There is great division amongst the Danish royal family following Queen Margrethe's decision to strip four of her grandchildren of their royal titles.
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The move has seen brothers Prince Joachim and Crown Prince Frederik on opposing sides, with Joachim publicly speaking out to condemn the move.
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Prince Joachim is the Queen's youngest son, and sixth in line to the throne after his elder brother, and Frederik's four children.
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Frederik, meanwhile, appears to be in agreement with their mother and, as such, the two princes and their wives now appear completely divided.
Royal couples Marie and Joachim (left) with Mary and Frederik
Crown Princess Mary recently spoke about the furore, saying: "I can understand that it is a difficult decision to make and a very difficult decision to receive. Change can be difficult and can really hurt. But this does not mean that the decision is not the right one."
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Mary shares four children with husband Crown Prince Frederik: Prince Christian, 16, Princess Isabella, 15, and 11-year-old twins Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent.
The Crown Prince and Princess with their four children
She continued: "We will also look at our children's titles when the time comes. Today we do not know what the royal house will look like in Christian's time, or when Christian's time begins to approach."
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Princess Marie, meanwhile, has made it clear that she fully agrees with husband Joachim’s stance, and has spoken out herself about the upset it has caused her family.
Prince Joachim and Marie with his four children
In a joint interview with her husband at the weekend, Marie appeared tearful at times as she spoke about the Queen’s decision.
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“They come and say (to Athena): Is it you who is no longer a princess?,' Princess Marie told Danish news outlet BT, adding that her children have been thrust into the spotlight as a result.
Princess Marie is mother to Joachim's two youngest children, Athena and Henrik
"The children were publicly exhibited. At very short notice. This means that we, as parents, have not had time to prepare them for the change and people's reactions,” she added.
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She further seemed to acknowledge that their relations were strained with Frederik and Mary. The couple were asked if they had spoken to the Crown Prince Couple? "No," Princess Marie replied. "No, unfortunately," Prince Joachim agreed.
Relations are strained between the brothers
"How is your relationship?" the interviewer asked, to which Marie answered: "As it is." Joachim agreed: "As it can be."
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"So, it's complicated?" "It's complicated, namely. That's it," Princess Marie replied. "Has the Queen tried to talk to you?" "Unfortunately not," said Prince Joachim. "It's also family. Or whatever we want to call it."
Crown Princess Mary has come out in support of the decision
There have been rumours of tension between Marie and Mary for some time – escalated by recent events.
According to reports, Marie caused some upset when she vocalised her displeasure at having to move her family to Paris permanently this year.
Joachim suffered a life-threatening health scare in July while studying at a military school in France when doctors found a deadly blood clot on his brain.
Frederik visited his brother in France
The Prince and his family had temporarily moved to Paris at the start of 2019 as the royal took part in the highly intensive six-day-a-week military training program.
He was due to return to Denmark by the end of 2020 - but after his health scare, he decided to stay on and took up the role of defence attaché at the Danish embassy in Paris.
But Princess Marie said in July the decision to stay in France wasn't entirely theirs.
Marie and Mary have been sister-in-laws since 2008
"No. It is not always us who decide. I think that's important to know," the France-born princess told Danish magazine See and Hear. "I loved living in Denmark. Denmark is just such a wonderful country to be in. Everything works well and there are not many problems."
Eyebrows were further raised when Frederik was photographed visiting his brother at his French residence Château de Cayx, with Mary nowhere to be seen.
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