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A random incoming link from TheRoyalForums.com brought my attention to the latest in what appears to be an ongoing series of, literally, warrior princesses. Following in the Scandinavian footsteps of Sweden's Princess Victoria, Crown Princess Mary of Denmark enrolled in her nation's Home Guard. She's not unique in this; about ten thousand of the force's 58,000 members are women, Mary's mother-in-law Margrethe, the current Queen, became a major in the Women's Flying Corp division, while Margarethe's sister, Princess Benedikte served in the Navy Home Guard.
Included in the basic training Mary received was learning how to handle and fire a weapon, first aid, marching drill, signal training, firefighting and rescue skills. Some reports also indicate she'll get through C drills, which involves exposure to mild tear-gas, and also learning how to self-administer Atropine, an antidote for chemical weapons such as Sarin. The Home Guard was founded in 1949, initially from members of the WW2 Danish resistance, but are not a reserve force, like the National Guard in America, but an auxilliary corps that supports the Danish military as a territorial defence force. Since the events of 9/11, they have also become an agency to help in the event of terrorist attacks, maintaining order and security. It's been a unisex group since the unarmed Women's Army Corps (Lottekorpset) was merged into it in 1989.
Mary is, in herself, quite an interesting character. She's not actually Danish, having been born and brought up in Tasmania, Australia - her parents emigrated there from Scotland in 1963, so I feel some fellow kinship there. :-) She met Denmark's Crown Prince Frederik during the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, and the couple were married in May 2004; previously a dual Australian-UK citizen, a special law was passed to give her Danish citizenship. She has two children with her husband, Christian and Isabella.
Maybe there's something about Scandinavian princesses - that Viking spirit, perhaps? For I also read, though was unable to confirm, that Sonja of Norway holds the rank of Brigadier, having completed a military command course. Mary taking part in the Home Guard is somewhat notable, as it is an entirely voluntary and unpaid group. Even if she doesn't go through the entire 256 hours of training [the sources I found were inconclusive on this matter, she will learn how to use, strip and clean the M95 shown in the photographs, which is the standard weapon of both the Danish Army and Home Guard. Any republicans plotting a revolution should bear this in mind...
Sources:
Sunday Tasmanian, January 20, 2008
Danish Royal Watchers, January 18, 2008
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