[Nicky91]

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.”

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.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/20...-yearly-income