Royally far apart: Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark is spotted in Sydney with his family

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark has been spotted in Sydney with his family - while his younger brother Prince Joachim spends Christmas away from their mother Queen Margrethe II after the royal titles row. 

It was a tumultuous autumn for the Danish Royal Family after the monarch stripped Joachim's four children of their prince and princess titles - a move which he publicly spoke out against.

But it appears his brother Frederik, 54, is putting the drama far behind him as he enjoys his festive holiday with his Australian wife Princess Mary and their children in her native country for the first time in five years.

Joachim, meanwhile, is on a 'longer planned trip abroad' with his wife Princess Marie and their children - although the royal household has not disclosed the location, and Margrethe will spend the festive season at Marselisborg Castle in Aarhus like usual.

Princess Mary of Denmark has returned home to Australia with her family for the first time in five years. Pictured in Bondi with daughters Isabella and Josephine

The Danish Queen, 82, will be joined by her younger sister Princess Beneikte and a group of 'private friends', according to a previous official announcement from the household. 

In September, the Danish monarch announced that her grandchildren Nikolai, 23, Felix, 20, Henrik, 13, and Athena, 10, will no longer have 'His/Her Highness' titles from January 2023.

At the time, Margrethe insisted the move will be 'good for them in their future' and allow the children - who have maintained their positions in the line of succession -  to 'shape their own lives without being limited by the special considerations and duties' that a formal affiliation with the Danish Royal Family involves.

However, Prince Joachim publicly spoke out against his mother's decision in the days that followed - claiming that his children had been 'harmed' in the process.

Crown Prince Frederick was ever the dutiful dad as he ensured his son crossed the road safely

Denmark's Prince Felix, Princess Marie, Prince Joachim, Princess Athena, Prince Henrik and Prince Nikolai in September

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

Months later, the sixth-in-line to the throne admitted that 'communication was missing' within the Royal Family in the lead-up to the shock announcement. 

Joachim told local news outlet B.T.: 'There is a lot to work on.  Communication was what was missing. Now we have met and we are on the right track.'

Shortly after his children were stripped of his titles, Joachim claimed that he had only been given five days' notice before the news was made public. 

Instead of being Princes and Princesses, they will be Counts and Countess and referred to as Their Excellencies. 

Following her announcement, Joachim spoke to Danish publication Ekstra Bladet outside the Danish Embassy in Paris, where he lives with his French-born wife Princess Marie and his two youngest children, and said his four children had been 'hurt' by their grandmother's decision. 

Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark has been spotted in Sydney with his family - while his younger brother Prince Joachim spends Christmas away from their mother Queen Margrethe II (pictured in November) after the royal titles row

'I was given five days' notice to tell them. In May, I was presented with a plan which, by and large, was that when the children each turned 25, it would happen. Now I had only five days to tell them. Athena turns 11 in January,' he clarified

Meanwhile, his ex-wife Alexandra, 58, who was married to Joachim for 10 years until 2005, said that her sons, Nikolai and Felix, had been left feeling 'ostracised' from the institution and the decision had come like a 'bolt out of the blue'. 

The Royal Household released a further statement, saying: 'As the Queen stated yesterday, the decision has been a long time coming.

'We understand that there are many emotions at stake at the moment, but we hope that the Queen's wish to future-proof the Royal Household will be respected.'

Earlier this month, it was said that Joachim and his family are relocating to the US after he landed a new job in the defence industry in Washington, according to local media reports.

The Danish royal, 53, has decided to move to Washington DC with his wife and their two young children, Henrik and Athena, Danish newspaper BT reported.

The royal couple are currently based in Paris, where the prince has worked as defence attaché since 2020. However that job is expected to come to an end in June, meaning they are likely to up sticks in the second half of the year.

The Danish Royal Court's communications department did not confirm Joachim's reported upcoming move. 

On Monday, Frederick and Mary blended in with the locals during a shopping excursion in Sydney's beachside suburb of Bondi. 

They were accompanied by their children Christian, 17, Isabella, 15, and twins Vincent and Josephine, 11, as well as Mary's old friend Amber Petty. 

Frederick and his wife, 50, both carefully guided their young children across a busy road, at times holding their hands or reaching out to slow them down. 

Vincent popped into a local Orlebar Brown clothing boutique with his father, emerging carrying a paper shopping bag containing his latest purchase. Mary, meanwhile, was casually chic for the outing, donning a bright orange shirt that she wore knotted at the waist. 

Partially unbuttoned, it revealed a black bodysuit underneath, and she added a pair of loose black slacks to the ensemble. 

The Australian native also included a pair of light brown flat sandals as part of her look and wore designer sunglasses.  She had her hair pulled back off her face for the occasion, and appeared to have on minimal makeup. 

Frederick dressed down in a simple white polo shirt and blue jeans, along with a white cap.  He also had on sunglasses for what was a sunny Sydney day, and finished the look with beige and white Nike sneakers. 

The children appear to have inherited their mother's keen eye for fashion, with Josephine donning a trendy American flag jumper and white shorts.

Her twin bother Vincent, who picked up a few items during the trip, wore a khaki shirt with a yellow hand print on the front with navy shorts. Elsewhere, teenager Isabella kept cosy in a navy blue jumper paired with grey shorts. 

After strolling through Bondi and doing some shopping, the family headed out to lunch together. 

Hobart-born Princess Mary will spend the holidays with her Tasmanian family, the Danish royal household confirmed in February. 

It's the first time in five years the whole family are visiting Australia together. However, Mary made a solo getaway to Melbourne last year. 

The visit this time is a private trip, meaning she is not Down Under in any official capacity. Mary's last time travelling to her home country in an official capacity was in 2013.

Read more: 

• Queen Margrethe II of Denmark reunites with Prince Joachim in public for the first time since he criticised the monarch for stripping his children of their royal titles
• 'It actually is a very real crisis': Denmark royal row over titles has 'shattered people’s image' of Queen Margarethe and of the family, royal experts claim
• Danish heir to the throne Prince Christian 'has one more year of freedom' before he turns 18 when he will be given 'more responsibility', expert claims - as he celebrates his birthday after weeks of family turmoil