King Willem-Alexander, Current Events Part 1 (May 2013 - October 2017)

[Duc_et_Pair]

It is just nasty. I think the King welcomes any discussion about the monarchy based on arguments. But just because someone who was picked up by the police during a demonstration againts "Black Pete" (helpers of the Dutch equivalent of Santa Claus) and shouted "F*ck the King!" now suddenly at every royal event the danger pops up that this pure insult has to be "accepted" because, tja...., aren't we all "Je Suis Charlie"?



The King was very wise anyway. He gave no comment on the matter and took the sharpness out of the debate by stating he would accept any outcome of legislation concerning crimen laesae maiestatis.

[An Ard Ri]

H.M.King Willem-Alexander hosts an audience for President Kikwete of Tanzania at Palace Noordeinde in The Hague on June 8th.

PPE

PPE Agency

https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/agenda...dent-tanzania/

[lucien]

Originally Posted by An Ard Ri

H.M.King Willem-Alexander hosts an audience for President Kikwete of Tanzania at Palace Noordeinde in The Hague on June 8th.

PPE

PPE Agency

https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/agenda...dent-tanzania/

Good!!So HM can ask that person where the money went to help stop poaching elephants,but then instead they were hunted and shot by the thousands...In Tanzania!!!....Africa.....

[iceflower]

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King Willem-Alexander received the Ambassador of Liberia, Isaac Wehyee Nyenbao II, and swore in new ambassadors in Den Haag today, June 10:



** anp gallery ** belga ** gettyimages gallery **


Later today he attended the 10th anniversary of the Garden of Reflection in Warnsveld, a memorial place for families and friends of police officers who were killed in duty:



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[iceflower]

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King Willem-Alexander attended the ceremony of the doden-appel (dead-appeal) during the 65th jubilee meeting of the Heutsz Regiment in Bronbeek, Arnhem today, June 17:



** refdagl.nl gallery ** ppe gallery ** anp gallery ** belga **

[Duc_et_Pair]

Prince Jaime de Bourbon de Parme is the King's Ambassador at the Holy See. In return the Pope has sent Mgr Aldo Cavalli, titular Archbishop of Vibo Valentia, as the Apostolic Nuncio in the Netherlands.

An unusual sight: a Catholic prelate inspecting artillerists from the 11 Detachement Field Artillery ("The Yellow Riders") from Arnhem on the front cour of Noordeinde Palace.

[iceflower]

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King Willem-Alexander attended the start of the 10th edition the Neighbourday in Harderwijk today, June 19:



** ppe gallery ** anp gallery ** dpp gallery: King Willem-Alexander starts 10th Burendag **

[Marengo]

Apparently the day had to start with a 'bang' . However the button didn't work.

Video:
Hilariteit bij koninklijke opening|Binnenland| Telegraaf.nl

Neighbour-day is a nice initiative that royals often attend. I remember a few years ago a tv-show checked with the neighbours of Queen Beatrix if she ever went for coffee with them or paid a visit. Unsurprisingly that was not the case .

[iceflower]

Well, it's better to never expect too much...

This morning, June 20, King Willem-Alexander met the Dutch sailing team Brunel that participates in the Volvo Ocean Race. The participating boats are on a short stop in the harbour of Scheveningen.



** anp gallery ** telegraaf.nl photos ** nos.nl photos and video **



In the afternoon King Willem-Alexander attended the celebrations for the Mary Louise Year in Leeuwarden and handed over the Golden Swipe (Whip) to the winner of the races with Friesian horses.



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[iceflower]

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On June 24 King Willem-Alexander attended the start of the website of the restoration and historical research of the Oranjezaal of Palace Huis ten Bosch, by the NWO and RKD at the Mauritshuis in Den Haag:



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And he swore in new ambassadors at Palace Noordeinde in Den Haag:


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Today, June 25, there was another ambassador ceremony at the Palace:



** anp gallery **



And in the afternoon King Willem-Alexander made a working visit to the district Hillesluis in South Rotterdam:



** anp gallery ** refdag.nl: Koning brengt werkbezoek aan Rotterdam-Zuid (fotoserie) **

[iceflower]

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King Willem-Alexander attended the 11th Veteransday (Veteranendag 2015) in Den Haag today, June 27.



