Costs, Income and Fortune of the Dutch Royal Family

[Duc_et_Pair]

The current affairs television program Zembla of BNN-VARA is trying to stir some more upheaval about the finances of the RF.

This time they spoke to two legal experts who claim that the King is receiving unlawful 'nature' subsidies for the Crown Domain Het Loo. The amount is 4,7 million Euros. The foundation Faunabescherming apparently started a procedure of appeal.

The experts say that the money can only be given if the domain is open to the public for 358 days a year, which is not the case. The expert makes a big jump and claims the only reason he can think of is that the King wants to be able to hunt unhampered for the rest of the year.

https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2020/05/13/koning-krijgt-ten-onrechte-subsidie-voor-het-loo-a3999697

https://www.destentor.nl/apeldoorn/...en~a5fd51ba/?referrer=https://www.google.com/

I have seen the program and it was one long attempt to find anything. Especially letting people from the Party for Animals and of Fauna Protection and of known members of the Republican Society ventilate their opinion was quite showing the intention of Zembla.

In a nutshell the problem is that in 1959 Princess Wilhelmina donated the Crown Domains to the State (the program: "to all of us") but there was a condition: the Bearer of the Crown kept all the owner's rights. Purpose was to keep these vast forestst and moorlands together and in usufruct of the Bearer of the Crown. Princess Wilhelmina even had a remainder attached to the Act of Donation: in case of an end of the monarchy, the last Bearer of the Crown gets the Crown Domains returned (or is compensated for the value of it).

So the problem is: "it is ours, we want to walk and forbid hunting" vs "the Bearer of the Crown holds the ownership rights and decides on the matter" (in reality: the rentmeester (Steward) whom manages the Crown Domains on behalf of the King).

The stick to hit the King is an annual forestry management subsidy, which is open for all landowners. In return the domains are open except one month a year. But the King closes down for three months a year. He has legal permission to do so: "for the protection of the private lifesphere". Legal activists argue that this argument is nonsense. Other will say that as no any other especially the King is different and indeed needs protection of the private lifesphere.

It is a long lasting discussion which flares up every two-three years. What the activists fail to see, was it not for the iron protection of the Crown Domains thanks to Princess Wilhelmina's conditions, the Netherlands would not have a big undisturbed nature reserve. It would have been eaten by roads, railways, growing suburbia.

 

[Marengo]

Dutch newspapers today ran a story on Princess Amalia's income for 2021. Tomorrow -on Prinsjesdag- the numbers will be official but it now seems clear how much she will recieve.

For the 24 days that she is 18 years old in 2021 the Princess will receive a total of 107.000 Euros, of which 19.000 Euros is her personal income.

For a normal year the income would be 1.587.000 Euros. This can be separated in 1.305.000 Euros for staff and other functional costs and 282.000 Euros as a personal income.

In previous years parliament has expressed some complaints about this sum and it is expected that this years some parties will again complain. The constitution however entitles the princess to this sum. And a constitutional change that included the income of the crown princess has been approved by parliament only a few years ago.

https://www.ad.nl/show/107-000-euro...omdat-ze-in-dat-jaar-24-dagen-18-is~a5af4adb/

 

[Susan D]

Although she'll need an office for mail and so, it looks as if Princess Amalia will have to work and will not just be a student. I hope she handles her private money well.

 

[Marengo]

I am not sure that she does. She will be expected to attend Prinsjesdag (opening of parliament) and will have a seat in the Counsel of State but other than that I suspect they will try to give her a few more years of life as a relatively normal student.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The Budget 2021 for the Royal House (in Euro) :

6,1 million for the King
1,1 million for Queen Máxima

1,7 million for the Princess of Orange (she will become 18 in December so roughly receives 1/12 of the budgetted annual sum)

1,7 million for Princess Beatrix

19,2 million for personnel of the royal household

10 million for material costs of the royal household

900.000 for the use of airplanes

300.000 for material costs of the royal forestry

60.000 euro for visits to the Caribbean parts of the kingdom

2,7 million for the Cabinet of the King (the official secretariate)

