What is your opinion about Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien?

[Marengo]

In the current events thread about Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien a discussion started about the Princess. So maybe it would be nice to give the couple an ´opinion´ thread of their own so we can elaborate a bit more on this. To get the discussion started I will re-post Mandrakes last post:

Without doubt Laurentien is a nice lady, good mother and wife and very nice to be with. I just don't think she has a very royal style of clothing. Whenever you are representing your country and Queen you should do your best to dress to impress. Its like a card de visite. People expect Princesses to dress in a true Royal way. The snobbery thing seems to have a long history. According to Dorine Hermans and Danielle Hooghiemstra in their book Vertel dit toch niet verder, Laurentiens grandmother was very eager to have her son Laurens Jan get acquinted with the Dutch Royals.

Please note that this thread is NOT the place to discuss all the particulars of Laurentiens wardrobe. We have a thread for that at ´Royal House of Fashion´. You can discuss the suitability of her wardrobe in general for certain events and her status.

[SASSY]

I won't go there about the clothing but Laurentien's grandmother couldn't have known her future granddaughter would marry into the Royal family whether she was eager for Royal connections or not.

It's easy to picture P. Constantine having a crush on Laurentien growing up and it developed from there.

[HMTLove23]

P. Constantijn and p laurentien seem like a very nice couple. and their good parents to three cute kids and they Dont edit their own wikipedia page.

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by HMTLove23

P. Constantijn and p laurentien seem like a very nice couple. and their good parents to three cute kids and they Dont edit their own wikipedia page.

You never know. Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien do not live in the Netherlands. The 'fault' in Mabel editing her own page was that she used a computer with a connection from which the IP-adress could be traced from a state service provider linking to Huis ten Bosch Palace in The Hague. Even then we can not say it was Mabel, by the way. Or was it done by people working in the Household? Anyway: the Princess immediately said that the information indeed has been edited. Period. And that was it.

With that the knife was out of the debate. After all no one is denied to change in Wikipedia. You can. I can. We all can. No matter if it is about hamsters, Saddam, the Beatles, Pavarotti. Or about Mabel.

Had she done it in the United Kingdom, where she lives (no one knows her IP) or in an internet café, or via her mobile, no one would ever have been able to trace it. Her 'fault' (if it is a fault anyway....) is that she could be traced. That is all. The 'riot' has gone as fast as it came. Just a hiccup in medialand.

By the way: the little correction was done a year ago and was only now scanned by a Wiki-Scanner. Anyway: it is impossible to state that Constantijn and Laurentien have never edited their own information. We can be sure that the information on Barack Obama is continuously scanned. But what about the information on Poly Butyl Acetylate? Or the information on cardiovascular pathology? Or the information on goldfish?

I can edit anything in that if I want. Or invent a totally new article in the Limbourgian Wikipedia (in my local dialect language). No one can control it.

[lilytornado]

In the other thread it was said that Laurentien changed her name from Petra to Laurentien to sound more "posh". Her full name is Petra Laurentien, right?
Can someone explain to me why Laurentien would sound so much more posh than Petra? I mean, I guess, Petra is an ok name, not too royal; but does Laurentien sound so very royal in Dutch?

[Henri M.]

Originally Posted by lilytornado

In the other thread it was said that Laurentien changed her name from Petra to Laurentien to sound more "posh". Her full name is Petra Laurentien, right?
Can someone explain to me why Laurentien would sound so much more posh than Petra? I mean, I guess, Petra is an ok name, not too royal; but does Laurentien sound so very royal in Dutch?

The Princess did not change her name, she only chose another name she already had. Since her birth she has the names Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst. On later age she preferred to be known with the second name.

This happens so now and then. Princess Maria Christina of the Netherlands did the same. She was known as 'Princess Marijke' (a variant on Maria) but on later age she wanted to be known as 'Princess Christina'.

Prince Johan Friso Christiaan Bernhard David of the Netherlands made known on later age that he wanted to be known as 'Prince Friso'. Before that he has always been known as 'Prince Johan Friso'.

Queen Wilhelmina Helena Paulina Maria of the Netherlands was in her youth known as 'Paulina'. When The Prince of Orange died and she suddenly became the Heiress-Presumptive, she became 'Wilhelmina' because that was thought to be a more traditional name.

Queen Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard of the Netherlands was for a long time believed to become Queen Wilhelmina. But she remained by her first name.
(And rightly so: it is a quite regal name).

