Category: Prince Joachim

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Prince Harry warmly greeted Danish royals Prince Joachim & Marie at Invictus

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I’m still doing some clean-up on some of the Invictus stories I missed during the games in Canada. Like this one – Denmark’s Prince Joachim and Princess Marie flew up to Canada to attend a couple of days of Invictus. Prince Harry went over to greet them in person, shaking hands with Joachim and hugging Marie, even though Marie said some sh-t about Meghan years ago. That was a long time ago, and it was before Marie and Joachim were basically kicked out of Denmark and forced to move to America. From the Telegraph:

The Duke of Sussex was briefly back amongst royalty as he met Prince Joachim of Denmark and his wife Princess Marie at the Invictus Games in Vancouver. On the penultimate day of the Games, the Duke, 40, stood court-side with Prince Joachim, 55, and Princess Marie, 49, while Denmark competed in sitting volleyball amid a sea of fans dressed in red and white and wearing Viking-style horned hats.

Their paths had not crossed since 2017, but the Duke and Prince Joachim hold similar roles in their respective families, having both stepped away from their royal duties in recent years and relocated to the United States. Prince Joachim moved to Washington DC in 2022 after his mother, the former Queen Margrethe II, stripped his four children of their royal titles, while the Duke moved to California in 2020 and now lives there with his wife, Meghan, 43, and their two children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three.

During the sitting volleyball matches on Saturday, the Duke appeared in high spirits and joined in with the chanting, singing and flag waving, despite having been left alone at the Games earlier this week when the Duchess returned to their children after just five days. Such was his popularity among the crowd that his security team had to get involved and usher people away who were crowding round to take selfies with him.

Also watching the sitting volleyball at the Vancouver Convention Centre was Veterans Minister Al Carns, who told The Telegraph that the Duke was an “amazing patron” and insisted that Birmingham would rise to the challenge of hosting the next Games in 2027.

“We will get behind it, I can guarantee you,” the MP for Selly Oak said. “Birmingham has really good spirit and the UK is increasingly involved and committed to delivering support to its veterans.”

Mr Carns, 44, a former Royal Marine Colonel who served in Afghanistan, sat down with the Duke for breakfast on Friday morning to discuss the 2027 Games. He said: “We talked about how we can broaden out the Games from an international perspective, make it connect more into society, how we could connect it into schools and make sure people know about it from a young age. It’s going to be amazing. We’re going to try and build a real festival feel. Birmingham has good pedigree in running big events, like the Commonwealth Games.”

[From The Telegraph]

I like how the Telegraph fudges the similarities between Joachim and Harry. Yes, Joachim’s children were stripped of their titles and royal stylings, but Joachim and Marie are still “protected” within the family, and Joachim is serving as a military attache to the Danish embassy, meaning he’s still in the royal fold to some degree. It would have been similar if the Windsors hadn’t been so insane with jealousy, they had agreed to Harry’s proposal of an official position of some capacity in Canada or Australia. The Danish press doesn’t harass Joachim and Marie on a daily basis either, and they aren’t constantly scapegoated to make King Frederik look better by comparison. Anyway, it’s interesting that Britain’s Veterans Minister went to the games. No one in the Windsor clan acknowledged the games in any way or congratulated Britain’s Invictus team. Denmark’s royal family did more to acknowledge the games than the Windsors.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

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Prince Joachim & Chris Martin will attend the Whistler Invictus Games

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The Invictus Games begin on Saturday, February 8th. I would imagine that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex will make their way up to Vancouver and Whistler a few days beforehand, but there hasn’t been confirmation (that I’ve seen) of when Meghan will come and how long she’ll stay. I feel strongly that the Windsors and their allies have been especially active so early in the year because they were trying to get attention in advance of Invictus in particular, because the games are always some of the best press for the Sussexes in any given year. I would also imagine that the Windsors and their press allies have some special plans for “thunder-stealing” and smearing, deliberately timed for the games.

Still, there’s also a lot of positive news already. Last week, a royal couple confirmed that they will attend the Vancouver-Whistler games. Denmark’s “spare,” Prince Joachim will attend alongside his wife Princess Marie.

