14 photos show how Queen Margrethe's relationship with her sons, Princes Frederik and Joachim, has evolved over time

Prince Frederik (left), Queen Margrethe (center), and Prince Joachim (right) of Denmark.Julian Parker/Getty Images

• On September 29, Queen Margrethe of Denmark stripped four grandchildren of their royal titles.
• Her youngest son, Prince Joachim, admitted to having a "complicated" relationship with his brother.

In 1972, at 31 years old, Queen Margrethe took the throne after her father, King Frederick IX died in January of that year. Prince Frederik was born to the Queen and her husband Prince Consort Henrik in 1968, while Prince Joachim was born in 1969. Frederik is next in line to succeed his mother.

Queen Margrethe of Denmark and her husband Henrik with Frederik and Joachim during a visit to Greenland in 1970.      Keystone/Getty Images

In 1980, the close-knit family was photographed in Southern France at the Cayx Palace. The chateau has been in the royal family since 1974.

The Danish royal family vacationed in Southern France in 1980.      Bertrand Rindoff Petroff/Getty Images

Source: Chateau de Cayx

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark turned 18 in 1986 and was given a seat at the Council of State in Denmark.

The royal family of Denmark in France in 1986.      PAT/Gamma-Rapho/Getty Images

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Queen Margrethe marked 25 years on the throne in January 1997. The Queen and her family greeted crowds participating in the celebrations.

Queen Margrethe celebrated 25 years on the throne in January 1997.      Alain BENAINOUS/Getty Images

In 2004, Frederik married Mary Donaldson on a royal yacht in Denmark. The two brothers, pictured below, celebrated the festivities together. The Crown Prince and Crown Princess have four children. Prince Frederik's eldest son, Christian, is second in line to the throne.

The brothers were photographed at Prince Frederik and Mary Donaldson's wedding in 2004.      BENAINOUS/DUCLOS/TRAVERS/Getty Images

Queen Margrethe's youngest son, Prince Joachim, married his first wife Princess Alexandra in November 1995. Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, and Prince Frederik attended the celebrations.

Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, and Crown Prince Frederik attend Prince Joachim's first wedding.      Antony Jones/Julian Parker/Getty Images

Joachim and Alexandra remained together for nine years before finalizing their divorce in 2005. It was the first divorce within the Danish royal family in nearly 160 years.

Princess Alexandra and Prince Joachim were surrounded by the Danish royal family at their wedding in 1995.      FINN FRANDSEN/Getty Images

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Prince Joachim and Princess Alexandra had two sons: Prince Nikolai in August 1999 and Prince Felix in July 2002. Prince Joachim and his sons posed alongside members of the Danish royal family, including Queen Margrethe, in October 2007.

Prince Joachim next to his two sons, Princes Nikolai and Felix, in a royal family photo.      STR/Getty Images

Source: Insider

Prince Joachim later married his second wife, Princess Marie, in May 2008. They had two children: Prince Henrik born in May 2009 and Princess Athena in January 2012.

Prince Joachim and Princess Marie's families posed together for a family photo to mark the couple's wedding.      AFP/Getty Images

Source: The Royal House

The Danish royal family met in July 2016 for their annual summer photocall. Queen Margrethe, Prince Henrik, Prince Frederik, and Princess Mary were accompanied by the couple's four children: Prince Christian, born in October 2005; Princess Isabella, born in 2007; Prince Vincent, born in 2011, and Princess Josephine born in 2011.

Members of the Danish royal family during their annual summer photocall in July 2016.      Luca Teuchmann/Getty Images

Source: The Royal House

Queen Margrethe's husband, Prince Henrik, died in February 2018. Queen Margrethe, her sons, and members of the Danish royal family attended the funeral that month.

Prince Frederik (left), Queen Margrethe (center), and Prince Joachim (right) at Prince Henrik's funeral in February 2018.      Ole Jensen/Getty Images

Source: CNN

Queen Margrethe celebrated her Golden Jubilee in September 2022, marking 50 years on the throne. She sat between Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim during the Danish Army's festivities.

Queen Margrethe is flanked by Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim as she attends festivities of the Danish Army to celebrate her 50th regency jubilee.      MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Getty Images

That same month, Queen Margrethe announced that four of her grandchildren would be stripped of their royal titles. The decision impacted Prince Joachim's children, who are said to be upset by the decision and "in shock."

Prince Joachim's four children were stripped of their royal titles.      MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Getty Images

Source: Insider

Queen Margrethe said in a statement that she wants to "create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives" without the limitations of being tied to the royal family. The Queen hasn't been pictured with her sons since the news was announced.

Tension sparked among the Danish royal family following Queen Margrethe's controversial announcement.      MADS CLAUS RASMUSSEN/Getty Images

Source: Insider