Denmark’s Queen Margrethe strips four grandchildren of royal titles

Official reason to allow children to shape their own existence' while mother of two princes losing titles shocked' by decision

Denmark's Queen Margrethe, Europe's only reigning queen and the continent's longest serving monarch, has stripped four of her eight grandchildren of their titles, the palace announced.

The official reason was to allow the four children of her youngest son, Prince Joachim, to live more normal lives, and follows similar moves by other royal families in Europe to slim down their monarchies, the palace said.