Laurentien is an almost non-existent name anyway. It is a combination from her father Laurens-Jan Brinkhorst (until feb. vice-premier) and her mother Jantien Brinkorst-Heringa (roommate of Princess Beatrix in the 1960's).

It does sound exotic anyway.

[Marengo]

You make it sound as if the changing of your ´calling name´ (roepnaam) is the most normal thing to do. I don´t believe it is though. I only know one person who did that and that is my nouveau riche aunt who changed Rita into Rheya.

Laurentien changed it as a teenager, and as the change was from Petra to Laurentien, one would expect a certain snobbery indeed. Petra is a very common name in The Netherlands (nothing wrong with that btw).

[Helena]

I realy wonder why the next 'spare-King & Queen' are living abroad. I don't think either of them has lived in The Netherlands for over a decade or more. Nothing wrong with moving abroad, but I see no need why they should represent me. What is so horrible here that they move away (with Friso they are the ONLY children of Kings in Europe who did that).

The public image of Constantijn is non-existant, he is simply an unknown grey mouse, people don't even know his name most of the time & many wouldn't be able to identify him from a picture. Now that is very odd for a child of a monarch, I think that all simular royals (Joachim, Cristina, Elena, Carl-Philip, Edward, Astrid, etc. are much better known both at home as abroad. He almost isn't doing any public duty at all, sure he has his own job and not a state income, but even his wife is able to show up much more than he does.

Princess Laurentien, she is known here and she was able to change her image from a boring stiff woman to what she realy is, a vibrant modern woman. Still, I don't realy see her as a princess. The accent doesn't help much either, it makes her appear rediculous and snobbish (which I don't think she is). She could also do a bit more than she is doing now (what does she do? Once every 3 months an appearance for the iliteracy cause and that is it?).

[BurberryBrit]

I don't see anything wrong with using Laurentien instead of Petra Laurentien. They were both her birth names. Some people simply prefer one name over the other. There's no need to assume snobbery of social climbing.

[GlitteringTiaras]

Originally Posted by BurberryBrit

I don't see anything wrong with using Laurentien instead of Petra Laurentien. They were both her birth names. Some people simply prefer one name over the other. There's no need to assume snobbery of social climbing.

I concur.

Personally speaking I don't see the problem with Laurentien using her middle name as her first. Nor do I view it as being "snobby" or "social-climbing." It seems she rather feels more comfortable using her second name. No more, no less.

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Marengo

You make it sound as if the changing of your ´calling name´ (roepnaam) is the most normal thing to do. I don´t believe it is though. I only know one person who did that and that is my nouveau riche aunt who changed Rita into Rheya.

Laurentien changed it as a teenager, and as the change was from Petra to Laurentien, one would expect a certain snobbery indeed. Petra is a very common name in The Netherlands (nothing wrong with that btw).

Laurentien is nothing more then a combination of the names of her parents.Her fathers name Laurens,and her mothers,Jantien,in Laurentien she honoured/remembers them both.That's all there is to it.

[Letizia_guapa]

Originally Posted by lucien

Laurentien is nothing more then a combination of the names of her parents.Her fathers name Laurens,and her mothers,Jantien,in Laurentien she honoured/remembers them both.That's all there is to it.

That is very lovely of her to do! I don't see why it is snobbery to do so.


The princess is doing a lot of good things for her country. It must be difficult having a hight positioned job, 3 children and her duty as a representing princess. She is maybe not pretty like Letizia is or princess Grace was, but there is something about her, she shines and lights up a room when she enters it. i think that and her warm personality is what people love about her.

[princess olga]

Originally Posted by Helena

I realy wonder why the next 'spare-King & Queen' are living abroad. I don't think either of them has lived in The Netherlands for over a decade or more. Nothing wrong with moving abroad, but I see no need why they should represent me. What is so horrible here that they move away (with Friso they are the ONLY children of Kings in Europe who did that).

Helena, you make some interesting observations. Constantijn living abroad indeed makes you think that they think that they're too good to live in the Netherlands, or that they're better off elsewhere than the very place whose throne he may once inherit!!
For the record here, I myself am a Dutch citizen living abroad, but jeez, if I were the spare to the Dutch throne, I'd hoof it over to give my 'heimat' my all and then some, just in case I'd once have to sit on that thing!


I'm thinking of a new theory here actually...maybe it's not per se <the Netherlands> these royal kids don't want to live in - seriously, there's nothing wrong with the Netherlands in terms of for example, international opportunities..heck, go work at Rabobank already! No, maybe it has to do with being as far away from dominant mommy Beatrix as possible under the circomstances?