Prince Harry won’t be the only royal at his upcoming Invictus Games in Canada, as a prince and princess based in the U.S. have relayed their RSVP yes.

According to the Danish royal family’s website, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie will attend the Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025 on Friday, Feb. 14 and Saturday, Feb. 15. The detail was revealed in the upcoming schedule of events for the Danish royals.

Prince Joachim, 55, is the younger brother of King Frederik of Denmark, who recently celebrated the first anniversary of his accession to the throne on Jan. 14. Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, 48, moved to Washington, D.C. in the summer of 2023 for the prince to start a new job at the Danish Embassy under the Ministry of Defense. The couple made the transatlantic move one year after Prince Joachim’s mother, Queen Margrethe, stripped his kids of the prince and princess titles they had inherited at birth in a shock step she later described as “necessary future-proofing of the monarchy.”

[From People]

Prince Joachim has spent much of his adult life in the military or in military-adjacent positions, so it seems like a smart choice for Joachim to represent Denmark at the games. And I think that’s what it is – the way it was announced, this is the Danish royal house and the Danish government sending a representative to the games, and the representative is the king’s brother. There’s a bit of drama because Princess Marie made some bitchy comments about Meghan in 2019. I doubt Meg will hold it against her. Meanwhile, it was also just confirmed that Chris Martin will perform at the Invictus Opening Ceremony:

There’s going to be a lineup full of stars at the opening ceremony of Prince Harry’s Invictus Games in Canada! On Jan. 31, the Invictus Games announced that Chris Martin has joined the lineup for the opening ceremony of Invictus Games Vancouver Whistler 2025, on Saturday, Feb. 8. The Coldplay frontman will perform at Invictus’ kickoff event at BC Place in Vancouver, and joins previously announced headliners Katy Perry, Nelly Furtado, Noah Kahan and Roxanne Bruneau.

A statement said that Martin’s performance will be a “powerful tribute to hope, resilience and the Invictus Spirit at the heart of these Games,” and it’s a little-known fact that the Grammy Award-winner already has a special connection to Prince Harry’s international adaptive sports tournament for wounded, injured and sick service personnel and veterans.

The “Sky Full of Stars” singer composed the Invictus Anthem in 2014, the year that the Duke of Sussex launched the tournament, as inspired by William Ernest Henley’s poem “Invictus.” The prose’s powerful lines, “I am the master of my fate, I am the competition of my soul,” sparked the competition’s motto, “I am” — and that’s not all.

Martin’s music has served as the soundtrack to the medal ceremonies of every Invictus Games since, teeing his upcoming performance at the opening ceremony to be a full-circle moment. Prince Harry, a former captain in the British Army who deployed twice to Afghanistan, launched the Invictus Games as a means for healing for veterans, and the upcoming cycle in Canada will be its seventh edition.

[From People]

It’s nice that Chris is coming too. Other performers for the opening ceremony: Katy Perry, Noah Kahan, Nelly Furtado, Roxane Bruneau and more. Jelly Roll will perform at the closing ceremony. This feels like the most star-studded Invictus ceremonies so far? I wonder if some Canadian celebs will come out for it. I also wonder what other VIPs will get sent from other countries. And I really wonder if the Windsors will once again stay silent and refuse to even wish Team GB well, or congratulate the British competitors on their games.

Listen to the Invictus Anthem penned by Chris Martin.

