Mathilde stashes family fortune in company

In forming the company, Mathilde protects the domain, with its forests and ponds, from being split up in the event of her death, or that of one of her siblings. In that case, heirs would get shares in the company, and not the land itself. It is a sensitive topic because the company offers tax benefits to the royal family. "All maintenance or renovation costs can be written off, for example," says tax attorney Michel Maus. "And the passing of the assets can be done free of charge by treating the shares in GFL as gifts to the crown prince and princesses." It's not the first time a member of the royal family causes commotion with the start-up of a company. Earlier this year, Queen Fabiola took a lot of heat for setting up her own private foundation (which has since been dismantled) to avoid paying inheritance taxes.