The Scotsman - International - Denmark's 'Charles and Diana' to divorce: "The couple met in January 1994 in Hong Kong, where Princess Alexandra was born and where Prince Joachim was working for a Danish shipping company.

After their wedding in 1995 at a Danish castle, Alexandra gave up her professional life as a mutual-fund manager and dropped her British citizenship for a Danish passport. The couple have two sons, Princes Nikolai, five, and Felix, two.

While Princess Alexandra carried out official duties, serving as the patron of 21 groups, including the Danish Association for the Blind, a marine life museum and a girls choir, Prince Joachim was dubbed 'the party prince' because he spent more time at football games, racing vintage cars and going to rock concerts.

Yesterday's announcement stood in sharp contrast to the nationwide celebrations four months ago for the wedding of Joachim's older brother, Crown Prince Frederik, and Australian-born Crown Princess Mary, whose parents are Scottish.

Yet the popularity of the royal house seemed intact.

Ellen Margrethe Peitersen, a 72-year-old retired shop assistant, said that 'a divorce is better than trying to hide that there are problems with a couple. "