Alpa IV, the royal yacht acquired for €4.6 million in 2009 by the former King of Belgium, King Albert II and his spouse Queen Paola, is up for sale at a cost of almost €2 million.
The luxury yacht, which has four bedrooms and room for up to 12 guests was reported as up for sale by commercial TV station VTM. The vessel measures 28 metres in length, and manoeuvring it is no small feat, requiring 4 crew members for the steering and other operations. Alpa IV was previously used by Albert (87) and Paola (83) for family summer outings in the south of France, along with the couple’s daughter Princess Astrid and their son Laurent and their respective families. The yacht is currently still moored there.
Despite having only been for sale online for a week, there are rumours that it has in fact been on the market for a longer time, as some argue that the price is a bargain given the boat’s initial cost more than 10 years ago.
Following the former King’s resignation in 2013, he and his wife have since then received an annual grant of about €900,000 euros, a fact which Albert is reportedly unhappy about as he claims he had been promised €1.4million. According to royalty watchers, the sale of the yacht should be seen in this respect, however the Royal Palace declined to comment on the sale.
