Queen Beatrix Blasted By Government

18 September 2009

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Holland's royal family has been blasted by the country's government.

Several politicians have urged Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende to force Queen Beatrix and her family to set an example and make cutbacks in the current economic climate, calling for the royal budget to be cut by 20 per cent, or for the queen to take a 20 per cent pay cut.

However, the Prime Minister insisted the suggestions were: "Not fair."

He added: "We have just agreed on the terms of the royal budget. In good times their allowances grow with the salaries of the civil servants, in other times they take a cut."

Not fair.He added: We have just agreed on the terms of the royal budget. In good times their allowances grow with the salaries of the civil servants, in other times they take a cut.

The queen currently receives a personal income of 834,000 Euros - 2.5 per cent more than last year.

Politicians also questioned why the annual royal hunt was subsidised by the government, and why public money is used to maintain the family's luxury yacht.

They also called for Crown Prince Willem-Alexander to abandon plans for a holiday home in Mozambique.

In addition, the queen's younger sister Princess Christina - who is not in line to the throne - was attacked for registering to trusts in Guernsey to protect her finances.

The princess - who lives in London - has been accused of "morally despicable" actions, particularly as the royal palace is registered to the trusts as her Dutch address.

However, the prime minister promised the address would be changed.

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