Swedish king reveals why he stripped his grandchildren of their titles

King Carl Gustaf of Sweden has finally addressed his decision to strip his grandchildren of their royal titles, explaining the move during his annual Christmas speech.

The Royal Court of Sweden announced in October that the King had revoked the royal status of five of his grandchildren, stripping them of the tiles of royal highness and freeing them from royal duties.

It also meant that the children would no longer be entitled to the taxpayer-funded 'appanage' or allowance that is given to members of the royal house.

The only children who retained their titles were Princess Estelle and Prince Oscar, the children of Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel, who are in direct line to the Swedish throne.

The shocking move was initially thought to be a response to an investigation into the royal family's budget, as it would reduce the number of young royals relying on taxpayer money.

The Swedish parliament, the Riksdag, began investigating how to control the family's whopping $22 million annual budget in 2018.

But according to the King, the decision to strip five of his grandchildren of their titles was actually a bid to 'clarify expectations'.

The monarch began his Christmas speech by calling Christmas a "special holiday, surrounded by traditions", before addressing his grandchildren's titles – or lack thereof.

"Earlier this year I made a decision to define what is called the royal house," King Carl said.

"The decision was to make clear who within the royal family will act as official representatives of Sweden in the future. For me, this is a way of clarifying what expectations are.

"It will hopefully be helpful when my grandchildren eventually carve out their own future. But, to that day, it is far away."

Though the October announcement left many shocked, the royals seem to be taking the decision well, echoing the King's hopes for his grandchildren's futures.

Princess Madeleine, whose three children Princess Leonore, Prince Nicolas, and Princess Adrienne were affected by the move, said it would give her children "a greater opportunity to shape their own lives".

Prince Carl Philip and Princess Sofia also welcomed the decision, which saw their two sons stripped of their titles.

"We see this as positive as Alexander and Gabriel will have freer choices in life," the couple wrote on Instagram.

The children affected will remain members of the royal family and keep their titles of duke and duchess, which were bestowed by the king, but are no longer official members of the royal house.