Chris Martin composed the score to the Invictus Games Anthem for London 2014 and this anthem has formed the basis of medal ceremonies for each subsequent #InvictusGames. pic.twitter.com/rv5b8FZk0s

— Invictus Games Foundation ???????? (@WeAreInvictus) January 31, 2025

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

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Prince Joachim & Marie chatted with WaPo seven months after their move to DC

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In 2022, casual royal gossips received a crash course in Danish royal drama. It all started in September 2022, when then-Queen Margrethe decided to remove some of her grandchildren’s royal titles. The grandchildren in question were Prince Joachim’s four children (two kids with each of his wives). Joachim and his second wife, Princess Marie, had already been halfway exiled to Paris, where Joachim worked as a high-level military attaché. The title issue blew up into a major controversy and Joachim and Marie made it clear that they were very hurt by Margrethe’s high-handed decision. Within a few months, things settled down – Margrethe met with her second son and she publicly apologized for her decision, but maintained that the family needed some streamlining. Then, last summer, Joachim and Marie were transferred to Washington DC, with Joachim once again given a pretty high-level attaché position (befitting a prince). Now that they’ve been in DC for about eight months, Joachim and Marie granted an interview to the Washington Post. It was a good read, if a bit condescending to those unfamiliar with Danish royal dramas. Some highlights:

Joachim still considers himself a representative of Denmark’s royal family: “You reach back in time — in the Danish case, more than a thousand years,” he said last month, “and you are — it may sound odd to say — the living legacy of that national identity.”

Americans aren’t paying attention to him: He’s instantly recognizable in Copenhagen but can walk around Washington unnoticed. The nation’s capital plays hosts to royals from all over the world — usually when they are students — thanks to a huge international community and the anonymity it affords those born into these dynasties. This is his best shot at a drama-free life away from royal reporters who obsess over the comings and goings of even minor European nobles.

Wait, THAT is how you pronounce his name?? So it’s a good time for a fresh start, a chance for Joachim (pronounced Yo-ahh-cheem) and his family to have some fun away from the spotlight. He’s come to the United States to serve as defense attaché for the Danish Embassy — working with the Pentagon and other NATO allies — and, in a broader sense, teach Americans about Denmark.

His job in America: “It’s about defense industrial cooperation,” Joachim explained. “My main task here is to pave the way — boost, help, inspire — for Danish defense industries, large and small, to enter the U.S.: Either provide or sub-supply, get into that big chain of regenerating and resupplying our armed forces.” In short: One of the thousands of diplomats in this town (who happens to be a member of the royal family).

Princess Marie on her marriage to a Danish prince: “I had high expectations. I wanted to speak Danish perfectly. I wanted people to be proud of me. I wanted to fit in. So I think I put a lot of pressure on myself. But Denmark is actually an easy country to live in. Why? Because people respect each other a lot. I don’t feel there’s a lot of conflicts. Things work well.”

How much money Joachim gets in public funds: The royal budget is public information: The 2023 financial report lists a total of $13 million in public funds; as a full-time working royal, Prince Joachim receives about $575,000 a year. “There are some who say that if you look at it in a tribal way, everybody has to contribute, right?” said the prince. “And what you contribute is what you will be measured by. That means thanked for or blamed for.”

Marie on their children’s royal titles being removed: “We weren’t happy about the way it happened,” Marie said. “But it’s a family thing. It’s complicated.” What some people might see as frivolous is something more, she said: “It’s also their name. It’s their identity since they were born. So it’s more than just what people see as a title.” But what’s done is done: The queen always gets the last word in any argument. “We’ve moved on,” Joachim said. (He was all smiles at his brother’s coronation.)

Their new life in Washington: “We’ve lived here for seven months now, and very few people know who we are, Danes apart,” said the prince. The prince and princess can fly under the radar or use their titles to leverage attention for causes they care about. He’s a patron to 60 organizations; she’s been working on the issue of hunger and food waste for years, and since arriving in Washington has partnered with Veteran Coalition International, a Danish American nonprofit that focuses on long-term care for international/NATO veterans and their families.

[From WaPo]

Joachim actually came across as happy, like he’s enjoying his new life and new sense of freedom in America. Marie… I don’t know. Washington is a company town (the company being the American government), and the era of the Washington socialite/power-wife is kind of over. Still, tons of charities and organizations would love a titled prince or princess on their board or at their fundraiser. Which is why I think Joachim and Marie did this interview. They want to announce themselves and tell Washington that they’re ready to be seen out and about, that they want those invitations and calls from charities. They wanted to fly under the radar, and then they were astonished to learn that they weren’t on anyone’s radar in America. Pay attention to meeeee!

