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ROYAL FAMILY

Danish royal family feels pinch after Prince Henrik bereavement

The cost of Prince Henrik’s funeral meant that the Danish royal family did not cover its expenses in 2018.

Danish royal family feels pinch after Prince Henrik bereavement
Prince Henrik's funeral procession leaves Christiansborg Palace on February 20th, 2018. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen / Ritzau Scanpix

The palace’s income from the state of 81.6 million kroner was not enough to cover costs, and the royal family ended up with a loss of 1.6 million kroner for the year, according to the palace accounts, which were published on Thursday.

Prince Henrik’s funeral was cited as a primary reason for the financially precarious year.

The prince, who was the husband of Queen Margrethe, died on February 13th, 2018 aged 83 after several months of poor health.

Meanwhile, the 50th birthday celebrations of Crown Prince Frederik, who reached the milestone on May 26th last year, also represented a significant outlay for the palace.

Costs associated with the state visit of French president Emmanuel Macron were a further factor.

In its published report of the accounts, the palace writes that cuts were made to staff after Prince Henrik died, limiting the financial strain on the royals.

Approximately two third of palace expenses are spent on staff, with much of the remainder going towards maintenance of buildings, equipment, kitchens, laundry, transport and the many medals awarded annually by the Queen.

A total of 91 full and part-time staff were employed by the palace in 2018.

Balance between costs and income is expected to return in 2019, the palace said.

READ ALSO: Queen Margrethe thanks Danish public for support following Prince Henrik's funeral

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WORKING IN SWEDEN

Swedish Royal Guards scrap ceremonial helmets over safety concerns

The King’s mounted Royal Guards will no longer be able to wear their iconic ceremonial helmets on parades, after the Swedish Work Environment Authority warned of serious safety concerns.

Swedish Royal Guards scrap ceremonial helmets over safety concerns

“We take the safety of our employees extremely seriously and we are going to address this immediately,” colonel Stefan Nacksten, head of the Royal Guards, wrote in a statement. 

Employed by the Armed Forces, the Royal Guards are the King’s cavalry and infantry units and are a well-known sight at ceremonies in Sweden, including at the changing of the guard at the Royal Palace of Stockholm every day in summer – a popular spectacle for Stockholmers and tourists alike.

The helmets will no longer be used by Royal Guards on horseback from July 7th, as they do not conform to safety standards for riding helmets, although guards parading on foot will still be permitted to wear them.

They are part of the 1895 parade uniforms and were last modified in 2000. The Armed Forces will now create an entirely new helmet which looks the part, but is also safe for riding.

“We’re working on finding an alternative solution as quickly as possible which meets safety requirements and can also be used during parades,” Nacksten said.

“We’ve been working long-term with this issue but now that it has been assessed [by the Swedish Work Environment Authority] we need to take measures immediately,” he added.

“This is good, and now we’re working to make sure something good comes out of this and we can get a safe riding helmet for parades in place as soon as possible.”

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