Prince Haakon
Annual report reveals million-dollar deficit for 2023
© Dana Press
Once a year, the Norwegian palace discloses the finances of Prince Haakon, King Harald and their family members. On April 18, 2024, the court will look back on the past few months – and will have to make public a budget deficit in the millions.
“The activities of the royal family throughout the year reflect today’s Norway”: This is how the activities of Prince Haakon, 50, Princess Mette-Marit, 50, King Harald, 87, Queen Sonja, 86, and Co. in a new statement published by the palace on April 18, 2024. On exactly 100 pages, the royal family looks back on the past few months, remembers the most important trips, milestones and highlights – and explains their financial situation. In 2023, the farm generated a deficit of 54.3 million Norwegian crowns (the equivalent of around 4.6 million euros). This million-dollar gap was “planned,” they explain.
Prince Haakon: Million-dollar deficit is “covered by previous funds”
“The annual accounts of the Royal Norwegian Civil List [der Königliche Hof, Anm. d. Red.] was concluded with an accounting result that shows a planned deficit of NOK 54.3 million compared to the budget allocation for the year and which is covered by previous appropriations,” says the annual report for 2023. And further: “The result is in line with the expectations forecast in the 2022 annual report.”
It almost seems as if people in the palace are not impressed by the millions in the red. Of course, the big minus bill will not be published without an explanation. The Court explains: “The reason for the deficit is that the funds for the security project do not fully match the payments. In 2023, the project has an accounting deficit of NOK 70.9 million […]. The security project, which has been running since 2016, was largely completed in 2023.” It also points out that a surplus of NOK 92.7 million was generated in 2022.
“Some smaller works are still in the final phase”
The so-called security project means comprehensive measures to protect the royal family and their visitors. The trade magazine “park & anlegg” stated in an article on June 16, 2020 that “the area surrounding the castle and the castle park is being secured”. In order to protect the facilities and the people in them from terrorist attacks, security fences and bollards were built. These are intended to “prevent heavy vehicles from reaching the castle building,” Lars Ivar Frøystad, head of security at the Royal Court, is quoted as saying. The aim is to “protect the historic buildings, the park and, last but not least, the visitors.”
Since 2016, the Royal Family has increased security measures in and around the palace in Oslo.
© Dreamstime / imago images
In addition, it was agreed to build a new logistics building “that will ensure the safe handling of mail, goods and waste,” as the 2023 annual report continues. “There are still some smaller works remaining, which are now in the final phase.” The background to these comprehensive security measures is the terrible acts of July 22, 2011. 77 people died in a massacre on the island of Utøya and in a bomb attack in Oslo. The “Spiegel” reminds us that these attacks “are for Norway […] the worst catastrophe since the Second World War.
Sources used: kongehuset.no, parkoganlegg.no, spiegel.de