Count Nikolai of Monpezat is feeling nostalgic. With his grandmother, Queen Margrethe II, preparing to abdicate the Danish throne, the 24-year-old reflected on the 'sweet memories' from her 52-year reign.
Taking to Instagram on Saturday, Nikolai shared a carousel of photos, all taken on the balcony at Amalienborg Palace in Copenhagen.
Nikolai's sentimental post precedes Queen Margrethe's abdication, which is set to take place on January 14. As a result, Nikolai's uncle, Crown Prince Frederik will accede to the throne, alongside his wife, Crown Princess Mary.
Although the accession will be a momentous event, Count Nikolai is not expected to attend. While his father, Prince Joachim, will be there to support his brother, he will do so without his wife, Princess Marie, or any of his four children.
A statement from the royal palace's press officer revealed that Princess Marie will stay in Washington, where the couple now live while Prince Joachim works as an attaché to the Ministry of Defence.
The palace spokesperson also commented on the fact that the pair's children will not be attending, saying: "Prince Joachim will be there, but the children [Count Henrik and Countess Athena] go to school, there is no special reason," before confirming that Joachim will leave the country the following day.
Nikolai and his brother Felix, whom Joachim shares with his first wife, Alexandra, Countess of Frederiksborg, were not included in the statement. However, it's highly unlikely that they will be in attendance either.
The family have appeared to show signs of tension since Queen Margrethe decided to strip Joachim's children of their HRH titles in 2022. The change affected all four of Joachim's. They are currently styled as Count/Countess of Monzepat.
Speaking at the time, Joachim made an unprecedented public statement about his mother's decision, saying: "We are all very sad. It's never fun to see your children being mistreated like that. They themselves find themselves in a situation they do not understand." The queen went on to apologise for the shake-up, which still sees her grandchildren retain their places in the line of succession.
In a rare interview, Nikolai joined Australian outlet, 9Honey in September, where he explained that he and his grandmother have remained on good terms.
"It's still quite a touchy subject but, I mean, I am the same person as I've always been," he said of Queen Magrethe's decision. "It's more just a formality or sort of change of belonging, in a way. 'I am the same person I have always been, it's weird having to settle for another surname now. Or another… not surname, another call sign."
Asked about his relationship with The Queen, Nikolai replied: "We have a nice relationship, yeah, she wished me happy birthday, we have a fine relationship," he said. "We saw her for her birthday as well, that was really nice to get together."