Princess Isabella Begins 11-Month Military Service as Denmark Expands Conscription to 1,600 Recruits
Updated
Updated · The Independent · Aug 3
Princess Isabella Begins 11-Month Military Service as Denmark Expands Conscription to 1,600 Recruits
3 articles · Updated · The Independent · Aug 3
Summary
Princess Isabella, 19, arrived at barracks in Slagelse on Monday to start 11 months of military service with 1,600 new Danish recruits.
The intake marks a major conscription expansion announced in 2024, bringing women into the draft for the first time, extending service from four to 11 months and lifting annual intake from 5,000 to 7,500 by 2033.
Denmark says the buildup is driven by Arctic security tensions and the war in Ukraine; the new recruits will complete five months of basic training and six months of operational service.
Later this month, more than 100 conscripts will deploy to Greenland for a month to relieve professional troops, adding political weight as Donald Trump keeps pressing to annex the semi-autonomous Danish territory.
The royal family said Isabella will refuse the pay and allowances normally given to conscripts and rely instead on financial support from her parents during service.