Spanish Royal Household reduces 2014 budget

The Spanish royal family have reduced their annual budget by 2 percent this year, according to details made public Monday. In a statement on the official website of the royal household, it was revealed the budget for 2014 is 7,775,040 euros (approx. 10.5 million U.S. dollars) -- 2 percent down on 2013, when royal expenses reached 7,922,710 euros (approx. 10.7 million U.S. dollars). The year 2014 will see King Juan Carlos receive 292,752 euros (approx. 400,000 U.S. dollars), the same as he was paid in 2013, comprising of 140,519 euros (approx. 190,000 U.S. dollars) in salary and the remaining in representation costs, while Prince Felipe, the heir to the Spanish throne, will be paid exactly half of what his father will receive. The salaries also show that Queen Sofia, the wife of King Juan Carlos, receives a total of 131,739 euros (approx. 180,000 U.S. dollars) a year, which is 40 percent of the total amount paid to the king. This is also split into two parts, with just over half paid as representation expenses and the rest as salary. Meanwhile, Princess Letizia, the wife of Prince Felipe gets 35 percent of what is paid to Juan Carlos: a total of 102,464 euros (approx. 140,000 U.S. dollars) a year. According to the release, King Juan Carlos had three operations in 2013: one for a distal hernia and two to replace an artificial hip. The total cost of the three operations amounted to 165,189 euros (approx. 225,000 U.S. dollars) which was taken out of the yearly budget. The release of so many details of the royal budget reflects the intention of the royal family to promote "transparency." Spain's recently passed new transparency law has still to come into effect, but by making public their accounts in such detail, the Spanish royal household are possibly hoping to win back some public support. It has been and continues to be a difficult period for the royals in the wake of the king's 2012 accident while elephant hunting in Botswana, and the involvement of his youngest daughter, Infanta Cristiana, and her husband, Inaki Urdangarin, in an ongoing corruption scandal.