Princess Margarita & Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn News & Photos 2 (Sep 2006-Feb 2008)

[princess olga]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

I understand that all the attention is on 'poor sheep Margarita' and 'brutal wolf Edwin'. Sensation, scandal, etc.

But THE most interesting thing of the whole affair was that a complete machinery of state went into working, totally without any knowledge of the responsible ministers and initiated by the royal court.

It is often said that Queen Beatrix is a powerful monarch. However her formal power is pretty limited by the constitution. But her informal power, something which is very hard to categorize in words, is totally outshining her formal power. The 'Margarita-affair' shockingly brought it to the surface.

The director of the Kabinet der Koningin (the Queen's Cabinet Office) asked the director of the General Intelligence- and Security Service to investigate Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn.

[..]That was the shocking revelation. That such a formidable power came to the surface and became visible for all Dutchmen.

Well I guess Beatrix's power as a monarch is food for thought for an entire thread really, but since imo it is relevant to the Edwin story, I'll comment a bit on it here.

For one thing I don't think that Beatrix was the one initiating the investigation into Edwin. Why on the planet would she have?

First of, Henri M., I disagree on one thing: she does NOT have that kind of power behind the scenes that you mention. I just don't buy that behind the scenes, she would act like a Dutch kindof Stazi, investigating people who don't please her personally. Come on. I mean, let's not get into Edwin's delusional line of thinking here: he's such a conspiracy theorist, if it were up to him, he'd get it into his head & have us believe that, say, Beatrix plotted with, say, George W. Bush, the Pope and Elvis (didn't you hear? He's still alive ) on a plot to have him, Edwin, 'taken care of', mafia style.

I'd like to think that Beatrix would have better things to do than plot against an obvious idiot such as Edwin de Roy.

As for her formal power, she does have a bit more power, than, say, Elizabeth of England. Why? For one, because till this day, all mayors of all towns in the Netherlands and all governers of all the provinces in that country are NOT elected directly by the people, but appointed by the queen instead (admittedly the candidates are typically suggested by elected officials). This means that de facto, these appointees only are accountable to the queen only, and not to the people.

THis is all fine and good, but if one claims, as the Netherlands does, that you are a real democracy, this is one area where a lot of (foreign as well as Dutch domestic) eyebrows are raised over. ARe you really a democracy if you cannot even elect the mayor of your own town? Who, instead, is appointed by the monarch, a person BORN into the position, not chosen by the people?
This is how it could happen that a new mayor of the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, was an ex-boyfriend of the queen (albeit of course one from her pre-Claus days), who was living in the Hague at the time of his appointment as mayor of Amsterdam, and, mind you, he refused to move to Amsterdam despite the fact he'd been appointed as mayor! (though he later did, because of protests)

Ok, what does this have to do with Edwin de Roy van Z.?
That he does have a point when he says that the Dutch queen has powers that a reasonable democracy wouldn't want to give a non-elected monarch. But that's it.

All the same, I don't agree with him that there is some sort of conspiracy going on, on the contrary. I think that although Edwin had some strings on his bow (or whatever the expression is!) in terms of the Dutch monarchy, he's completely delusional about so many of the things he's contended over the years, that no one, indeed, takes him seriously any more. He is a fantasist on so many levels and the problem is (for himself) that he really seems to believe what he claims.

It is hard to believe, for me, that he brainwashed Margarita the way he managed to do. But I guess people are suckers for conspiracy theories, even when these theories are totally 'out there' and regard the members of one's own family.

[Henri M.]

It is not about Queen Beatrix raising her eyebrow and trying to use her influence to protect of benefitting her family. We all do.

The surprising thing is that no any service stuttered or hesistated in fullfilling the requests done by the Queen's Cabinet Office:

Januari 2000
The director of the Queen's Cabinet Office asks the director of the General Intelligence- and Security Service to investigate Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn. According to the Queen's Cabinet Office there are open questions about his integrity.
No permission was asked neither to the Premier (responsible for the Queen's Cabinet Office) nor to the Minister of the Interior (responsible for the General Intelligence- and Security Service).

Spring 2000
The General Intelligence- and Security Service concludes that there are 'serious suspicions' that the security or the integrity of members of the Royal House can become endangered. The General Intelligence- and Information Service decides to do furtherer investigation in the municipal administration, the archives of the Amsterdam social service, the Land Registry Office and the Tax Revenue Service.
No permission was asked neither to the Minister of the Interior (responsible for the General Intelligence- and Security Service) nor to the Minister of Finances (responsible for the Land Registry Office and the Tax Revenue Service).

