representatives go.
King Frederik and Queen Mary have had a busy start to the year with royal engagements. They are pictured here in late January during a state visit to Estonia
In years gone by, Princess Marie and Prince Joachim would often join Mary and Frederik at official royal events - as seen here in 2019
With 85-year-old retired monarch Queen Margrethe not getting any younger and their 20-year-old son Crown Prince Christian in the thick of lieutenant military training, neither is exactly the ideal backup option for royal occasions.
But Prince Joachim and Princess Marie's imminent return opens up a wealth of new possibilities. More royal blood in Denmark means greater opportunities to have the family represented in the community doing the work of senior royals.
An extra set of hands to take on the lion's share of royal duties is always going to be useful - and the fact that the returning royals have now publicly declared that they've 'moved on' means there needn't be concern about undermining antics either.
This return will also be particularly helpful in the upcoming years, affording Fred and Mary's offspring – young adults Prince Christian and Princess Isabella, and older teenagers Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent – a chance to fully complete their studies before they too are expected to step up and become fully working royal family members.
However, the only way this arrangement can work happily is if Joachim and Marie have truly accepted the decision that was made about their family and are genuine in their declarations about having moved forward.
If that is the case, we could be about to embark on a rich and multi-faceted chapter in the Danish royal family, featuring a broad and robust cast of characters.
But if they're not wholeheartedly there, then perhaps it's better to keep them on the sidelines just as they have been for the last few years abroad.
Time will tell which way it goes.
