A villa near the town of Kranidi in southern Greece is to become the new holiday home of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and his family.
Government information service “RVD” said Prime Minister Mark Rutte was fully acquainted with the details of the transaction, but said it would not provide any further information as “the purchase of a house is and will always remain a private affair.” The RVD said the public interest was not at stake.
National daily de Volkskrant reports that the crown prince and his wife bought the villa from German advertising photographer Manfred Rieker for 4.5 million euros.
The villa, which features a swimming pool, a private marina and a private beach, was bought early this year. Actor Sean Connery and recently elected Russian President Vladimir Putin own holiday homes nearby.
In 2007, they bought four pieces of land on the Machangulo peninsula in Mozambique, with the intention of building a dream holiday villa as part of a larger development. As well as guaranteeing holiday privacy for themselves and their family, they wanted to help support local people through a number of projects. The villa was completed last summer.
The prince and princess decided to sell the villa in 2009 after criticism of the project grew in the Netherlands. Questions were asked in parliament about whether the heir to the throne should be involved in such a venture.
(source: Radio Netherlands)
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