Summer 2000
The Director of the Queen's Cabinet Office is informed by the Director of the General Intelligence- and Security Service. The report is confidential and should not be open for other non-authorized persons. Despite this, the Director of the Queen's Cabinet Office informs The Duke of Parma (Princess Margarita's father) and Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme (Princess Margarita's eldest brother) about the facts and findings of the investigation. Later also a copy was given to Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (grandfather of Princess Margarita).
No permission was asked neither to the Premier (responsible for the Queen's Cabinet Office) nor to the Minister of the Interior (responsible for the General Intelligence- and Security Service) to 'leak' this confidential information to non-authorized persons.

Summer 2000
The Duke of Parma invites his daughter Princess Margarita and her friend and confronts them with the facts and findings of the investigation. Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn explodes about this 'brutal abuse of power' and the estrangement and war between The Duke and his daughter (and her friend) is a fact. The Duke lets his daughter know that he will do everything possible to obstruct their relationship. (They were not engaged yet).

November 2000
Because of the more and more apparent intentions of Princess Margarita and Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn to engage in a marriage, the director of the General Intelligence- and Security Service asks the director of the Royal- and Diplomatic Protection Service to start an own investigation. All possible administrative data are researched. The investigation did not learn new substantial facts and findings.
No permission was asked neither to the Minister of the Interior (responsible for the General Intelligence- and Security Service) nor to the Minister of Justice (responsible for the Royal- and Diplomatic Protection Service).

16 December 2000
Princess Margarita and Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn organize a diner to announce their engagement. From the Royal House no one did attend. Reason: suddenly at the same day the announcement was made of the engagment of Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands with miss Petra Laurentien Brinkhorst. (Coincident or done with intention? In this Princess Margarita and Edwin saw the first act of real obstruction from the side of the Royal House). The Duke of Parma boycotted the engagement diner of his daughter but visited his nephew Prince Constantijn and his fiancée...

21 February 2001
According Princess Margarita and Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn, mrs Annemiek Rade, the particulier secretaresse of Princess Irene and her children, confessed that she was asked by the director of the Queen's Cabinet Office to make copies of their particulier post and send it to him. (Later mrs. Annemiek Rade did deny any of such a 'confession'.)

28 Februari 2001
Princess Margarita and her fiancée asks for the help of the National Ombudsman and the director of the State Information Agency: the say to have 'proofs' for being illegally eavesdropped by the State. Later the (new since 2002) Premier Balkenende would declare that there "never was any eavesdropping, observing or following."

22 September 2001
Wedding of Princess Margarita and Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn in Auch (Gascogne, France). The Duke of Parma boycotted the wedding. The Royal House was only represented by Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands.

October 2001
Start of the intensive correspondence between Princess Margarita and Edwin with the Premier, the Minister of the Interior and the Minister of Justice. All ministers denied that there were any state activities deployed concerning them. (Later, to their ashamement the ministers learned that their reply was terribly wrong). Premier Kok also responds negatively on cries for help by the couple. He refusues to mingle with what he labelled as 'private problems at the royal court'.

12 December 2001
The Prince of Orange lets his cousine Princess Margarita and her husband know that he was sorry to let them know that 'given the circumstances' he thought it was 'not opportune' to invite them for his wedding with miss Máxima Zorreguieta Cerruti.

January 2002
The business tax correspondence from Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn's company was send by the director of the Tax Revenue Service to the Queen's Treasurer at Noordeinde Palace. According to the later Premier Balkenende this happened because the mail was undeliverable because Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn had not informed the Tax Revenue Service about his new address. The Queen's Treasurer opened Edwin's business tax correspondence because the name (Fincentives BV) was unknown to him. On March 27th 2002 Edwin's correct address was entered into the administration of the Tax Revenue Service.

31 January 2002
Princess Margarita and her husband were not invited for the grand Wedding Ball at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, attended by world royalty and the Gotha. It was also Queen Beatrix' birthday (she is not only an aunt but also a godmother of Princess Margarita).

1 February 2002
Princess Margarita and her husband were not invited for any of the lavish festivities in the framework of The Wedding.

2 February 2002
The Wedding in Amsterdam. Priness Margarita and her husband were noted absentees. During the broadcast (with 90% ratings) the royal correspondent Maartje van Weegen publicly stated that the couple had serious financial problems and therefore were absent.

October 2002
Funeral of Prince Claus of the Netherlands. According to the couple it was Princess Irene who requested them to stay away, which was a direct request of the Queen.

