Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark says it's 'sad' to see his brother Prince Joachim so upset - as he speaks for the first time since Queen Margrethe stripped his sibling's children of their royal titles

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Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark has spoken publicly for the first time since his mother, Queen Margrethe II, announced that she would be stripping the prince and princess titles from Prince Joachim's four children. 

Heir to the throne, Frederik, 54, has remained quiet since the announcement a month ago, but broke his silence today to say: 'It is sad to see how affected he has been by the decision.'

Speaking to Danish publication B.T. the father-of-four, denied his brother's claims that they're not speaking and insisted that they have been in 'constant' communication. 

Prince Joachim and Princess Marie have, on the other hand, previously claimed that they have not spoken to the Crown Prince or his wife Princess Mary, 50 during the crisis and that the relationship with them is 'complicated.'

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark (pictured left) has spoken broken his silence on his mother's decision to strip Prince Joachim's (pictured right) children of their royal titles

On Thursday, Crown Prince Frederik appeared for the first time at a public event since his mother announced her decision to remove the royal titles of Prince Nikolai, 23, Prince Felix, 20, Prince Henrik, 13, and Princess Athena, 10. 

According to the Danish news outlet the father-of-four, repeated several times that he supported the Queen and has had 'lots of communication' with his younger brother, Prince Joachim. 

He said: 'I am in continuous contact with my brother, I have always been funnily enough, so there is nothing new in whether I have been in contact with him. I am in continuous contact with him.'  

Yet, he could not avoid addressing the 'discrepancy' in the royal family regarding the titles of Prince Joachim's children, which he labelled a 'family matter.' 

Frederik said: 'It is sad to see how affected he has been by the decision.'

But he went on to back the Queen's wishes, despite understanding his brother's position.  

The Crown Prince explained to the publication that he is invested in the Danish monarchy remaining 'lean over time,' and so backed his mother's decision. 

Queen Margrethe II announced on 28th September that Prince Joachim's four children would loose their royal titles. L-R: Prince Nikolai, Prince Felix, Queen Margrethe, Princess Marie, Princess Athena, Prince Joachim and Prince Henrik

Prince Joachim (pictured) speaking after his mother's announcement said that his children were sad and that he was only given five days notice regarding the decision 

Frederik explained that she made the decision alone because it is what she wants. 

He said: 'She thought now was the time to make a decision that I also support and see as the right thing to do.'   

The Crown Prince did reflect on the effect that this has had to his younger brother and insisted that they had been in contact, but insisted that this was family matter ad to be kept private.

Apart from the opening of Parliament the week after Queen Margrethe's announcement on 28th September, Prince Frederik has not had any events on the royal calendar in the past month. 

Thursday's words came when he was visiting a 6th grade class at Vibenhus Skole in Copenhagen, which is participating in the Foundation for Entrepreneurship's inventor competition Project Edison. 

However, Frederik has spent some of the past month sailing privately in France but according to the Danish publication, without stopping by Prince Joachim in Paris.

Queen Margrethe's decision has created a huge amount of conflict within the Danish family and has resonated in the world press. 

Prince Joachim and his family deeply and publicly disagree with her decision to strip his children's titles. 

Queen Margrethe initially explained that the decision had been taken for her children's own sake but later said that it was also about securing the future of the royal house

Both he, Princess Marie and Countess Alexandra told the press that their children were sad. 

Joachim was quick to state that he was given five days notice of his mother's decision. 

Earlier this month, speaking to B.T. Prince Joachim and Princess Marie, the mother of Joachim's youngest children, spoke about how this decision had affected their children.  

Marie told the news outlet that her daughter Athena is being bullied at school after the decision was publicly announced.

'They come and say (to Athena): Is it you who is no longer a princess?,' she said, adding that her children were put under the public spotlight and so she feels the need to defend them. 

The Danish Royal Family tree. Prince Joachim's children Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, will all be losing their titles on January 1 2023

Joachim hit out at his mother Margrethe's decision, saying it 'punished' his children, as well as claiming he had only been told the news five days before it was made public - despite the Royal Household insisting the move 'has been a long time coming'.

Queen Margrethe initially explained that the decision had been taken for the grandchildren's own sake.

But the Queen later described in a press release that it was also about securing the future of the royal house.

She wrote: 'Carrying a royal title entails a number of obligations and tasks, which in future will be the responsibility of fewer members of the royal family.' 

However, she also stated that it had made a big impression on her that her family had become upset, but still stood by her decision. 

Crown Princess Mary also defended the change when, two days after the announcement, she answered questions from the press in connection with a Youth Conference in Øksnehallen.

Where she acknowledge the hurt that the Queen's grandchildren may have felt but insisted that this was the correct thing to do. 

Here she said that 'change can be immeasurably difficult and can hurt', but added that it was not the same as the decision not being right.

On the same day, the Queen's sister Princess Benedikte also supported the decision, which she called wise.