2 million for the Military House of the King

1,7 million for the use of the State Information Agency (website, social media, communications)

2 million for State Visits

15,8 million for the maintance of the royal residences

87.000 for the maintenance of Princess Beatrix' sail yacht De Groene Draeck

????? for the security (traditionally never disclosed)

So around 70 million euro a year without the costs of security


https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/onderwerpen/financien-koninklijk-huis/begroting-van-de-koning

 

[Marengo]

It seems that it is a pay raise of nearly 5%, if I understand the news articles about the topic correctly?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The Budget 2021 for the Royal House (in Euro) :

6,1 million for the King
1,1 million for Queen Máxima

1,7 million for the Princess of Orange (she will become 18 in December so roughly receives 1/12 of the budgetted annual sum)

1,7 million for Princess Beatrix

19,2 million for personnel of the royal household

10 million for material costs of the royal household

900.000 for the use of airplanes

300.000 for material costs of the royal forestry

60.000 euro for visits to the Caribbean parts of the kingdom

2,7 million for the Cabinet of the King (the official secretariate)

2 million for the Military House of the King

1,7 million for the use of the State Information Agency (website, social media, communications)

2 million for State Visits

15,8 million for the maintance of the royal residences

87.000 for the maintenance of Princess Beatrix' sail yacht De Groene Draeck

????? for the security (traditionally never disclosed)

So around 70 million euro a year without the costs of security


https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/onderwerpen/financien-koninklijk-huis/begroting-van-de-koning

It seems that it is a pay raise of nearly 5%, if I understand the news articles about the topic correctly?

The incomes are linked to the general pay rise of civil servants working for the State, so + 5% indeed.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Usually this would be the logic:

1,7 million for Queen Máxima

1,7 million for The Princess of Orange

1,7 million for Princess Beatrix

But Queen Máxima gets "only" 1,1 million. Reason: she shares housing, staff, services, facilities and utilities with the King. So the reimbursement for functional costs is lower.

 

[Somebody]

Usually this would be the logic:

1,7 million for Queen Máxima

1,7 million for The Princess of Orange

1,7 million for Princess Beatrix

But Queen Máxima gets "only" 1,1 million. Reason: she shares housing, staff, services, facilities and utilities with the King. So the reimbursement for functional costs is lower.

Wouldn't this also apply to the princess of Orange - at least for the next few years?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Wouldn't this also apply to the princess of Orange - at least for the next few years?

In principle yes but we may assume she will leave the house, like her cousine Countess Eloïse. A difference is also that the present, the future and the former King have another position than their spouses, their income is functional because of their (future, former) position as head of state. Also Prince Bernhard, Prince Claus and - back then- Princess Máxima received the lowest income from all royals. It has something to do with the
grondslag (the basis) for the complicated calculation.

In any way, all of them receive a nice sum on their bank account.

 

[Susan D]

I know that they have cut flowers and the butlers in livery but I wonder what the money is for! Also, I presume that Queen Maxima's UN work is paid for by the UN.

 

[Somebody]

I know that they have cut flowers and the butlers in livery but I wonder what the money is for! Also, I presume that Queen Maxima's UN work is paid for by the UN.

Máxima's work for the UN is NOT paid by the UN but it is all on the Dutch tax payers... The cost is about 150.000 EUR a year. It is part of the post 'special multilateral activities' of the budget of 'Foreign trade and Development Cooperation' and goes to travel and accommodation costs for the queen and one employee of the 'Royal House Service'.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I know that they have cut flowers and the butlers in livery but I wonder what the money is for! Also, I presume that Queen Maxima's UN work is paid for by the UN.

????

Until March (when Covid started) the Netherlands enjoyed years of structural State Budget surplusses and a fast shrinking National Debt, ticking all positive boxes of one of the most solvable EU member states with the most sound economies, for decades enjoying a triple A rating on all financial benchmarks.

