The heir to the Dutch throne waived her right to her $1.9 million annual allowance because she said it would make her 'uncomfortable'

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  • The heir to the Dutch throne, Princess Amalia, turns 18 in December.

  • Amalia will be entitled to a $1.9 million annual allowance when she comes of age.

  • She said she would waive her allowance while she's in college because she found it "uncomfortable."

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Princess Amalia of the Netherlands, the heir to the Dutch throne, waived her right to her $1.9 million annual allowance.

Amalia, the Princess of Orange, is King Willem-Alexander's eldest daughter. She graduated from high school on June 10, and the royal family marked the occasion by hanging her backpack alongside the Dutch national flag at Huis ten Bosch Palace.

The princess plans to take a gap year from fall 2021 to spring 2022 before going to college, she said.

Amalia also turns 18 in December, which makes her eligible for her a $1.9 million (€1.6 million) allowance, The Guardian reported.

A backpack hangs on the same pole as the Dutch flag in front of the Palace Huis ten Bosch.
Princess Amalia's backpack hangs in front of the Huis ten Bosch Palace. Patrick van Katwijk / Contributor / Getty Images

According to the Dutch publication NOS, about $358,000 of that sum dollars serves as income, while $1.54 million is designated for "personnel and material expenses."

But on Friday, the princess informed the Dutch prime minister, Mark Rutte, in a letter that she would be waiving her right to her inheritance while she is at university.

In the letter, which was published by NOS, the princess wrote of the money: "I find that uncomfortable as long as I do not do anything for it in return, and while other students have a much tougher time of it, particularly in this period of coronavirus."

Amalia plans to return the income portion of her allowance and hopes not to use the money set aside for other expenses unless she incurs high costs in her official royal duties.

dutch royal family
King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands and Princess Ariane of the Netherlands. Patrick van Katwijk/Getty Images

The princess' decision not to use her allowance comes after critics took issue with the idea of her receiving the money when she turns 18. Tatler reported that Amalia would have been the first Dutch heir to be given a salary.

Historically, only the king, queen, and queen mother have received salaries in the Netherlands.

The Dutch royal family is the costliest monarchy in all of Europe, according to a 2012 study from Ghent University.

Willem-Alexander and his wife, Queen Máxima, received backlash in October for traveling to Greece for a vacation while the Netherlands was locked down because of the coronavirus.

Willem-Alexander became king after his mother abdicated the throne in 2013. Amalia will inherit the throne from him.

The princess was involved in a lawsuit in 2020 after a man sent her death and rape threats on Instagram, USA Today reported.

The man was sentenced to jail time and a mandatory psychiatric evaluation.

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