Due to her age, some are questioning whether the Queen should even be spending time with Joachim and his family, who are travelling from France, where Covid-19 cases are far higher than in Denmark.
But it’s no surprise that the Crown Prince will not be joining his brother at Schackenborg Castle, considering the reported tension that has been brewing between the heir and the spare for a while now.
Earlier this year, it was alleged that Prince Joachim’s decision to step back from his royal duties was not made entirely of his own volition.
In an interview with the Danish magazine Se og Hør , Joachim was asked to explain his decision to step away from his royal duties, the Prince choosing instead to take up a position as a military attaché at the Royal Danish Embassy in Paris for the next three years.
Reportedly, it was Princess Marie who replied on behalf of her husband, stating “It is not always us who decide. I think that’s important to know.”
The interview prompted royal fans to speculate that the couple were being pushed out of the Danish family by the Crown Prince and Princess.
Perhaps the future King of Denmark's reluctance to have his brother around the palace comes off the back of Joachim’s public unwillingness to see Frederik rule.
Over the years, the Danish spare has made it clear that he is after the Crown, even though he is currently sixth in line behind Frederik and Mary’s children – Prince Christian, 14, Princess Isabella, 13, Princess Josephine and Prince Vincent, both 9.
According to sources, Joachim is under the impression that his older brother has a frustratingly “lax attitude” towards his royal obligations.
What was once a close relationship between the heir and the spare, clearly, continues to be royally fractured. Perhaps distance will make the heart grow fonder this Christmas.
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