Not one euro has been cut on the budget of the Royal House, so where that story comes from that they have to cut in flowers and footmen ("butlers")?

All Royal Houses have similar budgets. But the Dutch are the most open and transparant, so also "the most expensive". The so-called "cheapest monarchy" Spain has the grandest palaces but the costs are budgeted under the Patrimonio Nacional and not under the Casa Real.

Well, if the Dutch would do the same, they would "save" 35 million on housing alone. But no, it is designated for use by the Royal House so the costs are correctly allocated to the costs of the monarchy.

 

[Nice Nofret]

,,, Also, I presume that Queen Maxima's UN work is paid for by the UN.

I doubt it.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I doubt it.

That is correct. The Dutch State allocates an annual budget of 150.000 euro for the UN activities of Queen Máxima. Besides that she makes use from infrastructure, technics, transportation, logistic and facilitary assistance, secretarial support, communication, security and transportation from the Royal House Service, from the local Embassies, from the Department of Foreign Affairs, from the State Information Service and from the Royal-- and Diplomatic Protection Service.

 

[Dalriada]

I think this family and their ardent works deserve their holidays and the public stipend:

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2020/...se-amalia-will-earn-e111000-in-december-2021/

 

[Laurelle59]

Princess Amalia wrote personally to Prime Minister Mark Rutte wishing to refuse (and cut) her proposed annual income of 1,8 million euros (which she lawfully should be entitled to once she turns 18), as long as she is still on her studies and does not need the full cost in performing her official function as the Princess of Orange.

Princess Amalia's letter: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E3mmyeVXoAMsJ5v?format=jpg&name=900x900
PM Mark Rutte's response: https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E3mmirFXwAIiy6m?format=jpg&name=900x900

Source: Rick Evers on Twitter

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

On Prinsjesdag the Budget for 2021 has been presented, amongst these of course the budgetted expenses for the Royal House are as follows:


The King
€ 1.000.000,-- income
€ 5.100.000,-- reimbursement for functional expenses

The Princess of Orange
€ 400.000,-- income *
€ 1.400.000,-- reimbursement for functional expenses *

Queen Máxima
€ 400.000,-- income
€ 700.000,-- reimbursement for functional expenses

Princess Beatrix
€ 600.000,-- income
€ 1.100.000,-- reimbursement for functional expenses

Budget for staff in the Royal House Service
€ 19.600.000,--

Budget for material expenses for the Royal House Service
€ 9.200.000,--

Budget for air transportation
€ 900.000,--

Budget for material expenses of the Royal Forestry
€ 300.000,--

Budget for visits to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom
€ 80.000,--

Budget allocated as reserve
€ 2.300.000,--

Budget for expenses by other departments for the Royal House
€ 6.500.000,--

Budget for the Cabinet of the King (official secretariate)
€ 2.700.000,--

Budget for the Military House of The King
€ 2.000.000,--

Budget for use of the State Information Service (website etc.)
€ 1.800.000,--

Budget for the maintenance of royal residences
€ 16.000.000,--

Budget for State Visits
€ 2.000.000,--

Budget for maintenance of Princess Beatrix' sail yacht De Groene Draeck
€ 87.000,--

* Princess Catharina-Amalia returns her budget as long as she has no public function as Princess of Orange

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

"What does King Willem-Alexander do with € 5.100.000,-- for the reimbursement of functional costs? And is that amount still appropriate?"

In June last year, the Second Chamber adopted a motion to investigate this and the Prime Minister, Mr Mark Rutte, promised to implement it in a 'sporty' way.

Yesterday, more than a year later, the answer came. Despite his intention to provide information 'as generously as possible', Mr Rutte writes: this time he also encountered 'the limits of the Constitution'. This stipulates in Article 41: 'The King shall organise his Household, taking due account of the public interest.'

Mr Rutte argues that details about how the King will do this further quickly affect personal privacy as stated in Article 10 of the same Constitution: 'Everyone shall have the right to respect for his privacy, without prejudice to restrictions laid down by or pursuant to Act of Parliament'.