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

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Queen Mary wore a vibrant blue to visit the Danish parliament with King Frederik

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Denmark’s King Frederik and Queen Mary stepped out today in Copenhagen, for their first full day as king and queen. They went to the Danish parliament and Frederik made a speech. In turn, the speaker of the Danish parliament praised the new king and queen. As I said, I was surprised by the positive vibes on Sunday – the Danes really seem to like their monarchy, and they genuinely seem excited to see Frederik and Mary on the throne.

Denmark’s new King Frederik X visited the Danish parliament Monday, on his first formal day on the job, a day after his mother, Queen Margrethe, abdicated after 52 years on the throne.

“We begin our responsible work as Denmark’s king in the belief that the Danish parliament will meet us in joint work for the good of the kingdom,” the king said through Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. As is tradition, the monarch doesn’t speak directly to lawmakers so Frederiksen read his speech. The king referred to himself as “we” using what is known as the majestic plural.

Søren Gade, the Speaker of Parliament, said to Frederik that “I have great confidence that he will be an excellent king for us all. And by his side has an excellent queen.” Sitting next to the king was his Australian-born wife, Queen Mary.

Frederik, 55, and Mary, 51, arrived at the Folketing in a royal limousine and were greeted by Gade and senior lawmakers.

[From AP News]

The one bad thing about all of this abdication and coronation drama in Denmark is that all of the staging and outdoor photos are taking place when it looks absolutely miserable in Copenhagen, with everything cold and rainy. Of course, it also rained on King Charles’s fancy hat day last May, so sh-t happens. Mary looked lovely in her vivid blue ensemble and I like the fact that she hasn’t been dripping in jewels for her first appearances as queen. That being said, the sapphire brooch is fantastic!! Also: Prince Joachim and Queen Margrethe were there too, showing support to Fred.

Photos courtesy of Backgrid, Cover Images.

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Denmark’s Prince Joachim will attend the abdication without his wife or kids

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In September 2022, just weeks after Queen Elizabeth II passed away, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe decided that her own royal house needed some upkeep. She announced, seemingly out of nowhere, that she was stripping the royal titles and styles away from four of her grandchildren. The four kids were Prince Joachim’s children, the children of Margrethe’s second son, “the spare.” Joachim and his second wife Marie were incredibly hurt by the queen’s decision, and they gave tearful interviews questioning the wisdom of removing royal titles. Margrethe ended up apologizing to Joachim but she didn’t change her mind. In 2023, Joachim and Marie moved from France to America, where Joachim now works as some kind of government/military attaché with the Danish embassy. It felt and looked like a permanent exile for the Danish spare. Well, here’s further confirmation of that – Joachim will attend this weekend’s abdication event, but his wife and children aren’t coming.

Prince Joachim of Denmark will attend the abdication of his mother Queen Margrethe without his wife and children.

Queen Margrethe’s second son and his wife, Princess Marie, relocated to the United States last year with two of their children nine months after the monarch stripped Prince Joachim’s four kids of their royal titles, and Hello! has reported that Prince Joachim will attend her abdication day events on Sunday solo.

“Prince Joachim will be there, but the children go to school, there is no special reason,” a palace spokesperson told the outlet. The rep added that Princess Marie will stay in Washington, D.C., where they now live, and that Prince Joachim will leave Denmark the next day.

Prince Joachim is a father of four, and shares his two eldest sons, Count Nikolai, 24, and Count Felix, 21, with his first wife Alexandra. They divorced in 2005 after a decade of marriage, and Joachim remarried in 2008. He and Marie went on to welcome a son and daughter — Count Henrik, 13, and Countess Athena, 11.

[From People]

It’s very “Prince Harry attending his father’s coronation.” Meghan didn’t go, neither did Archie or Lili. Granted, in Denmark, they’re not doing some big coronation or anything involving pomp or fuss. The whole thing will be done in a bureaucratic way, with Margethe signing a document and then (presumably) King Frederik X signing something or some kind of proclamation being made by the prime minister. It would be interesting to hear if Princess Marie or Joachim’s children were even invited. Anyway, “the children go to school, there is no special reason” is very frosty. There are still a lot of hurt feelings for the way everything went down.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid, Cover Images.

