The Dutch princess Amalia waives her annual allowance of 1.6 million euros. It will come to her from December 7, when she turns eighteen. “I find it uncomfortable,” she writes to Prime Minister Rutte. In this way she immediately cuts off her critics.
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The Dutch princess Amalia, the eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima, will turn eighteen on December 7. From then on she is of age and is therefore entitled to a substantial allowance of 1.6 million euros. The size of that amount is politically sensitive. In the House of Representatives, it was heard by various, mostly progressive parties, that the amount is too high. The Dutch princess nips the criticism in the bud with a striking move: she promises to repay the amount until the end of her studies.
“I find that uncomfortable as long as I can offer little in return and other students have it so much harder, especially in this uncertain corona time,” she writes to outgoing Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The Prime Minister has always defended the allowance in the House. He called the criticism ‘populist’. In a response, he said he had “great understanding” and “appreciation” for the princess’s decision. “Be glad we have a Crown Princess who does this herself. As a society we can only say: ‘Wow, this is going to be a great queen”, it sounds full of praise.
The princess also said in her letter that she would take a ‘gap year’, a sabbatical year, and then go to college. On Thursday she passed her final exam ‘cum laude’.
The allowance of 1.6 million euros per year is due to the heir to the Dutch throne from his or her eighteenth birthday. 1.3 million euros of this is intended for preparation for the monarchy and a royal household. The remaining 300,000 -or more precisely: 296,000 euros- is the annual salary.
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