A motion to make the royal family pay tax will not be carried out because it would require a change in the constitution for which there is not the required majority, news agency ANP reported this week.

King Willem-Alexander, queen Máxima, princess Amalia and princess Beatrix are currently exempt from paying tax, based on article 40 of the constitution. A motion drawn up by political party Denk, which called for the government to put an end to the tax exempt status of the royals, did win majority support against the advice of the prime minister.

However, a constitutional change needs a two thirds majority. The parties who voted in favour of the motion represent just 90 of the total of 150 seats in the lower house, 10 seats short of a majority.

‘There is not a sufficient constitutional basis for the change,’ Rutte said.

MPs earlier grumbled about the increase in the king’s pay, which went up by €276,000 to €6.4 million this year. A majority of MPs said it would have been a ‘gesture of royal magnanimity’  had he refused the rise, seeing that many people are struggling to pay their bills.