On 30 April 2008, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark conferred the title of Count of Monpezat to her male-line descendants.
The family of Queen Margrethe’s husband, Prince Henrik, had styled themselves at “Comte de Laborde de Monpezat”, although their right to use this title is disputed.
The Cabinet Secretary, Henning Fode, explained that the Queen and Prince wanted to reestablish the connection to their sons’ paternal French heritage. “The queen and the prince consort have considered this for a long time, and it has led to the fact that people think it was the right thing to do.”1
While Queen Margethe’s two sons, Crown Prince Frederik and Prince Joachim, and their children also held a princely title, the comital title was added. At the end of 2022, it was announced that Prince Joachim’s children would no longer be titled as Prince or Princess of Denmark. This left the title of Count or Countess of Monpezat as their most senior title. They also lost the style of Highness and would instead be addressed as Excellency.
The press release added, “With her decision, 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. All four grandchildren maintain their places in the order of succession.”2
Be the first to comment