Originally Posted by Helena

The public image of Constantijn is non-existant, he is simply an unknown grey mouse, people don't even know his name most of the time & many wouldn't be able to identify him from a picture. Now that is very odd for a child of a monarch, I think that all simular royals (Joachim, Cristina, Elena, Carl-Philip, Edward, Astrid, etc. are much better known both at home as abroad. He almost isn't doing any public duty at all, sure he has his own job and not a state income, but even his wife is able to show up much more than he does.

Well he has the disadvantage that while quite handsome, he's not exactly in the Johnny Depp or Brad Pitt - looks department. That and he's not a female, so he can't do what his wife does: dress like a drag queen and get attention that way! Although on second though, he <could> do that, but..

Originally Posted by Helena

Princess Laurentien, she is known here and she was able to change her image from a boring stiff woman to what she realy is, a vibrant modern woman. Still, I don't realy see her as a princess. The accent doesn't help much either, it makes her appear rediculous and snobbish (which I don't think she is). She could also do a bit more than she is doing now (what does she do? Once every 3 months an appearance for the iliteracy cause and that is it?).

Totally agree. Everyone who says someone like her 'has it so difficult'..I say, bullocks. Nannies anyone? L. can afford a team of nannies, should she want to. And the literacy thing of hers, that's a gig from time to time but a hard slog of a day job? That she spends 10 hard hours a day on toiling away in a dimly lit cubicle in an office somewhere with a boss she despises but has to suck up to because she needs to pay her morgage? That kind of category it ain't.

And yes that accent...if she's so modern, that accent just is only spoken by those who witnessed World War number One, and..Beatrix and Mabel. No one else speaks that way anymore in the Netherlands, she always sounds like she's faking it, it's embarrassing!

Still, she remains likeable. Maybe her fashion faux pas (plural?), and the fact they signify that she doesn't take herself too seriously, make up for that accent?

[lucien]

Originally Posted by Helena

I realy wonder why the next 'spare-King & Queen' are living abroad. I don't think either of them has lived in The Netherlands for over a decade or more. Nothing wrong with moving abroad, but I see no need why they should represent me. What is so horrible here that they move away (with Friso they are the ONLY children of Kings in Europe who did that).

The public image of Constantijn is non-existant, he is simply an unknown grey mouse, people don't even know his name most of the time & many wouldn't be able to identify him from a picture. Now that is very odd for a child of a monarch, I think that all simular royals (Joachim, Cristina, Elena, Carl-Philip, Edward, Astrid, etc. are much better known both at home as abroad. He almost isn't doing any public duty at all, sure he has his own job and not a state income, but even his wife is able to show up much more than he does.

Princess Laurentien, she is known here and she was able to change her image from a boring stiff woman to what she realy is, a vibrant modern woman. Still, I don't realy see her as a princess. The accent doesn't help much either, it makes her appear rediculous and snobbish (which I don't think she is). She could also do a bit more than she is doing now (what does she do? Once every 3 months an appearance for the iliteracy cause and that is it?).

Because the next "spare King & Queen" at the moment pursue their own career as they are not all that urgently needed in The Hague while mommy is the Monarch and Alexander and Máxima preparing in the full spotlights.The Prince ofcourse has a part-time job still in Brussels,and another one in The Hague at the Foreign Office.Besides that a life out of the spotlights,well,mostly,is just wonderfull for the kids too,all have their peace and quiet,and still prepare for assisting his/her (elder-) brother/brother-in-law in a hopefully distant future.And Belgium isn't really foreign country.
Friso isn't in line to the Throne,so no need for him to live here per sé,he can do what he likes and live where he wants.And,no,it is not the first time Royal offspring lives abroad,away from at times still very frumpy Holland,aunt Christina and aunt Irene did so too in their days,in fact they still do.

[royaltyforever]

Originally Posted by Letizia_guapa

The princess is doing a lot of good things for her country. It must be difficult having a hight positioned job, 3 children and her duty as a representing princess. She is maybe not pretty like Letizia is or princess Grace was, but there is something about her, she shines and lights up a room when she enters it. i think that and her warm personality is what people love about her.

I think princess Grace was the only beauty in royalty ever. But for my opinion about princess Laurentien is agree with you her beauty lies in her charming apearance. It is the sparkle in her eyes and her great smile. She is genuinly interested i others and all natural, and it just makes me adore her!