Queen Margrethe of Denmark strips 4 of her grandchildren of royal titles, echoing King Charles' reported desire for a 'slimmed down' monarchy

• Queen Margrethe II of Denmark is now the longest-serving European monarch.
• On Wednesday, she announced that four of her grandchildren will no longer use royal titles.

Queen Margrethe II of Denmark has stripped four of her grandchildren of their royal titles, a decision that echoes reported plans for a "slimmed down" monarchy in the UK.

A press release announcing the Danish queen's ruling was issued by the royal house of Denmark on Wednesday. It explained that the decision of Margrethe, who is now Europe's longest-serving monarch following the death of Queen Elizabeth II, will impact the children of her youngest son, Prince Joachim of Denmark, starting in 2023.

However, the children of Margrethe's eldest son and heir to the throne, Prince Frederik, still have the right to use their royal titles.

"His Royal Highness Prince Joachim's descendants can only use their titles as counts and countess of Monpezat, as the titles of prince and princess that they have held up until now will be discontinued," the press release states. "Prince Joachim's descendants will thus have to be addressed as excellencies in the future."

Despite the removal of their princely titles, the four grandchildren remain part of the Danish line of succession, the press release added.

It's not a decision that Margrethe appears to have made lightly. According to the statement, she began laying the groundwork for removing the royal titles of four of her grandchildren in 2008 when she granted them the count and countess titles.

It also came after she announced in 2016 that her eldest grandson, Prince Christian, would be the only one of her grandchildren to be given a state allowance as an adult, the statement added. Christian, 16, is currently second in line to the Danish throne.

The statement concluded by sharing Margrethe's hope that without princely titles, the four grandchildren will be able to lead lives free from the restriction of royal life.

"Her Majesty The Queen wishes to create the framework for the four grandchildren to be able to shape their own lives to a much greater extent without being limited by the special considerations and duties that a formal affiliation with the Royal House of Denmark as an institution involves," it added.

Margrethe's decision echoes King Charles's plan for a 'slimmed down' British monarchy

The statement indicated that Margrethe's decision was made in consideration of other royal households. "The Queen's decision is in line with similar adjustments that other royal houses have made in various ways in recent years," it read.

It's unclear exactly which royal houses are being referred to. The Danish royal household did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

Nonetheless, there is one royal who has long been reported to be making strides toward a "slimmed down" monarchy – King Charles III.

Prior to ascending the throne on September 8, Charles reportedly spent time considering how to restructure the British monarchy. As The Telegraph and Tatler previously reported, one of Charles' tasks prior to becoming king had been figuring out how to reduce the number of British royals from 22 to just seven key members.

Two major reasons why Charles may pursue a "slimmed down" monarchy include the finances and the reputation of the royal family, according to The Times of London.

The publication reported that the various royal press offices "are left to operate in their 'own silos,' regardless of the impact on the institution," making it more difficult to effectively deal with PR scandals. As to the finances, The Times reported that by reducing the number of royals who undertake official duties, the burden put on public funds to support the sovereign grant would be lessened.

Should Charles make plans for a "slimmed down" monarchy a reality, it seems likely he would also have the support of the British public.

On September 21, the Daily Express reported that results from a nationwide poll carried out by Savanta ComRes found that 65% of Britons were in favor of moving toward slimming down the monarchy.