Dutch Princess,17, refuses $1.9 million Royal allowance in letter to PM Mark Rutte

The heir to the Dutch throne, Princess Amalia, has decided to reject the annual allowance worth $1.9 million (1.6 million euros, Rs 14 crore) per year, drifting from norms adopted by her predecessors. King Willem-Alexander's oldest daughter is entitled to receive her annual allowance after she turns18 in December this year, but she refused to take the money saying that she has been “uncomfortable” about the idea and “does not need anything in return” for being a Royal, according to multiple reports. The future queen of Netherlands to be crowned after Queen Maxima is just 17 year old, but she already has different plans. 

In a handwritten letter sent to Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte published by NOS, the Netherland princess expressed discomfort in getting royal allowance saying that she instead wants to give the money back to her country. She furthermore explained that many of the students at her college are in serious debt. Amalia wrote that she plans to drop for a year before enrolling at the university and will try to repay nearly $400,000 that she was entitled to loan as a student for her studies. She added that she cannot claim $1.6 million in expenses “until I incur high costs in my role as Princess of Orange.”

“On 7 December 2021, I will be 18 and, according to the law, receive an allowance. 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,” the content of the letter by Princess Amalia to the Dutch PM translated. 

Dutch PM acknowledges letter

It has, in fact, never happened that a member of the Royal House waived their allowance. The sum is discussed during the budget in the House of Representatives  Netherland’s princess finished her final exams at the Christelijk Gymnasium Sorghvliet in The Hague last week, and a video of her participating in the Dutch tradition of raising the country’s flag was shared on Instagram by the royal family. The dutch PM earlier confirmed to NOS that it was indeed the Royal princess’s letter, adding that she made her decision and "we should not problematize that".