Amsterdam - Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander behaves like a spoiled child, an anonymous top government official told RTL News on Thursday, ahead of a parliamentary debate on the royal family's finances. The civil servant was commenting on the prince's decision to continue building his luxury villa in the impoverished southern African country of Mozambique.
This was only one of many such criticisms of the prince - a future head of state - by "other top government officials and several government ministers" RTL said.
It is the second time in one week the royals received unprecedented criticism in the normally staunch monarchist Netherlands.
On Monday, the chairman of the so-called Orange associations - volunteer organizations that coordinate festivities marking royal events - also criticized the royal couple's Mozambique plans.
The luxury villa in Africa is expected to be a central issue during Thursday's parliamentary debate about the royal budget, which itself has raised eyebrows among lawmakers.
Whereas the economic crisis has made the government aim to cut expenses by some 20 per cent, the royal house, which operates with 319 full time employees, is due to receive more money in 2010.
Some 39.6 million euros(54.3 million dollars) have been budgeted for the monarchy in the coming year.
This amount excludes, amongst other thins, an undisclosed amount of security expenses, 1.8 million euros covering state visits abroad and 26.3 million euros for the maintenance of the royal palaces.
The three-member royal house is to receive more than 7 million euros in income in 2010. Leftist lawmakers from, including the Socialist Party, are expected to propose changing the law for the three royals, who are currently exempt from income and property tax.
Royal tax exemption has become a hot issue since it was revealed in September that Princess Christina, 62, the queen's youngest sister, had sought to use financial tax havens.
The princess is no longer a formal member of the royal house and therefore obligated to pay property and income tax in Britain, where she resides.
She had established a trust on the British island Guernsey to avoid paying income and property tax on the majority of her assets.
She came in for particular criticismi for using the royal palace in The Hague as the postal address for her trusts.
