King Frederik makes nephews Count Nikolai Count Felix, sons of Prince Joachim, Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog, three years after royal titles removed by Queen Margrethe

King Frederik X has bestowed upon his two nephews a major honour, making them members of a distinguished order dating back centuries.

The Danish monarch has awarded the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog to Count Nikolai and Count Felix of Monpezat, the elder sons of his brother Prince Joachim.

Count Nikolai said he was “very honoured” as he was pictured alongside his uncle at the royal family’s Copenhagen home, Frederik VIII’s Palace.

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The appointments were made by the King at a private event before a family breakfast at Amalienborg, on Monday – the monarch’s birthday – ahead of the royals appearing on the palace balcony.

It comes nearly three years after Nikolai, 25, and Felix, 22, and their two younger siblings Count Henrik, 16, and Countess Athena, 13, had their prince and princess titles removed by their grandmother, Queen Margrethe II.

At the time Queen Margrethe, who is now 85, said the decision was made so Prince Joachim’s children would be “able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by” their royal titles.

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The monarch later issued an apology for causing her family any distress, admitting she “underestimated” how much they would “feel affected” after Prince Joachim, Princess Marie and Count Nikolai expressed their hurt and surprise to Danish media.

But the Queen stood by the move, saying it was “a necessary safeguard for the future of the monarchy”.

The change came into effect from January, 2023. They also lost their His/Her Royal Highness status and now use the aristocratic titles of count and countess of Monpezat, given in 2008.

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Any suggestion of tension between Prince Joachim and his children, and their uncle, has now been dashed.

King Frederik was pictured with his two nephews on Monday, as he presented them with the Grand Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog.

Count Nikolai and Count Felix will now have a personal knights shield created (a coat of arms), which will then be hung in the Knight’s Chapel at Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød.

Denmark has two Royal Orders of Chivalry: the Order of the Elephant, and the Order of Dannebrog, both dating from the late 1600s.

Last year on King Frederik’s 56th birthday, he awarded his wife Queen Mary the Grand Commander’s Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog.

Count Nikolai and Count Felix recently attended the 18th birthday celebrations of their cousin, Princess Isabella, at the Royal Theatre in Copenhagen.

Days later, they joined King Frederik and Queen Mary, and their children, at Fredensborg Palace for Queen Margrethe’s birthday lunch.

Also present were Margrethe’s two sisters, Queen Anne Marie of Greece and Princess Benedikte.

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