** ppe gallery ** anp gallery ** anp gallery 2 ** belga **

[iceflower]

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King Willem-Alexander opened the multi functional centre De Heerd in Heerde today, July 1st:


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** dpp gallery: King Willem-Alexander opens De Heerd **


** refdag.nl gallery: Koning Willem-Alexander bezoekt tropisch Heerde (fotoserie) **

[iceflower]

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King Willem-Alexander attended a ceremony on the occasion of the celebration of 750 years of city rights for the city of Oudewater today, July 3:



** anp gallery ** refdag.nl gallery ** ppe gallery ** belga **

[iceflower]

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King Willem-Alexander gave the start signal for the Tour de France 2015 in Utrecht today, July 4:



** anp gallery ** belga ** ppe gallery **

[iceflower]

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King Willem-Alexander attended a part of the first day of the 50th Drenthe 4 Days of Cycling in Assen this morning, July 7:



** anp gallery ** belga ** ppe gallery **

[Marengo]

He is not the first royal to participate. Prince Claus joined the 25th jubilee in 1990 while Queen Juliana joined the 10th jubilee.

Koning fietst mee met Drentse Fiets4Daagse|Binnenland| Telegraaf.nl

[dazzling]

It's always nice to see royals taking part in such events, must be good for participants to see a king cycle past.

[An Ard Ri]

H.M.The King receives the credentials to the Ambassador of the Republic of El Salvador, the Ambassador of the Republic of Cape Verde and the Ambassador of the Republic of Fiji at the Noordeinde Palace.

https://www.koninklijkhuis.nl/agenda...erdie-en-fiji/

Belga

Belga Image - Editorial

[iceflower]

Here are some more pics of todays ceremony:


** anp gallery **



Later today, King Willem-Alexander opened the new facilities of the cheesefactory Royal A-ware and the ingredients factory Fonterra in Heerenveen.



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** dpp: King Willem-Alexander opens cheese factory Royal A Ware **



And yesterday, July 7, King Willem-Alexander made a working visit to the Bennekel district, a neighborhood with people of different backgrounds, in Eindhoven.



** ppe gallery ** anp gallery **

[Duc_et_Pair]

On the website of the NOS (the Dutch equivalent of the BBC) there is an article about the relationship between the King and the Prime Minister.

According the Dutch Constitution, the Government comprises of the King and the ministers. As the King does not attend the ministerraad, the council of ministers, he is informed by the Prime Minister. Picture: the King receives the Prime Minister in his office at Noordeinde Palace. As member of the Government and as chairman of the Raad van State (the highest advisory body of the Government and the supreme Court of Administration), the King receives all notes, reports, minutes, memos, etc. anyway.

I do not necessarily agree with Mr Piet van Asseldonk, the NOS journalist, but okay: he claims that the King and the Prime Minister, Mr Mark Rutte, both are of the same age, both have studied at Leyden University and both have read History there, enjoy a good relationship. Until now, no any negative sound has been heard about the relationship between the King and the Prime Minister.

In public, the King keeps himself far away from everything which is linked to politics. Also in his speeches and interviews. In this way he has not brought the Prime Minister in embarrasment.

On his turn the Prime Minister always and ever defends the King and Queen Máxima against criticism. The most frequent critics are about the costs of the monarchy. The consequence is that the head-of-state has an a-politic profile. Even so that he threathens to get the imago of "head of state for feasts and parties". In the longer term this might harm his authority and the prestige of the monarchy.

When the King started his kingship, he announced that he primarily wanted to execute the kingship as a ceremonial function. In the TV-interview at the eve of the Investiture, he told that "cutting ribbons" was not something to look down to because it is also a possibility to connect and to unite. Litterally the King said "So even the ultimate symbol of a ceremonial kingship, the cutting of ribbons, can be meaningful". In one breath he added to accept a fully ceremonial kingship: "When the legislative process has been democratic and according the constitutional rules, I accept everything. [...] and when my signature is needed for that, then I will set that signature."

With this statement not to express himself on political topics and to be an impartial head of state, the King has distanced himself from his mother's execution of her kingship. During her Reign, Queen Beatrix regularly did (indirect) political expressions. For an example about European unity, about environment policy, about standards in society and the wearing of a headscarf. In our society, where everything becomes politic, this has lead to murmurs and then a defence of those statements by the Prime Minister. After all in our constutional monarchy the Prime Minister is accountable for acts of the King.

The a-politic profile of King Willem-Alexander causes that he does not inflammate division and making political life for the Prime Minister harder than it is. But by even witholding him from any comment, even on topics which are not divisive, the King maybe does himself no favour. Attempts to encourage more cohesion in society by cutting ribbons probably will set an image that the head of state does not matter and is just "decoration".

That can not be the policy of Prime Minister Rutte. Except Prime Minister of all Dutchmen, he is also leader of the VVD (the Conservative Liberals), a party which is attached to the monarchy and thus to Willem-Alexander.




Obviously Mr Van Asseldonk has not looked to the other side of the North Sea, where Queen Elizabeth II has been perfectly a-political as well and it did not harm her monarchy...