The Queen of Denmark has apologised for slimming down the royal family after ‘days of strong reactions’.

Queen Margrethe II stripped four of her grandchildren of their official titles to ‘future proof’ the monarchy.

Her decision impacts Princes Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, and Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10, who are the children of Prince Joachim.

But the move sparked a major backlash from within her own royal household.

The Queen ‘underestimated’ the extent to which her younger son and his family feel affected.

‘That makes a big impression and for that, I am sorry,’ she said in a statement shared on Instagram yesterday.

It added: ‘In recent days, there have been strong reactions to my decision on the future use of titles for Prince Joachim’s four children. It obviously affects me.

‘My decision has been a long time coming. With my 50 years on the throne, it is natural both to look back and to look forward.

‘It is my duty and my desire as Queen to ensure that the monarchy continues to shape itself in keeping with the times.

‘Sometimes, this means that difficult decisions must be made, and it will always be difficult to find the right moment.

‘Holding a royal title involves a number of commitments and duties, which will in the future lie with less members of the royal family.

‘This adjustment, which I view as a necessary future-proofing of the monarchy, I want to take in my own time.’

Under the changes set to come into force from January 2023, the four children will now only be referred to as ‘counts and countesses of Monzepat’ or ‘your excellence’.

Prince Joachim, who is sixth in the line of succession to the throne, said he was upset by her mum’s decision.

‘It is never fun to see your children being mistreated like that,’ he told Ekstra Bladet outside the Danish embassy in Paris on Thursday.

‘They find themselves in a situation they do not understand.’

The royal said that back in May he was presented with a plan, which stated that his children would be stripped of their titles when each turns 25.

His wife, Princess Marie, said her youngest child had been bullied at school after the ‘short-notice’ announcement.

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