Unlike other royal families in Europe, Queen Frederik and Queen Mary and the rest of the Danish royal family are not billionaires. Although their personal fortune is estimated at around 40 million euros,
Their main source of income is ‘appanage’the royal provisions that the Danish Parliament grants them each year as part of the state budget. This allocation rose in 2023 to 126 million kroner (about
16 million euros). But that doesn’t mean that the Scandinavian royals don’t have
an enviable heritage.
Its main residences, such as Amalienborg Palace, are owned by the state and managed by the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties, which makes them available to the reigning monarch, who must bear their expenses. But there are
three exceptions: Marselisborg Castle, Château de Caix in France and the royal hunting lodge of Trent in Jutland.
The French castle was purchased by Queen Margrethe and her husband, Prince Henrik, in 1974. Today, this flourishing 24-hectare wine estate produces around 127,000 bottles a year, with prices ranging from 8 to 40 euros. According to the newspaper ‘Extra Bladet’, the recently abdicated monarch owns
the 4.5 million euros that his mother left him as an inheritanceQueen Ingrid, to which is added her annual allowance of 1.6 million euros.
Queen Margrethe with a young Christian at Marselisborg Castle. / gtres
A collection of luxury cars and motorcycles, as well as
the ruby necklace inherited from her mother, complete their estate. Marselisborg Castle is likely to be incorporated into Crown Prince Christian’s estate upon Queen Margrethe’s death, although it remains to be seen whether succession rights will also apply to the beloved refuge of Danish sovereigns.
The precious (and borrowed) crown jewels
When Australian Mary Donaldson became Queen of the Danes, she had access to one of the most impressive royal jewellers on the old continent. Here we can find diamonds, emeralds, pearls, rubies and rose-cut diamonds, which adorn necklaces, earrings and brooches, as well as a fabulous collection of tiaras.
Queen Mary. / gtres
When not in use, these precious and very old jewels remain in
a security camera located in the basement of Rosenborg Castle. Part of them are on display at the Amalienborg Museum, which is unusual and only happens with Danish jewels.
Similarly, to prevent certain valuable jewels and possessions from leaving the family fold, in 1910 Frederick VIII and Queen Louise created the Kongelige Danske Løsørefideikommis for the benefit of future monarchs. In this way, they could enjoy the assets transferred to the trust without owning them. For example, the prized jewels
Queen Margaret’s pearls are on loan.
The foundations that govern the royal estate
The hunting lodge of the Danish royals, donated by the Danish people in the 1930s, is
governed by a foundationwhose financial resources come from the estate’s forestry operations. Its objective is “to preserve the property so that it can be used for vacations and recreational getaways by members of the royal family,” according to the report on the activities of the Crown.
The Danish royal family in Switzerland. / gtres
According to Jesper Olsen, president of the Danish organization Transparency International, in the magazine ‘Billed Bladet’, his fellow citizens have little interest in the wealth of their sovereigns. “This is related to the fact that if you compare it with the fortune of the Windsors, we know that the difference is colossal. The Danish royal family is certainly rich, but not as much as they are. It would be like
comparing a mini-principality to an empire«.
However, their compatriots were very interested when Federico and Mary hit the headlines in 2020 when the press discovered their controversial chalet in Verbier (Switzerland), valued at 2.3 million euros, which they rented for up to 8,800 euros a week for almost ten years. They were then accused of having
squandered his assets abroad without informing Parliament.
Apparently unconcerned by criticism, just a few months after ascending the throne and thanks to a large majority in the Danish Parliament, King Frederik has just pocketed a substantial pay rise of 17.3 million Danish crowns per year, approximately 2.3 million euros. This decision has not gone down well with the Danes, who have also seen a significant reduction in the number of royal patronages. This means that
The kings will spend less money, earning more.
