The Royal Family of The Netherlands, Current Events Part 4 (May 2013 - present)


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Yes that was funny. They live on the Weteringschans, which is only 5 minutes away or so. It will take longer by car.

Nice that Princess Irene posed with her two daughters on the way out.
 
Nice to see Maxima and Mabel at an engagement together, though they didn't seem to be talking much with one another, unless they were at different parts of the event.
 
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The windmill association must be a very special patronage to Princess Beatrix. Her husband used to be patron of it and after his death it was the late prince Friso who took over the patronage.
 
How wonderful they attend this activity together. It's always special when (especially the older) royal siblings do an event together.
 
Yes it's nice that Beatrix and Margriet always attend this event together. ?
 
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They do not always attend this event together, usually only Beatrix attends the annual gala. This year the Dansersfonds '79 is celebrating its 40th anniversary and organized a special gala with special performances and prizes, that may be a reason why Margriet attended as well :flowers:


** ppe gallery **
 
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Yesterday Princess Laurentien was in the evening TV show on the commercial channel RTL 4. A few weeks ago her husband Prince Constantijn was in the evening TV show on the public channel NPO1. Both are "infotainment" programs (a combination of information and amusement), people seated around a table and telling about current affairs, a book, their charity, whatever.

I know this is 2020 and royals are no more far away, safely locked in Soestdijk Palace, but I long for more distance. Seeing Princess Laurentien, with the very best intentions (awareness about illiteracy) next to an "influencer" or an artist like Gerard Joling (known for quite queer jokes and jibes bordering vulgarity) is making a member of the Royal House like any celebbie.

And the nature of these shows is that the royal is asked "What do you think?" (about farmers protesting against strict pollution limits, about the Sussexes leaving the Royal House, about a paedophile giving a shocking interview on TV) and then the royals are "eh, uh..." talking with flour in their mouth, as is the Dutch saying (avoiding pitfalls).

In my opinion it is perfect that the brother and sister-in-law of the King have media presence for their activities, but I would rather invite the media at a Start Up - event, or have a documentary about illiteracy than 10 minutes of babbling about their topic (and then 40 minutes listening to a fashionista commenting on Academy Awards outfits, to a mayor warning for Salafist influences in muslim schools, to a crime fighter telling about an cold case of 25 years ago, Donald Trump's orange tanline).

If I was the media advisor to the King: please, be more restrictive in the sort of tv-shows. Queen (now Princess) Beatrix exactly had her distant reputation because of keeping the media at distance indeed. She knew the monarchy simply needs to difference from that fashionista puppet influencing on Instagram, seated left of Princess Laurentien and a artist almost choking about his own queer vulgar jokes and making jibes to the presenter, at her at her right side.

I do not understand that the royals do not have this antenna. Or maybe they have, but Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien probably want do downplay their royalty as much as possible: with the three princesses growing, they will automatically become less prominent.

But for so far Prince Constantijn is the most senior royal after the King and Queen. He will be the Regent over the minor Queen Catharina-Amalia in case something happens. May we expect some distance and decorum?

In Belgium one would never see Princess Astrid joining in a tv-show, or the Infanta Doña Elena in Spain. Unthinkable. That format does not fit and is hard to control. Imagine that the Princess is asked about the arch-difficult formation of a government in her country, or that the Infanta is asked anout Iñaki? Such a setting has an own dynamic. It is really strange that the Dutch Court has become so easy with this.
 
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I do not understand that the royals do not have this antenna. Or maybe they have, but Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien probably want do downplay their royalty as much as possible: with the three princesses growing, they will automatically become less prominent.

But for so far Prince Constantijn is the most senior royal after the King and Queen. He will be the Regent over the minor Queen Catharina-Amalia in case something happens. May we expect some distance and decorum

Queen Máxima will be regent if something was to happen to the king, not prince Constantijn.

Prince Constantijn and princess Laurentien will no longer be members of the royal house when Catharina-Amalia ascends the throne... A mistake imo (which they somewhat acknowledge by not stripping Margriet and Pieter of their membership) but that's the reality. So, I understand somewhat why they prefer to downplay their position.
 