Nevertheless, Mr Rutte made an effort. The Royal House Service employs about 300 people, whose salaries are declarable from the State. The Budget for 2022 includes a breakdown into Hofdepartementen and their FTE's. A much smaller number of officials receive their instructions directly from the King. Their salaries are not billable, which gives King Willem-Alexander the intended freedom over his 'Household'.

Where, in Mr Rutte's words, 'the personal element dominates'. That is why the King has, in addition to the A component (a salary of just above € 1.000.000,--) the B component for functional expenses. According to Mr Rutte, we should think of those personnel as 'the management of the Royal House Service and advisers'. Together they form the so-called Hofhouding, with functions as grootmeester, stalmeester, intendant van de koninklijke paleizen, directeur van de koninklijke verzamelingen, rentmeester, thesauriër, algemeen secretaris, directeur Personeel & Organisatie, etc.

King Willem-Alexander has scrapped the function of the Ceremoniemeester but added a Directeur Informatie- & Communicatietechnologie. That does not add up to € 5.100.000,--, even when the personal advisers (such as a speechwriter) and a particulier secretaris are added to this. In addition, Queen Máxima (€ 567.000,--) and Princess Beatrix (€ 1.100.000,--) also have such a B component.

Here Mr Rutte becomes more vague: the rest of the money would then be spent on material expenses. But about this he can only say that it concerns 'a multitude of expenses of very different nature'. Following the example of the Rekenkamer (Auditory Chamber), the authors of the motion, members of the Second Chamber Mr Joost Sneller (D66 - Liberals) and Ms Attje Kuiken (PvdA - Labour), asked to check every five years whether the B component is still 'appropriate'.

Mr Rutte says that he has 'no room' for this and only describes the existing control mechanisms. Mr Rutte also does not want to change the income of the King ("We will never agree on the income of the King"). He sees "no reason for an evaluation". In response to the letter, Mr Sneller says: “Long expected, little received.” The Second Chamber will debate the Budget of the King next Thursday.


Source: https://www.volkskrant.nl/nieuws-ac...t-kwijt-over-onkosten-van-de-koning~bcd58bf2/

 

[maria-olivia]

Queen Maxima has twice more dresses , shoes etc.. than Queen Mathilde.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Queen Maxima has twice more dresses , shoes etc.. than Queen Mathilde.

If Máxima has 150 engagements and spends € 5.000,-- on each engagement, she still will not have exhausted her B-component (almost € 700.000,--). But she also has € 400.000,-- from her A-component ("private income") to spend on this.

What Mr Rutte wants to avoid is that the King, Queen Máxima, the Princess of Orange and Princess Beatrix have to list all their expenditures in public debate. Imagine this:

€ 1.300,-- Fabienne Delvigne Sint-Pieters-Woluwe / Relévé in caramel coulour made of sisal
€ 175,-- Ten Kate floristers Den Haag / Floral arrangements in purple-and-mauve
€ 375,-- Bouchon wine merchants Den Haag / 3 bottles of Gevrey-Chambertin Seuvrées 2015
€ 8.900,-- Natan Brussel / Burgundy evening gown in satin duchesse with a cape
€ 210,-- Nijkamp Coiffure Laren / Hairstyling for Queen Máxima
€ 4.900,-- Steltman Juweliers Den Haag / A pair of rosé diamond earstuds

This is a complete clash with the right on privacy. However it is possible that that it is in discretion audited by the Rekenkamer (Auditory Chamber). What Mr Rutte wants to avoid is that the Chamber will debate in public about expenses on hats from Delvigne or floral decorations in the Queen's office. After all also the ministers, members of Parliament, judges, mayors, ambassadors have a freedom in their budget for functional expenses and are not subjected to public debate in Parliament about their spending.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Thank you to Duc_et_Pair for your exemplary summaries. Your articulate explanations of reports regarding the royal finances make them much simpler to comprehend.

