네덜란드 공주, 연 21억 왕실 수당 거절

네덜란드의 왕위 서열 1위인 공주가 매년 지급되는 20여억원의 수당과 생활비를 받지 않겠다고 선언했다.

13일(현지시간) 영국 일간 가디언 등에 따르면 빌럼 알렉산더르 네덜란드 국왕의 첫째딸인 아말리아 공주는 최근 마르크 뤼터 총리에게 보낸 서한에서 "왕실 일원으로서 적절한 의무를 수행하기 전까지는 생활비와 수당을 받지 않겠다"고 밝혔다.

왕위 계승자인 아말리아 공주는 법에 따라 만 18세 이상이 되면 생활비 30만유로(약 4억원)와 수당 130만유로(약 17억5000만원) 등 160만유로(약 21억6000만원)를 받을 수 있다. 네덜란드 왕실의 일원이 이같은 의사를 밝힌 건 처음이다.

네덜란드 국영방송 NOS가 공개한 서한에 따르면 아멜리아 공주는 "어떤 대가도 치르지 않고 돈을 받는 건 불편하다"며 "특히 다른 학생들이 코로나19로 힘든 시기를 보내는 상황에서는 더욱 그렇다"고 말했다.

서한을 받은 루트 총리는 "졸업을 축하한다”면서 "결정을 존중하고 감사를 표한다"고 답장했다. 그러면서 "아말리아 공주가 훌륭한 여왕이 될 것"이라고 덧붙였다.

최근 고등학교 졸업 시험을 치른 아말리아 공주는 바로 대학에 진학하는 대신 1년간 않고 1년간 '갭 이어(gap year)'를 가질 예정이다.

 

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Princess Amalia, heir to Dutch throne, waives right to yearly income

 

Eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander has passed school-leaving exams and will be taking gap year

 

Princess Amalia was due to get £1.4m a year at age 18 but said she she found it ‘uncomfortable as long as I do not do anything for it in return’. 

 

Princess Amalia, the heir to the Dutch throne, has written to the prime minister to waive her right to €1.6m (£1.4m) a year in income and personal and household expenses because accepting it would make her feel “uncomfortable”.

Amalia, the eldest daughter of King Willem-Alexander, who on Thursday passed her school-leaving exams with distinction – and flew her school rucksack from the palace flagpole to celebrate – said in a handwritten letter to Mark Rutte that she did not want to take up her allowance until she had proper royal duties.

“On 7 December 2021 I will be 18 and, according to the law, receive an allowance,” Amalia wrote in a letter published by the Dutch public broadcaster, NOS. “I find that uncomfortable as long as I do not do anything for it in return, and while other students have a much tougher time of it, particularly in this period of coronavirus.”

Princess Amalia’s rucksack hangs next to the Dutch national flag at the palace on Thursday. Photograph: Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

Amalia said she intended to take a gap year and then begin her undergraduate studies. She said she would repay the €300,000 a year income she was entitled to as long as she was still a student, and would not claim €1.3m in expenses “until I incur high costs in my role as Princess of Orange”.

NOS said her decision marked the first time a member of the royal family had declined to claim their tax-free salary and expenses allowance. The Dutch monarchy has overtaken Britain’s as the most expensive in Europe, according to a 2012 study.

Princess Amalia’s letter

The Dutch government last year agreed a royal budget of €47.5m for 2021, not including the cost of state visits or palace upkeep, with King Willem-Alexander receiving a €998,000 salary and €5.1m in official expenses.

His wife, Maxima, was allocated €1.1m, the former Queen Beatrix €1.7m, and Amalia €1.6m. Under pressure from opposition parties, Rutte agreed to a review of the annual cost but warned of the “populist” dangers of such a discussion.

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https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/11/princess-amalia-heir-to-dutch-throne-waives-right-to-yearly-income