February 2003
The war breaks out. In a joint interview with the Dutch abd German current affairs magazines HP/De Tijd and Der Stern, the couples uttered serious blames towards Queen Beatrix and the royal family for gross abuse of their power. Later that day the Royal House issued a communiqué stating that 'they do not recognize themselves in the depicted image' and will remain silent 'out of love for Princess Margarita'

All this shows a shocking lack by all administrative institutions to respect the law. Instead they crawl themselves in all impossible corners to serve Her Majesty. The old adagium 'The Queen's Command Is My Wish' seems shockingly apparent in the Netherlands anno 2000....

[johann]

To put my two cents to this never-ending story:
I agree with you Edwin seems to have some mental problems, he surely didn’t treat Margarita right and he acts like a foul sometimes.

But on the other hand I absolutely agree with HenriM. Beatrix definitively committed malpractice and her behaviour is in contradictory to democratic standards. I wouldn’t wipe this away as a petitesse. As a citizen of a republic I’m pretty sure that my head of state has to leave his/her position if he/she behaves like this. The way Beatrix handled the causa de Roy van Zuydewijn is very antiquated and I would prefer more transparency when it comes to her formal and informal power.

And I’m sure that Edwin is completely ruined and has little chances to get back into the Dutch society. He, like anyone else has the right to freedom of movement and residence. And if he wants to live in his home country he is entitled to do so. I’m under the impression (and I might be wrong) that the Dutch society is dominated by a few families who are immense powerful and I can imagine that Edwin became acquainted to this in all its consequences. I can understand that he is harmed and angry. (Side note: This does certainly not imply that I give sanction to his actions).

[Marengo]

The involvement (and knowledge) of The Queen in any of this has never been proven and is denied by the Prime Minister. There was abuse of power, but that was by the head of the cabinet of the Queen, Mr. Felix Rhodius and by Prince Bernhard, the Duke of Parma etc. Not by HM. That is the official version, some of us might suspect that it isn't true, but that is only speculation. Officially the Queen did not make abuse of her 'power'.

-

The dutch society is one of the most equalitarian in the world. But of course there are families/ groups that set the tone, of which most of us are unaware (and the extent of their alleged power can only be guessed). I do not think that that is the main reason why Edwin can not find a job in The Netherlands now btw, for example I wouldn't hire him even to fry french frites at Mc Donalds, neither would most dutchmen.

-
Thank you Henri for creating a (most informative) overview of this mess, I think most people lost track a while ago already.

[Alexandria]

Originally Posted by Henri M.

Summer 2000
The Director of the Queen's Cabinet Office is informed by the Director of the General Intelligence- and Security Service. The report is confidential and should not be open for other non-authorized persons. Despite this, the Director of the Queen's Cabinet Office informs The Duke of Parma (Princess Margarita's father) and Prince Carlos de Bourbon de Parme (Princess Margarita's eldest brother) about the facts and findings of the investigation. Later also a copy was given to Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands (grandfather of Princess Margarita).
No permission was asked neither to the Premier (responsible for the Queen's Cabinet Office) nor to the Minister of the Interior (responsible for the General Intelligence- and Security Service) to 'leak' this confidential information to non-authorized persons.

Summer 2000
The Duke of Parma invites his daughter Princess Margarita and her friend and confronts them with the facts and findings of the investigation. Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn explodes about this 'brutal abuse of power' and the estrangement and war between The Duke and his daughter (and her friend) is a fact. The Duke lets his daughter know that he will do everything possible to obstruct their relationship. (They were not engaged yet).

I have two questions:
1) I can see why a copy of this report was given to Margarita's father and later her grandfather, but why to her eldest brother? And not to say Irene or her other siblings, Jamie or Maria-Carolina? If they were hoping that another member of her family might influence her and talk her out of the relationship, wouldn't her twin have been a better choice? Or does she have a closer relationship with Carlos?

2) And where was Princess Irene in all this? As I recall, when Margarita and Edwin finally did marry, Irene (begrudginly) attended the wedding but few other members of Margarita's family attended (just either Carlos or Jamie, or both is all I remember seeing pictures of), and as Henri M. said, Constantijn and Laurentien from the Queen's family. But no members of Christina or Margriet's families attended.

I find it ironic that in some ways that the choice of husbands by Margarita and her mother caused some (temporary) fractures between them and their families. The choice of the Duke of Parma as a husband for Irene was not welcomed either at the time and no members of her immediate family attended her wedding in Rome either. It's an ironic case of history repeating itself. (I don't think however that Edwin can expect to ever be invited to family functions as the Duke of Parma is occasionally.)

