Copenhagen, Denmark (AP) - Denmark's famous queen, Queen Margrethe II, apologized for disturbing her family members with the decision to withdraw royal titles from four of her grandchildren, but she refused to change her mind.

Last week, the royal palace of Europe's oldest monarchy announced that starting January 1, the four children of Margrethe's younger son, Prince Joachim, will no longer be called prince or princess, but instead will be considered count or countess of Monpezat - the birth title of her late husband Prince Henrik born in France. They should be treated as "His/Her Excellency" and will retain their place in the Danish line of succession.

"It is my duty and desire as queen to ensure that the monarchy always shapes itself in accordance with the times. Sometimes, this means hard decisions must be made, and it will never be easy to find the right moment."

The longest-reigning ruler in Europe said, "This adjustment... I consider it a necessary demonstration for the monarchy's future," and she did not change her decision.

"I made my decision as a queen and mother and grandmother. But, as a mother and grandmother, I underestimated how much my younger son and his family would be affected. This leaves a big impression, and I am sorry for that," Margrethe said in the statement.

Commenting on this hours after the palace's announcement on September 28, Joachim clearly told the daily newspaper Ekstra Bladet in Paris where he lives and works, "This is all very unfortunate."

"It is never fun to see your children being mistreated in this way," said 53-year-old Joachim. "They find themselves in a situation they don't understand."

The change affects his four children: Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Prince Henrik, and Princess Athena. When asked about the impact of the decision on his relationship with his mother, Joachim replied, "I don’t think I need to elaborate here."

Alexandra, Joachim’s first wife, Countess of Frederiksborg, who is the mother of Nikolai and Felix, said they are confused, sad, and shocked.

"The children feel rejected," Alexandra said. "They cannot understand why their identity is taken away from them."

Joachim has been married to Princess Marie since 2008 and is the mother of their two younger children, Henrik and Athena.

The youngest son of Margrethe, who has been a defense attaché at the Danish Embassy in Paris since September 2020, said he was given a five-day warning about the change. He said he was originally presented with a plan in May that would have removed the children’s titles when they turned 25.

Margrethe’s decision was consistent with moves taken by other royal houses in different ways in recent years. In 2019, King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden announced that the children of his younger sons, Princess Madeleine and Prince Carl Philip, would lose their royal titles. His eldest daughter, Crown Princess Victoria, who is heir to the throne, followed by her children, will keep their titles.

In Denmark’s constitutional monarchy, the heir to the throne is Crown Prince Frederik. His eldest son, Prince Christian, comes next in line, followed by Frederik’s three younger children.

Edited by: Yusra Bametraf