Sweden’s king has chosen to strip five of his grandchildren of their royal highness status amid heightened scrutiny of the monarchy’s cost to taxpayers. The children will retain their titles of prince/princess and duke/duchess, but they will no longer receive taxpayer funds or be referred to as his royal highness and her royal highness, King Carl XVI Gustaf said through a spokesman. Members of Sweden’s royal house are entitled to receive a taxpayer-funded annual sum known as an appanage, the BBC noted. Both Prince Carl Philip and Princess Madeleine said they welcomed their father’s move. Her brother echoed that sentiment, saying on the social media site that his sons would get “freer choices in life.”

Source: Huffington Post October 08, 2019 11:15 UTC