[Henri M.]

The Premier responded in the Chamber on similar questions about the involvement of the Duke of Parma, Prince Carlos and later Prince Bernhard. This was absolutely wrong, so agreed the Premier, because when the Intelligence Service is making a report about an individual, they will not discuss it either with his/her parents or siblings.

Note that all these actions were done without the knowledge of the politically accountable ministers. (That was the most shocking of all: that no one of the top-officials did inform their bosses).

The Premier stated that it was done by the director of the Queen's Cabinet Office, with the best intention, because he saw no other 'elegant' way to discuss the facts and findings of this report than with her father, the Duke of Parma. He hoped that her father could discuss all this in the family-sphere with Princess Margarita and Edwin. Prince Bernhard's role is unclear. But he has a very thick finger in the Intelligence Services (he himself has set these up after WWII) since his decades as Inspector-General of the Armed Forces. The involvement of Prince Carlos maybe is because he is the future head of the House and they hoped to confront Princess Margarita with all this and to give up Edwin.

The role of mother Princess Irene is most unclear. She seems to have had a period of ultimate coldness with her eldest daughter.

And the absence of the royal family in Rome had nothing to do with any dislike of don Carlos-Hugo de Borbón-Parma y de Borbón but everything with the refusal of the Netherlands Government to support the Carlist' pretender. At all costs the Government wanted to prevent that the Queen, who is a member of Government herself, would given the impression of a royal approval. The Government was aware that the Carlists would use the massive attention this royal wedding generated to promote their dream. The Government did not want to be involved in any struggle with Spain and has always backed don Juan de Borbón (the father of the present King of Spain).

That was the reason of the royal family's absence. For the rest don Carlos-Hugo found a warm welcome in Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard. Still today the Duke is a regular guest at all major events in the royal family.

[Marengo]

Edwin again, as posted by Henri M. on the Benelux royals MB yesterday (as I do not see the message here yet I repost it here, I hope you don't mind):

'Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn, the estranged spouse of Princess Margarita de Bourbon de Parme is candidate for an unknown (to me) party called the NKP (Nederlands Klokkenluiders Partij), I don't know how to translate it: Netherlands Bell-tollers Party?

A 'klokkenluider' (someone who is tolling the bells) is a synonym for a person who is making inside information public to nail an organization, for an example for fraud, chaos, illegal activities.
Picante: if Edwin succeeds in getting elected, he can become invited at Noordeinde Palace to advice The Queen on the formation of a new Cabinet.
The chances that Edwin will be elected looks minimal to me. There is a hard battle for the premiership between the present Premier Jan Peter Balkenende (christian-democrats) and the leader of the opposition Wouter Bos (Labour). This clash causes that people will vote strategically to get their favourite Premier instead of 'wasting' it to 'fun-parties'. '

[lucien]

Minimal indeed Marengo.The NKP("Whistle-blower Party")withdrew from the elections today,the ill "famous" EdRvZ nagging that it's almost impossible "to fight"the established parties,to much red-tape to go through,and above all,they got subsidised while new parties are not.......
(And thank goodness for that,imho).

Well,that was the end of that,what's next with this freakshow I wonder?

[Marengo]

That man really seems to lack ANY form of self reflection!

Next part? Maybe stalking? From what I read in de Telegraaf (newspaper) a few years ago he seems to have a record of that to.

[Henri M.]

Today the Amsterdam Court of Justice will declare for ended, the marriage between:

Dr. Edwin Willem Karel de Roy van Zuydewijn
(Amsterdam, 19 June 1966)

and

Her Royal Highness Princess Margarita María Beatriz de Bourbon de Parme, Countess de Colorno
(Utrecht, 13 October 1972)

With this and end has come over one of the most stormy marriages in today's Netherlands royal family.
The couple married on June 19th 2001, so the marriage did last 5 years and 5 month.

In the meantime the mother of Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn, mrs. Wijnande Eleonore van Gulden, has declared that it is not Edwin who ruïned Princess Margrarita as the media reports. It seems the other way round: the Princess has laid a claim on all Edwin's accounts and possessions, which are barred now for Edwin.

He stays in his mother's house and has no access to his possessions. Today mrs. Van Gulden will give an interview in the current affairs program 'One Today' and the program claims to show never seen documents which will back Edwin's statements that the royal family has structurally obstructed him.

