The Royal House of Denmark (Kongehuset) has recently released a report about the Danish royal family’s finances, including how much King Frederik and Queen Mary pocketed in 2023.
It’s been confirmed that the King and Queen earned over three million Australian dollars for fulfilling their royal duties last year – and they’re set for an even bigger pay rise.
Of the three million that they earned, Mary took home a casual $498,359 which was set aside as a direct ‘grant’.
Most of the couple’s joint income, which is paid for by the state, also covers other ‘dependent’ members of the royal family (including their four children) as well as housing and staff costs.
This meant that in 2023, the King and Queen of Denmark were left with just under $640,000 (AUD) to spend themselves on travel, clothing, and personal expenses.
It’s reported that Frederik and Mary’s income will only continue to increase since they ascended to the throne on 14 January 2024.
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark took home a huge grant of 13 million Australian dollars last year, plus an additional private allowance of $2.9 million AUD.
So, Mary and Frederik will likely see their income take quite a significant jump since Frederik has become the ruling monarch.
However, the Danish government has made known their plans to change their appanage system – appanage refers to the grant of an estate, title, office, money or anything of value to young children of a monarch.
The Danish government is likely to introduce new legislation that will determine the amount of money given to the royal family as well as how it will be divided in terms of paying for royal related versus personal expenses.
According to the Danish press, the exact amount Frederik and Mary will be granted is still unknown as the government hasn’t yet sat on the issue.
In saying that, the Danish royals are exempt from paying tax and also have the ability to earn separate private income.
The King and Queen of Denmark have pursued private income streams for many years, and one example of this is renting out their luxury ski lodge in Switzerland on Airbnb, where they charge up to $20,000 per week!
As royals, the couple live a lavish lifestyle, but Mary is also known for her thrifty outfits. The Australian-born Queen often rewears dresses, suits, blouses and more, prompting her to be referred to as a sustainable and economical royal.
But that doesn’t mean that Mary doesn’t also spend extravagantly on occasion – especially on designer clothing pieces.
The Tasmanian-born royal often wears items from luxury labels, including Australian brand Zimmerman, however she does counteract this with some high street pieces from brands such as H&M.
