Princess turns down salary for her 11 months of military service

Princess Isabella of Denmark today embarks on 11 months of military service with the Guard Hussar Regiment and she will do so entirely without pay.

The 19-year-old, eldest daughter of King Frederik and Queen Mary, has turned down the salary and allowances ordinarily granted to conscripts, the Danish Royal House confirmed to Danish outlet B.T.

By declining her wages, the princess forgoes more than £11,000 in earnings over the course of her service, along with a daily food allowance of £21.50.

She will instead rely on financial support from her parents throughout her time there.

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Beyond the salary, conscripts in Denmark also receive complimentary accommodation and a travel card providing free public transport between their home and their posting.

Isabella will not benefit from these provisions in the same manner as her fellow recruits.

Her living costs will instead be met from the royal household's coffers. According to B.T., King Frederik and Queen Mary lived on a budget of around £2million in 2025, a sum allocated to cover expenses for the couple and all four of their children.

The Palace announced in March that Isabella would commence her service following the completion of her schooling, as Denmark bolsters its armed forces.

Denmark's decision to extend conscription to women via lottery took effect in July 2025, marking the first time female citizens faced mandatory call-up upon turning 18.

Simultaneously, the duration of service was lengthened from four months to eleven.

Under longstanding Danish law, all physically fit men over 18 are required to enlist. Volunteer recruits - both male and female - fill the ranks first, with a lottery drawing additional conscripts to bridge any shortfall.

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Until the recent reform, only men were subject to this ballot.

Isabella follows in the footsteps of her elder brother, Crown Prince Christian, who likewise served at the Guard Hussar Barracks.

The princess is not the first young royal to refuse public money. In 2023, the Danish palace confirmed that Crown Prince Christian would not draw the government funding to which he became legally entitled at 18, opting instead to concentrate on his education.

The Dutch heir, Princess Catharina-Amalia, similarly declined a nearly £1,500 state allowance on her 18th birthday in 2021, pledging to accept it only once she assumed full-time royal duties.

Military service, meanwhile, remains a rite of passage for Europe's young royals.

Princess Elisabeth of Belgium holds a commissioned second lieutenant rank, Norway's Princess Ingrid Alexandra completed 15 months as a conscript, and Spain's Princess Leonor is presently training across all three branches of her country's armed forces.

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