Link: http://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/53006931/Moeder_De_Roy:_Edwin_is_geen_oplichter.html

[Henri M.]

The Amsterdam Court of Justice has declared the marriage between Edwin & Margarita ended.

Princess Margarita was the one who requested the end of the marriage, she made her request in August 2004, more than two years ago.
In March 2005 the Princess temporarily withdrew her request, for unknown reasons. Edwin has always fought against the requested divorce because he saw enough chances to heal the 'disturbed' marriage.

The Amsterdam Court of Justice thought that Princess Margarita had sufficiently made clear why she saw no grounds anymore for the continuation of the marriage. The Amsterdam Court of Justice agreed with the Princess' request and has declared the marriage for ended, this afternoon.

Edwin requested a monthly allowance of € 5.000,-- (appr. $ 6,500.--) from Princess Margarita because he claimed that -by acts and deeds of the Princess and the royal family- he was unable to find a job. The Amsterdam Court of Justice dismissed this request.

Last year Edwin requested the Amsterdam Court of Justice to enforce arrangements concerning access to his dog, who was taken back to the Netherlands by Princess Margarita when they separated. Also this request was dismissed.

On January 17th 2007 the Court will handle the final divorce arrangements.

Link: http://www.volkskrant.nl/binnenland/article367607.ece/Margarita_en_De_Roy_van_Zuydewijn_gescheiden?source=rss

[Marengo]

Though a divorce is always a sad afair, in this case it is almost cause to rejoice. Margarita must feel some relief that she finally got rid of that man.
And thankfully he does not get an allowance either.

Did you (Henri) see 1Vandaag? Anything worth seeing? I might watch the repetition, tonight.

[Marengo]

According to 'Metro' Princess Margarita will sue a journalist of the weblog witheet (www.witheet.nl) as he wants to publish a book about the marriage of Margarita and Edwin, also with the transcripts of the conversation between Queen Beatrix and the Princess. According to the sollicitor of the Princess this is private and serves no public cause.
Earlier this week the transcripts of the conversation were already published on the weblog itself. Curiously, the weblog is owned by Eric de Vlieger, a businessman who is involved the criminal circuit and who has recently been accused of extortion and blackmail. Earlier it was already reported that this businessman is one of the financers of Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn.
-
According to Metro, a high source in the palace said that they were scared that the tape of the conversation will be made public, as they feard something of a rap-song, with Beatrix voice saying 'Margarita er is een duiveltje in je gekropen' (Margarita a little devil has crawled within you).

Margarita also started a lawsuit against tv-programme Barend en van Dorp, earlier this year, for reading passages from the transcript. The judge ruled in favour of Margarita and the television statio had to pay 2500 euros damages (peanuts of course).

[auntie]

This Edwin person, definitly has a personality disorder, or a boardreline one!

[Marengo]

Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn featured in a television commercial for headhunter website Monsterboard.nl. In the commercial he is copying the interview that he and Margarita had on a red couch which was shown on RTL news. The couple denied marital problems and gave each other an akward kiss and hug. Just a few weeks later they split up.

Can this guy get anymore rediculous? He is now exploiting his own misfortune for money. I feel sorry for Margarita who is not totally able to close that horrid period in her life due to the behavior of Edwin.

In the mean time several advertisors withdrew from Monsterboard.nl as they found the commercial lacking in taste.

[magnik]

I thought that this story was more or less closed

[Marengo]

Sadly it is not, the guy makes appearances every now and then, but the total amount of his media exposure has been declining fastly. These days the serious press is not that interested anymore, but for entertainment programmes his excentricities can be interesting.

[magnik]

Sad but true.
None told him that he makes a fool by himself?

[Maxie]

Edwin will definitely make history.
As the saddest Dutch C-celeb that is...

[princess olga]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Edwin de Roy van Zuydewijn featured in a television commercial for headhunter website Monsterboard.nl. In the commercial he is copying the interview that he and Margarita had on a red couch which was shown on RTL news. The couple denied marital problems and gave each other an akward kiss and hug. Just a few weeks later they split up.

Can this guy get anymore rediculous? He is now exploiting his own misfortune for money.

Not to defend him but there aren't another thousand ways for him to make a living other than making a fool out of himself for clever advertisers who realize that if they put Edwin in an ad, it will certainly draw attention.

What I mean is: who else would employ this guy at this point? Edwin has to make a living after all. The DRF should have been wiser and given him some alimony on the condition he keeps his mouth shut about them.