only the King and Queen, the Princes of Asturias and their daughters the Princesses Leonor and Sofía, given their proximity to the Spanish crown, would supposedly have had access to the state-funded budget.

It had been rumoured that the royal family of Spain has “for some time” been considering limiting the number of its members. Had such plans gone ahead, only the King and Queen, the Princes of Asturias and their daughters the Princesses Leonor and Sofía, given their proximity to the Spanish crown, would supposedly have had access to the state-funded budget.

As it stands, the royal budget is decreed by law and falls beyond any changes or reforms made to state finances.

Currently, those who make up the royal family, and as such are required to attend official acts in representation of the noble household, are the monarch, his wife and the Princes of Asturias as well as the King’s daughters the Infantas Elena and Cristina and Cristina’s husband Iñaki Urdangarín.

Only the King and Queen and the Princes of Asturias, and consequently their two daughters, rely exclusively on the royal budget which is assigned by the State to the royal household and freely distributed by the monarch, Don Juan Carlos as stipulated in the Constitution.

Accounts for the 2011 financial year assigned a total of 8.4 million Euros to the Royal Family, 5.2% less than in 2010. The king allocates a part of the allowance to the “upkeep of his family” while the rest goes towards expenses and the wages of household staff.