Princess Isabella, 19, conscripted into military as Denmark boosts defense amid WW3 fears
Princess Isabella, 19, conscripted into military as Denmark boosts defense amid WW3 fears
Matt DaviesSun, August 9, 2026 at 1:00 PM UTC
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Princess Isabella is set to join 1,600 recruits for 11 months of military service (Image: Getty)
A European princess has started her mandatory military service as countries increase defense budgets amid fears of a potential third world war. Princess Isabella, daughter of Denmark's King Frederik and Queen Mary, may be the first woman born into the Danish royal family since the 1940s, but that hasn't stopped her from serving her country.
At just 19, Isabella is set to join 1,600 new recruits for 11 months of military service: five months of basic training followed by six months of operational duty - and is expected to serve with the Guard Hussar Regiment in Slagelse.
Denmark has been ramping up its defense readiness in response to Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine and Arctic security threats. This also comes after expansionist statements by Donald Trump, who has repeatedly expressed desires to acquire Greenland.
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Greenland is a strategically vital, resource-abundant autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. President Trump claimed the U.S. requires it for national security purposes, but both Greenland and Denmark have strongly rejected any such territorial acquisition.
Denmark's new defense initiatives include expanding conscription to include women on a compulsory basis. Furthermore, the four-month service period has been lengthened to 11 months, while the yearly number of conscripts is scheduled to rise by 2,500.
Princess Isabella is the daughter of Denmark's King Frederik and Queen Mary (Image: Getty)
Isabella is following in the footsteps of her older brother, Prince Christian, who completed training with the same regiment. The king and queen will cover the costs of her military service, with the princess having turned down both the food allowance and salary.
This shouldn't pose a significant financial challenge for the royals, however, as Danish outlet BT reports the couple's 2025 budget reached 17.2 million kroner (around $1.8 million).
Addressing whether the princess harbors broader military aspirations, royal commentator Sebastian Olden-Jørgensen told Hola!
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Denmark has started ramping up its defense (Image: Getty)
"There's a clear signal here: if Isabella had planned a military career, or aspired to become an officer, she would have chosen a different branch. Choosing the air force or the navy would have been a much clearer sign of professional interest."
At last month's NATO summit in Ankara, Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen announced that Denmark was prepared to defend every inch of the alliance's territory, "including our own."
Throughout Scandinavia, Sweden and Norway have likewise implemented conscription for women.
Furthermore, NATO members have previously committed to raising defense spending to 5 percent of GDP by 2035.
Germany, along with Nordic and eastern European countries, is said to be spearheading the initiative, though others have faced obstacles. Guntram Wolff, senior fellow at the Bruegel think tank, stated the U.K. "isn't managing."
He stated, "The U.K. isn't managing, for example. France isn't, and Italy isn't either."
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
