BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Belgium's royal family will start paying taxes for the first time and will lose some state allowances, the government said, bringing them into line with some other monarchies at a time of belt-tightening around Europe. The Belgian government has been under pressure to reform the system of royal allowances after national media said Queen Fabiola, the widow of King Baudouin, had planned to pass on an estate in Spain by using a trust to avoid paying tax. Queen Fabiola, whose annual allowance was this year slashed from 1.4 million euros to 923,000 euros, recently faced an unprecedented attack from the media, the public and politicians after deciding at the age of 84 to set up a private foundation to provide funds for her nephews and for Catholic charities on her death. Crown Prince Philippe's siblings, Laurent and Astrid, will continue to receive allowances set at a level of about half the amount received by their older brother. Future siblings of the next in line to the throne will not receive any state support under the changes.
– Belgium is taking after the monarchies of Britain and the Netherlands and trimming the royal purse strings. Reigning King Albert II is exempt, but other royals are going to pay income taxes for the first time and get smaller allowances, reports Reuters. For instance, in the case of Queen Fabiola—she is the widow of the previous king—her annual allowance is shrinking to $600,000 from $1.7 million. The king's kids are taking similar cuts, reports AFP. Much of this stems from an outrage that ensued earlier this year when Fabiola was accused of trying to skirt the system by setting up a trust to shield her fortune from estate taxes.