King Willem-Alexander and queen Maxima will get a 5% pay rise next year, taking their combined income from the state to €7.2m, broadcaster NOS said on Thursday, on the basis of the 2021 budget. Crown princess Amalia, who turns 18 next December, will also be given an allowance of €111,000 that...
www.dutchnews.nl
Don't get me started about the costs of maintaining the royal puppet theater.
The budgets are smartly spread over all kind of ministries often hidden in all kinds of budgets. Not even MP's can give exact numbers.
Some are even secret, like the security costs
The kings grandmother Queen Juliana made a very smart move during her reign by selling all the palaces to the government. That means: A) Millions in the royal pockets. B) The rent the Oranje-Nassau's pay now for living in them are for the biggest part on the state budget as Royal household costs, so they live almost for free in them. C) Maintenance and renovation of the palaces is since that switch on the Dutch tax payers tab as well. And that doesn't come cheap.
The renovation of the palace where the king and his family lives, just outside The Hague, is renovated over the last years: 63 million Euro. And there are several of them: three are in use as museums, three as royal palaces. One of the museum palaces (the biggest one, where his great grandmother lived) is under renovation too: Estimated costs 123 million.
They don't pay taxes. No income tax, no property or wealth tax, no succession duties.
We would be much better of with a republic IMHO. More democratic and most likely cheaper.
And of course a ceremonial president only, like in Germany and Switserland.