Danish royals: Only Prince Christian should get money

After a long line of politicians weighed in on which of Queen Margrethe’s eight grandkids should qualify for an annual salary financed by Danish taxpayers, the Royal House itself came out to say that its expectations are that only Crown Prince Frederik’s son, Prince Christian, should receive the annual apanage as an heir to the throne. 

 

“It is not the expectation, nor has it ever been, that anyone other than Prince Christian should have the salary when the time comes,” Royal House communications director Lene Balleby told broadcaster DR. 

 

With that statement, the royals have indicated that they are ready to return to the traditional rules for financial support. From 1849 to 1995, only heirs to the throne, their spouses and widows were supported financially by the state. Those rules were changed upon Prince Joachim’s marriage to his now ex-wife Alexandra to include his family. 

 

See also: Denmark ready to cut off money to royal grandkids

 

Debate about financing the royals comes as Joachim’s oldest son, Prince Nicolai, nears his 18th birthday, at which point he would be eligible for the annual salary. 

 

Now the royals appear to have preemptively shut down the discussion by saying that they only expect Prince Christian to receive the money when he turns 18, leaving his three younger siblings and the four children of Prince Joachim to find a way to earn their own money when the time comes. 

 

Lars Hovbakke Sørensen, a history professor who is an expert on the Danish royal family, said it was “unusual” that the royals chose to enter the political debate about their own funding. 

 

He told Berlingske that beyond a desire to return to the traditional rules on financial support, there was another reason behind the decision to speak out. 

 

“There was an opinion poll that showed that a majority of the population doesn’t think that Prince Joachim’s children should receive an apanage. Therefore it is very smart of the Royal House to come out and say this now,” Sørensen said. 

 

“That way they assure themselves of the popularity and support that is very special for Denmark. They could have risked jeopardizing the current record high support for the Royal House in Denmark if they began demanding that this, that and the other prince and princess should have support,” he added. 

 

In a Megafon poll for TV2 and Politiken, seven out of ten Danes said Prince Joachim’s four children should not receive an annual apanage.