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Princess Isabella of Denmark reported for duty at a military barracks in central Denmark on Monday to begin an 11-month service with the Guard Hussar Regiment, becoming one of the first young women to enter the country’s newly extended conscription program. The 19-year-old daughter of King Frederik and Queen Mary arrived in a casual outfit of a light brown suede jacket, white T-shirt, baggy jeans, and practical shoes, carrying a large sports bag. The relaxed entrance drew comparisons in the Danish press to that of her older brother, Crown Prince Christian, who served at the same barracks a year and a half ago.
Princess Isabella arriving in 2026.
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Crown Prince Christian arriving in 2025.
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Notably, Princess Isabella will not receive the salary or daily allowances that her fellow recruits are entitled to during their service. According to Danish newspaper B.T., conscripts typically earn just over 9,000 kroner ($1,385) per month, plus a daily tax-free allowance of 277 kroner ($43), amounting to roughly 190,000 kroner ($29,243) over the course of an 11-month term. The Princess declined both, a decision the Royal House reportedly confirmed to the Danish outlet. Crown Prince Christian made the same choice during his own service at the Guard Hussar Regiment.
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Crown Princess Isabella (center, in red) with her parents and siblings after completing her high school final exams in June.
The announcement that Princess Isabella would pursue military service came in March from the Amalienborg Palace, shortly before her 19th birthday in April. She recently graduated from high school in June, and amid the celebrations, missed joining the rest of the royal family at their summer residence of Gråsten Palace shortly after.
Denmark extended conscription to women for the first time in 2024, amid growing security concerns linked to Russia and shifting U.S. foreign policy, per Reuters. The service period was also extended from four months to 11 months as part of the same reform, and the expanded program is expected to bring the total number of personnel undertaking military service annually to 7,500 by 2033.
Rachel King (she/her) is a news writer at Town & Country. Before joining T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in Forbes, Observer, Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at @rk.passport.