King Frederik and Queen Mary of Denmark have drawn criticism for their extravagant spending, with the royal pair pulling out all the stops for their oldest daughter Princess Isabella’s 18th birthday.
And it seems that no one is more displeased with them about it than Queen Margrethe.
While the former monarch – who turns 85 this week – is all for the family celebrating the teen’s coming-of-age in style, she believes her son Fred, 56, and daughter-in-law Mary, 53, have gone overboard with their budget.
AUSTERE TIMES
While Margrethe had always feared Fred’s penchant for the finer things in life, she’d hoped that dependable Mary would be able to rein him in. Sadly, that hasn’t proved to be the case. As far as their children are concerned, the sky’s the limit!
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“Margrethe had hoped that Mary would have had more success curtailing the spending habits of Frederik, but when it comes to their children, Mary’s just as bad as he is,” an insider reveals.
“It’s an unwritten rule of monarchy to avoid extravagances during times of austerity. And people are really suffering economically.
“To be blowing $32,000 a day and still want to hold a blowout party for Isabella is irresponsible as far as Margrethe is concerned.”
NO EXPENSE SPARED
In celebration of the princess’ birthday on April 21, the family gathered en masse on Friday for a party thrown at Aarhus City Hall.
It featured musical performances, dancers and even a fashion show, with 100 representatives from local youth groups and 50 young people, as well as the House of Glucksburg, all in attendance.
According to the Aarhus municipality, almost $69,000 had been set aside for the bash, with no expense spared.
This included more than $22,000 spent on the entertainers, $15,000 on the catering and a further $6000 on the kitchen staff. With such a high-profile guest list, more than $5000 was also spent on security and sound equipment.
Of course, the 18-year-old will also receive a very special birthday present from her parents – worth a tidy $2370, according to insiders – though details remain under wraps. Among her gifts, Isabella is also expected to receive a tiara from the royal vaults to mark the milestone.
ROYAL FAUX PAS
Just last month, the royal couple’s first year of reign was heavily scrutinised, as Frederik and Mary found themselves embroiled in a so-called “financial scandal”.
According to documents obtained by Danish publication Se Og Hor, the family spent a whopping $11.5 million on goods and services alone – an increase of 15.3 per cent for the royal house.
Of course, with such a large family at the head of state – Mary and Fred have four children, three of which are still living at home – many of the Danish media have argued that the expenditure is justified.
“Margrethe wants her beloved granddaughter to celebrate her milestone party – but not if it’s going to risk the reputation of the king and queen, who just can’t seem to stick to a budget,” our insider notes. “It’s embarrassing.
“To be fair to Mary, she’s still finding her feet as queen and expected Frederik to be more familiar with the palace budget. She made the mistake of trusting his carefree attitude to their outgoings, but with Margrethe on her case, hopefully all that will change.”