The Prime Minister's argument that the Constitutional stipulation "The King shall organize his household" protects HM against detailed audits of the household's functional costs seems like a long shot to me, but of course I am no constitutional lawyer.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Thank you to Duc_et_Pair for your exemplary summaries. Your articulate explanations of reports regarding the royal finances make them much simpler to comprehend.

The Prime Minister's argument that the Constitutional stipulation "The King shall organize his household" protects HM against detailed audits of the household's functional costs seems like a long shot to me, but of course I am no constitutional lawyer.

It is a very old article which has only changed once:

1814
De Koning richt zijn Huis in, naar eigen goedvinden.
(The King shall organise his Household, to his own pleasure).

1983
De Koning richt zijn Huis in, met inachtneming van openbaar belang.
(The King shall organise his Household, taking due account of the public interest.)


The wonderful De Grondwet in eenvoudig Nederlands (The Constitution in simple Dutch) explains it as such:

Formal explanation
Article 41 provides that the King, taking into account public interest, organizes his own Household. This provision expresses that the King has the right on a private sphere of life, for example with regard to the organization, staffing and expenditures of the Household.

In simple language
1. The King himself decides how his Household works.
2. The King remains within the Law.

Explanation to 1:
The King himself decides how his Household is organized, who works for him and how he uses the Budget which is allocated to him. For an example who will be his private secretary. Or who will be his treasurer. And how he decides to spend the Budget.

Explanation to 2:
The King has to remain within the law and what the Cabinet desires. For an example, he can not just employ persons in his Household whom are "not desireable" in the eyes of the Cabinet (for an example because of a negative assessment by the intelligence services).

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

The annual Quote 500 (the 500 wealthiest Dutch persons) estimates the fortune of the family Orange-Nassau (Beatrix, Willem-Alexander) on 1.100.000.000,-- Euro (appr. 1,275,818,500.-- US Dollar).

The same magazine estimates the fortune of HRH Princess Mabel of Orange-Nassau on 880.000.000,-- Euro (appr 1,020,000,000.-- US Dollar).

https://blauwbloed.eo.nl/artikel/2021/11/prinses-mabel-stijgt-wederom-in-quote-500

 

[Marengo]

It is unclear to me if the 1.1 billion Euros of the family includes the 880 million of Pss Mabel ánd the 80 million of Prince Bernhard. If so it means that the remainder is 'only' 140 million Euros, which would mean that the family value has decreased in comparison to earlier estimates.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

It is unclear to me if the 1.1 billion Euros of the family includes the 880 million of Pss Mabel ánd the 80 million of Prince Bernhard. If so it means that the remainder is 'only' 140 million Euros, which would mean that the family value has decreased in comparison to earlier estimates.

Yes, that was my idea too, but "before Mabel" the family Orange-Nassau was also estimated around 1 billion but no idea how that fortune is calculated.

 

[Blog Real]

Mabel's fortune must be outside of those 1.1 billion euros. The Dutch Royal Family is very rich.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Mabel's fortune must be outside of those 1.1 billion euros. The Dutch Royal Family is very rich.

Really no idea. They do not appear very rich. Outside the King, no one lives in a palace. Princess Beatrix owns a little estate she bought in 1959. The rest of the family lives in relatively normal houses, nothing grand. It is often rumoured they are very rich but how, what, where?

 

[Blog Real]

Really no idea. They do not appear very rich. Outside the King, no one lives in a palace. Princess Beatrix owns a little estate she bought in 1959. The rest of the family lives in relatively normal houses, nothing grand. It is often rumoured they are very rich but how, what, where?

Well, I have no idea either. But how did Friso and Mabel make a fortune of 800 million?

 

[Somebody]

Well, I have no idea either. But how did Friso and Mabel make a fortune of 800 million?

Investments from prince Friso: among other companies he invested in Adyen (see this article in Dutch or this one (also in Dutch - including comparisons to other royals)) in a very early stages making lots of money when the company was included in the stock exchange. While that is the main investment that paid off really well, it is just one of prince Friso's investments that still contributes to his family's wealth.