Prime minister Mark Rutte will be called to account by parliament today in a debate on royal family spending, RTL Nieuws said.

Rutte said on Wednesday there is no evidence that the king and queen are benefiting from extra allowances to offset the impact of the introduction of a tax on their assets in the 1970s.

However, RTL says it has the documentation to prove the extra payments, which total millions of euros over the years. ‘Rutte has a lot to explain,’ RTL correspondent Frits Wester said.

Rutte will also come under fire about the cabinet’s plans to give princess Amalia and allowance of over €250,000 plus €1.2m to pay for staff when she turns 18.

MPs from across the political spectrum, including Rutte’s VVD, consider this to be too much.

However, reducing this amount will require a two-thirds majority in both houses of parliament, broadcaster NOS said.

Pay

Currently, members of the royal family receive a tax-free salary and are not required to pay gift or inheritance tax.

A year ago, prime minister Mark Rutte defended the royals’ tax free status, arguing that ‘a deal is a deal’.

Much of their money is in foundations, which do not pay tax. The taxpayer also picks up the bill for security, rebuilding palaces and the former queen’s yacht De Groene Draeck. The Dutch royal family is considered to be one of the most expensive in Europe, and costs the taxpayer some €40m a year, excluding security.