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 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 kids are concerned, the sky’s the limit!
“Margrethe wished 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,” reveals a palace insider.
“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 21 April, the family gathered en masse for a party thrown at Aarhus City Hall, which featured musical performances, dancers and even a fashion show, plus 100 representatives from local youth groups and 50 young people, as well as the House of Glücksburg, all in attendance.
According to Denmark’s Aarhus municipality, the family had set almost $75,000 aside for Princess Isabella’s 18th birthday bash, with no expense spared.
This included more than $24,000 spent on the entertainers, $16,000 on the catering and a further $6500 on the kitchen staff. With such a high-profile guest list, more than $5500 was also splashed on security and sound equipment.
Of course, the royal teen will also receive a very special birthday present from her parents – worth a tidy $2500, according to sources – although details remain under wraps. Among her gifts, Isabella is also expected to receive a tiara from the palace vaults to mark the milestone.
Royal faux pas
Just last month, people heavily scrutinised the royal couple’s first year of reign. Frederik and Mary found themselves embroiled in a so-called “financial scandal”.
According to documents obtained by Danish publication Se Og Hør, the family spent a whopping $12.4 million on goods and services alone – an increase of 15.3% for the royal house.
Of course, with such a large family at the head of state – Mary and Fred have four children, three of whom 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,” notes our insider. “It’s embarrassing.
“To be fair to Mary, she’s still finding her feet as queen. She 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.”
A party fit for a princess
VIP guests
Among the more than 200 guests at the soirée were royal dignitaries, including those from House of Glücksburg – one of Europe’s oldest royal houses.
Lavish banquet
The family spent more than $16,000 on gourmet food and drink for the happy occasion – no one left hungry or thirsty!
Entertainment
An exciting line-up of back-to-back musical performers, dancers and a fashion show kept the guests amused all night long.
Jewellery
The public expect Isabella to debut her new jewels, including a tiara, at her second official event – a birthday performance held this week at Copenhagen’s Royal Danish Theatre.
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