Queen Máxima will be regent if something was to happen to the king, not prince Constantijn.

Prince Constantijn and princess Laurentien will no longer be members of the royal house when Catharina-Amalia ascends the throne... A mistake imo (which they somewhat acknowledge by not stripping Margriet and Pieter of their membership) but that's the reality. So, I understand somewhat why they prefer to downplay their position.

Yes I meant: when something happens to the King and Queen Máxima indeed.

By the way: Princess Margriet and Mr Pieter van Vollenhoven should not be members of the Royal House according the Royal House Act 2002. But that Act had no retroactive effect on existing situations (Princess Margriet's sons since 2002 until April 30th 2013 and Princess Margriet herself since April 30th 2013) because of "courtesy and prudence" for these (then) members of the Royal House.

But my point was the King's only sibling, and his wife, who are driving in a splendid horsedrawn Glass State Berline as part of an elaborate procession on Prinsjesdag, appearing in light infotainment tv-shows next to a contestant of The Voice or a producent telling about Tina Turner, The Musical. You understand what I mean.

It is very strange anyway: why are Constantijn and Laurentien seldom at State Visits, the New Year's reception or the Banquet for the Corps Diplomatique while we see (in theory "lower" royals) as Princess Margriet indeed?
 
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By the way: Princess Margriet and Mr Pieter van Vollenhoven should not be members of the Royal House according the Royal House Act 2002. But that Act had no retroactive effect on existing situations (Princess Margriet's sons since 2002 until April 30th 2013 and Princess Margriet herself since April 30th 2013) because of "courtesy and prudence" for these (then) members of the Royal House.

Exactly, it should have applied to Margriet and Pieter as well but they made an exception (at that point prince Margriet was still second-degree, she only became third degree in 2013 as you noted as well). So, I wouldn't consider it retroactively applied to all existing situations; because otherwise the same would apply to Constantijn who was also already a member of the royal house but he will be stripped of membership at some point in the future (unless Amalia becomes queen after his passing).
 
Exactly, it should have applied to Margriet and Pieter as well but they made an exception (at that point prince Margriet was still second-degree, she only became third degree in 2013 as you noted as well). So, I wouldn't consider it retroactively applied to all existing situations; because otherwise the same would apply to Constantijn who was also already a member of the royal house but he will be stripped of membership at some point in the future (unless Amalia becomes queen after his passing).

Yes, Prince Constantijn was born as a member of the Royal House and - in my eyes - falls under the not-retroactive effect of the new Royal House Act 2002. With other words: like his aunt Princess Margriet, he will remain a member of the Royal House until his niece Queen Catharina-Amalia abdicates in favour of the next generation. Practically said: Constantijn will remain HRH Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands, Prince of Orange-Nassau, for the rest of his life.

His aunt Princess Margriet is popular, well liked, approachable, but like her sister Princess Beatrix you will never see her in infotainment shows like DWDD, Jinek or Op1. Out of the question. Still this distance did not affect her popularity at all. I wished Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien would keep that wise distance as well.

Of course the rest of the extended royal family, like Maurits van Oranje-Nassau, van Vollenhoven or Jaime de Bourbon de Parme or Irene van Lippe-Biesterfeld... Allez... They are furtherer away from the King and there is no ministerial responsibility for their words ans actions.
 
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King Willem-Alexander has recorded a video message for the postponed presentation of the Four Freedoms Awards 2020 today:

Five awards are awarded each year to "organizations and individuals who have made a substantial, courageous and personal contribution to freedom in the world". This year the awards go to "Maria Ressa from the Philippines, Religions for Peace International, Sander de Kramer from the Netherlands and Leoluco Orlando from Italy respectively. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres receives the International Four Freedoms Award for the United Nations".


** Pic **


Princess Beatrix has watched the online ceremony from Castle Drakensteyn:


** Pic ** instagram **
 
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