Belgium’s prime minister praised the country’s monarch, King Philippe, as a “modernizer.” The King of Belgium has been confirmed as the poorest monarch in Europe.
King Frederick of Denmark’s new memoir, “The King’s World,” is a candid account of his marriage to Queen Mary and his life as monarch. The memoir gives readers a rare glimpse into Frederic’s marriage and alludes to his alleged “infidelity” with Mexican socialite Genoveva Casanova, with whom he was spotted in Madrid last year. . “I love marriage, my wife, my children, and the whole happy foundation that comes with people who manage to stay together and endure,” he wrote. Frederick’s memoirs also mention how Queen Mary was told that his ideas were “not always right” and that he was not “automatically believed” because he was a man. ing. Queen Mary is also said to have criticized the newly appointed king for the outdated lessons she was taught by her late, “very patriarchal” father. In the Conjode, the King called Queen Mary his “partner and winged woman,” and during their meeting, at their wedding in 2004, former Queen Margrethe spoke of their compatibility, saying, “My mother, Queen Margrethe. I remember him saying in his wedding speech in 2004 that he had found peace and joy with Mary.”
The business newspaper Business Insider examined statistics from more than a dozen remaining European monarchies and determined that the King of Belgium has the least personal wealth of all monarchs.
Although Philippe’s fortune is much smaller than that of his distant cousin King Charles, the Belgian royal family also benefits from a generous national register that covers the expenses of the entire family.
For the past decade, the Belgian citizen list has been set at around 11.5 million euros (about $19 million).
The King of Belgium is the poorest monarch in Europe. Photo: Photo News via Getty Images.
However, the Brussels Times reports that, considering other costs incurred by the government, the monarchy actually provides Belgian citizens with an eye-opening price index, given regular price indexations to keep costs in line with inflation. It is estimated that this will result in a financial burden of 40 million euros ($66 million).
Despite the sticker shock, the family maintains steady approval ratings in Belgium, and the king was recently given a vote of confidence by the country’s prime minister.
“King Philippe has certainly achieved a great deal in exceeding expectations,” Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo told the media last year.
“He and his wife, Queen Mathilde, undoubtedly greatly modernized the Belgian monarchy.”
Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Queen Mary of Denmark. Photo by Philip Reyners/Photonews via Getty Images.
The royal family performs duties on behalf of the state in exchange for the prince’s money and does not personally benefit from the royal title.
Philip has also taken it upon himself to right historical wrongs, apologizing to Congo for its colonial past and inviting his illegitimate half-brother into the royal family.
The 63-year-old king’s wealth does not include royal property, which is held by the state or royal trusts and cannot be sold.
Meanwhile, the family’s main residences, the Royal Palace of Brussels and the Royal Palace of Laeken, are property of the Belgian state and not owned by the family.
The Royal Palace in Brussels is owned by the state. Photo: Monas/Getty Images.
The figures confirm that the Belgian monarchy is paying Belgian taxpayers a fraction of the allowance that British taxpayers give the Windsors each year.
As of the 2022-23 financial year, the British royal family received £86.3 million ($161.3 million) from taxpayers to cover expenses.
Part of the reason the Windsors receive so much public money goes back to an agreement with the British government in 1760 in which King George III gave up income from the royal estate in exchange for a fixed annual payment. .
Most of the income generated by the Crown Estate is now returned to the public purse to fund public services such as police and hospitals.
Although support for Europe’s 12 remaining monarchies remains strong, government funding of the royal family is a very sensitive concern for the public.
In Denmark, King Charles and Queen Mary’s recent declaration has shed new light on the royal family’s annual bill to taxpayers, currently estimated at more than 100 million kroner (A$21 million).