The Netherlands' royal family is one of the costliest in Europe, according to Belgian political scientist Herman Matthijs, who calculated that the Orange family costs the Dutch state 39.6 million euros per year. Only the British royals require more: the UK spends 46.6 million euros on Queen Elizabeth II and her family.

Mr Matthijs, quoted in Belgian daily De Morgen, said that he did not include extraneous costs like security, state visits and maintenance of palaces. If he had, the Dutch royal family would require more than 100 million euros a year.

Other European countries with a hereditary head of state pay less. Spain, Sweden, Denmark, Belgium and Norway are spending between 8.8 and 28 million annually. The cheapest monarch is found in Luxembourg: Grand Duke Henry and his family are budgeted at 8.7 million euros per year.

© Radio Netherlands Worldwide