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Denmark’s Prince Christian celebrated his 18th birthday with a very royal gala

denmark’s-prince-christian-celebrated-his-18th-birthday-with-a-very-royal-gala

Denmark’s future king was fêted this weekend for his 18th birthday. Prince Christian celebrated his birthday in Copenhagen, at a very formal-looking dinner reception. Other royal houses were invited to the dinner, including members of the royal families of Sweden, Belgium, the Netherlands and Norway. The Scandi royals are all friendly, personally and professionally, and there are several princes and princesses close in age, like Princess Catharina-Amalia and Princess Ingrid Alexandra. Sweden’s Victoria and Daniel even brought their daughter Estelle, who is only 11 years old!

This birthday party was coordinated like a state dinner, and the dress code was black-tie, with all of the women in gowns and all of the notable royals wearing their honors and medals. Unsurprisingly, Prince Christian’s uncle Prince Joachim was called back from France or America for the occasion. There was a lot of drama about Queen Margrethe basically exiling Joachim and his wife, but there were some peace talks and now everyone plays nice.

I can really tell that the British media is trying to drum up interest in Christian and his love life. That should tell you a lot about how the British media needs some excitement, because their royal family isn’t delivering anything but wigs and buttons.

Photos courtesy of Cover Images.

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Prince Joachim will be ruthlessly exiled to America starting this summer

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Shortly after QEII passed away, Denmark’s Queen Margrethe announced that she was stripping the royal titles and royal styles from four of her grandchildren. Those four grandchildren are all the children of Prince Joachim, Margrethe’s second son, the “spare” to Crown Prince Frederik. Prince Joachim and his second wife Princess Marie were torn up about the kids’ demotions but Margrethe didn’t budge (although she did apologize). What was also interesting about all of the Danish royal mess was that Joachim and Marie had already been pseudo-exiled for years. 2023 will be their fifth year living in France full-time, where Joachim has a military position attached to the Danish embassy. Just two months after Margrethe stripped Joachim’s kids of their titles, it was announced that Joachim and Marie would eventually be shipped off to America. Well, it’s really happening:

Following Queen Margrethe II of Denmark’s decision to strip four of her grandchildren, the children of her second son, Prince Joachim, of their prince and princess titles, the Royal Household has announced that Joachim and his family are moving to the US.

An announcement on the official Kongehuset website, also posted on social media, reveals: ‘On 1 September 2023, His Royal Highness Prince Joachim begins a new position under the Ministry of Defence as defence industry attaché at the Embassy of Denmark in Washington, D.C., where The Prince, as Denmark’s representative, will take part in strengthening the defence industrial cooperation with the USA and Canada in the coming years.

‘Four years ago, Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, together with the couple’s two children, moved to France. The reason was that Prince Joachim began France’s highest-ranking military education course as a supplement to The Prince’s longtime engagement in The Defence. After the education concluded, both The Prince and The Princess were affiliated with the Embassy of Denmark in Paris as defence attaché and Special Cultural Representative, respectively.

‘Prince Joachim and the family will move to Washington, D.C. during the summer of 2023.’

While the statement stresses Joachim’s ongoing role in the Royal Household and his function as an official representative for his country overseas, it comes in the wake of the prince openly speaking of the ‘hurt’ caused by his mother’s decision.

[From Tatler]

I said before that I actually admired Margrethe for knowing HOW to exile the spare. This isn’t some messy argument about who represents the crown and what constitutes a working royal or whatever. This isn’t a repeat of Sussexit debacle. This is Margrethe being coldly and ruthlessly efficient in getting the spare as far away from Denmark as possible, but also keeping him on the leash. Joachim’s appointments in France and now America are high-level, prestigious, befitting a prince. But it’s still a ruthless exile. And y’all know Princess Marie is going to HATE Washington.

Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid and Cover Images.