Danish palace scraps system dating to the 1800s that grants royal labels for products

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark’s royal court said Wednesday it will phase out a labeling system dating to the 1800s that grants companies the right to use the image of the Danish crown on their letterhead, packaging and labels.

The five-year renewable designations, including “Holder of the Royal Warrant” and “By Appointment to the Royal Danish Court” and others, will be phased out by Dec. 31, 2029, the palace said in a statement.

Currently, there are 104 Danish suppliers and five foreign companies who can use such designations and images of the Danish crown on their products.

“A system which implies that individual companies can claim special recognition from the Royal House of Denmark for a number of years is no longer in keeping with the times,” the palace said in a statement.

The title was first granted to a company in 1840. Originally, such designations were given to companies or tradesmen who continually supplied goods or services to the royals. In recent years, however, several of the companies which supply goods or services to the royal household are not on the list of Royal Warrant holders.

King Frederik took over Denmark's throne last January after his mother, Queen Margrethe II, then Europe’s longest-serving monarch, became the first Danish monarch to voluntarily relinquish the throne in nearly 900 years. Margrethe had stunned the nation when she announced during her traditional New Year’s Eve speech that she would step down for health reasons.

The abdication has left Denmark with two queens: Margrethe keeps her title, while Frederik’s wife becomes Queen Mary. Frederik and Mary’s eldest son Christian, 18, is now the crown prince and heir to the throne.

FILE - Denmark's King Frederik X presents the King's Watch during the Anniversary Parade at the Royal Life Guards at the Life Guard Barracks in Copenhagen, Thursday, June 27, 2024. (Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, File)

FILE - Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark meets business leaders at a conference in The Hague, Netherlands, Monday, June 20, 2022. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong, File)

FILE - Denmark's King Frederik X, celebrating his 56th birthday, waves from the balcony of Frederik VIII's Palace, Amalienborg Castle in Copenhagen, Sunday, May 26, 2024. (Ida Marie Odgaard/Ritzau Scanpix via AP, File)

SAO PAULO (AP) — Two explosions on Wednesday outside Brazil’s Supreme Court killed a man and forced the justices and staff to evacuate the building in the capital of Brasilia.

The court said in a statement that two very strong blasts were heard at about 7:30 p.m. local time, shortly after Wednesday's session finished. It added that all the justices and staff left the building safely after the incident.

A police statement had earlier said that an artifact exploded outside the court. Local firefighters confirmed that one man died at the scene, but did not identify him.

Local media reported that the two blasts outside the court took place with 20 seconds between the first and the second explosions.

The blasts took place in Brasilia's Three Powers Plaza, an area where Brazil’s main government buildings are located.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was not in the neighboring presidential palace at the time of the blasts, spokesman José Chrispiniano said.

Police blocked all access to the area where Brazil's Supreme Court, Congress and presidential palace are located. The presidential security bureau was conducting a sweep of the grounds around the presidential palace.

Brazil’s federal police said it is investigating and did not provide a motive.

The Supreme Court in recent years has become a target for threats by far-right groups and supporters of former President Jair Bolsonaro due to its crackdown on the spread of false information. In particular, Justice Alexandre de Moraes has been a focus for their ire.

Earlier, another explosion was heard outside Brazil’s Congress, but it apparently did not cause damages.

Police cordon off the Supreme Court in Brasília, Brazil, following an explosion, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A body lies outside the Supreme Court in Brasília, Brazil, following an explosion, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

A body lies outside the Supreme Court in Brasília, Brazil, following an explosion, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)

Police vehicles are parked outside the Supreme Court in Brasília, Brazil, following an explosion, Wednesday, Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Eraldo Peres)