AceShowbiz - Queen Margrethe has not talked to her family since stripping them of their royal titles. Earlier this week, the 82-year-old Danish monarch announced that the four children of her second son Prince Joachim - Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and 10-year-old Athena - will no longer be known as princes and princess or His/Her Highness, and instead will be styled His/Her Excellency Count/Countess of Monzenat and how her 53-year-old son has explained that it is a "very heavy matter" for the family.

"Unfortunately not. It's also family, or whatever we want to call it. The reality must still be: whether you modernise or slim down, it must be done in a proper way. It's about children. Orderliness and children. It is a very heavy matter," he said when asked if his mother had made any contact with the family over the last few days.

Prince Joachim's wife Princess Marie went on to explain in the joint interview that the pair would have liked to have had the time to discuss matters with Queen Margrethe and does not believe that "injuring children" is a good way to modernise their monarchy.

She told B.T, "We would have liked to have had time to talk about it. I don't think it's modern to have some injured children!"

The comments come just days after Queen Margrethe insisted that the removal of the titles will be "good" for her grandchildren and will benefit them in the future. She said, "It is a consideration I have had for quite a long time and I think it will be good for them in their future. That is the reason."

Asked if the move was "for her grandchildren's sake," she added, "Yes, of course."