Aussie pub bars Danish Prince for not having proper ID

The Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark was barred entry to a bar in Brisbane because the royal didn’t have proper identification.

The Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark

Crown Prince Frederik, 49, and his entourage were in Brisbane for a yachting regatta, but ran into trouble when they tried to enter a local bar without formal identification.

Queensland’s tough liquor laws require venues to scan the IDs of all patrons entering premises that sell alcohol after 10pm. The new rules, introduced in July, were put in place “to minimise the risk of alcohol-related harm”.

However apparently, no one told the Danish royal, or his team, about this requirement, with the Prince forced to call upon the help of diplomatic protection police officers to gain entry to the Jade Buddha bar in Brisbane.

The requirement to provide ID was in this case waived after civil servants gave permission to the bar to allow entry to the Prince.

The Brisbane Courier Mail described the incident as the latest “cringe inducing blunder” resulting from the new rules, which have seen backpackers, foreign tourists and business travellers caught out.

Speaking to the paper, Phil Hogan, co-owner of the Jade Buddha, said the new rules were “a nightmare”, and that foreign dignitaries should be exempted.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg with the prince. It’s happening all the time with normal people,” he said.

According to the paper, a group of 12 French winemakers without proper ID were turned away in July from The Gresham, one of Brisbane’s best-known bars.

On Tuesday, Queensland’s attorney general Yvette D’Ath said the case of the Danish Crown Prince showed that venues “applied the law equally”.

“The Prince obviously did not take great offence as he returned a short time later and was granted entry,” she said. “The fact is this has not caused a diplomatic incident as some would have you believe.”