'Forbidden' Pictures of Máxima - Media Code Issue: April 2008

[Marengo]

This mediacode is getting rather rediculous. Apparently the pictures of Maxima wearing glasses in Argentina can not be published in the Netherlands without the RVD starting a lawsuit. The pictues of Maxima entering her hotel were in the 'private sphere' of HRH, and thus the mediacode does not allow publication.

Apparently ANP removed the photo's of Maxima with glasses from their website! Several Dutch papers also printed the photo, it is unclear what/if the RVD will do anything against them.

[Duke of Marmalade]

Originally Posted by Marengo

This mediacode is getting rather rediculous. Apparently the pictures of Maxima wearing glasses in Argentina can not be published in the Netherlands without the RVD starting a lawsuit.

Apparently ANP removed the photo's of Maxima with glasses from their website!

Don't they have more important things to do? Maxima wearing glasses, how shocking!

[Marengo]

The problem aren't the glasses, she could be wearing anything and there still would be a problem, since the pictures were fell under the 'private sphere'.

I think that it would be unwise for the RVD to pres this matter too hard, it will probably result in complaints about the mediacode, that it is too restrictive and such and if they don't watch out the entire code will crumble and fall apart (it only is there because the press choses to behave)

[Guido]

Originally Posted by Marengo

This mediacode is getting rather rediculous. Apparently the pictures of Maxima wearing glasses in Argentina can not be published in the Netherlands without the RVD starting a lawsuit. The pictues of Maxima entering her hotel were in the 'private sphere' of HRH, and thus the mediacode does not allow publication.

Apparently ANP removed the photo's of Maxima with glasses from their website! Several Dutch papers also printed the photo, it is unclear what/if the RVD will do anything against them.

Source: Algemeen Dagblad

I agree with you Marengo. This mediacode is so ridiculous and exaggeration. The PR advisers found out ridiculous mediacodes where there are lots of reasons to keep something secret .

[Duke of Marmalade]

Got your point Marengo, one can overdo everything. I could imagine other occasions that would mean a borderline situation in terms of violation of privacy but not this one. If Maxima considers wearing glasses private she shouldn't do so in public. Period. If the DRF can get away with these things, good for them. Not many royals would. I understand that they are always extremely alert when the children are involved but this case is simply ridiculous, sorry.

[Princess Maxima]

Originally Posted by Duke of Marmalade

. If Maxima considers wearing glasses private she shouldn't do so in public. .

Plus that in the photo she is smiling and waving to the photographer
Algemeen - Binnenland - De foto die Nederland niet mocht zien | bndestem
algemeen - Binnenland - Ophef over brildragende Máxima | Gelderlander

[Verde Esmeralda]

I agree Marengo. Plus, she is technically in a public space (at the hotel entrance, it is still "the street"!). It's not that they broke into her hotel room or took a pic of her with a superpowerful lens while she was sleeping or anything. She is entering a hotel, she is indeed waving at the photographer, and btw comes for official purposes to the country.

I believe they are just shocked to see their perfect Princess in glasses... otherwise this is not understandable.

[Empress]

Really, It was not all that private if she saw fit to wave to all the accumulated people and press.

[marmi]

This is taking it too far, IMO!

Maxima was doomed if she did and doomed if she didnt - this way she's "encouraging" the photos, if she didnt acknowledge them the you can imagine the headline that could come of it - she's "ignoring" people, not doing her duty properly la de da de da...

Easy for it to get out of hand!

[Marengo]

The entire episode gets a lot of press coverage (for what it is), even NOVA has an item on it. So quite the contrary to what the RVD hoped to achieve. Hands Jacobs of GDP press (and www.royalblog.nl) was interviewed about the matter. The RVD called GDP papers and they were angry, they even wanted a link to the picture taken away from the website.

Peter Rehwinkel defended the pictures/ GDP newspapers and wonders how private was this visit. The moment might be private but the background was her official visit to Argentina. He thinks that it would be logical if the Dutch associasion of journalists will protest against this curious demand of the RVD.

The odd thing is that the RVD did allow the pictures of Maxima and daughters in Wassenaar waiting for Sinterklaas. At the moment Máxima was facing some critisism due to her remarks on the Dutch identity, so the RVD could 'use' the sinterklaas image to clean up her image a bit (not that it was needed btw). So that they use the mediacode as they please is rather hypocritical.

Even the news of the public channel showed the picture on the 8 o'clock news and on their website (they took it of quickly too).

[Vanesa]

I share Marengo's opinion...That's ridicoulous. When I read the title of the topic, I asked immediatly to myself what kind of horrendous and pornographic pics did they take...Until I read the whole "glasses" issue. Oh! My!

Vanesa.

[Helena]

Everybody was talking about it at my work today and everybody says something like 'how rediculous they make such a problem of glasses' or 'don't they have more serious things to worry about'.

The point is the privacy part but most people fail to see that and just talk about the glasses.

I hope the code will stay intact though, the royals have a right for privacy too, but this is going too far.

[lucien]

If they,the RVD,make one exception then they will have to make exceptions in future as well.To prevent this from happening,voila.

In a week from now no-one remembers it anymore.

[Marengo]

Well, they made an exception already, remember the Sinterklaas pictures? They were probably welcome because Ma.áxima's image needed some polishing.

I think the press will resent this action actually, and that the 8 o'clock NOS news and NOVA actually had an item on this shows that the journalists won't be downgraded as the puppets of the RVD.

[marezdote]

I am always suprised at how strict the mediacode concerining Willem and Maxima is. I think it is nice that they have one so that if they are out they are not chased. However, I think it is silly to make a case out of a few pictures of her walking into a hotel by herself. She was waving and smiling to the photographers so how private could it be. I think that the RVD needs to be very careful about this because if the press feels too restricted they will probably decide the organized photo-ops are not worth the hassle over private pictures and decide to disregard the mediacode.

[Katrianna]

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't RVD want this to relate to the case that Princess Caroline of Monaco won in the European Court concerning privacy? A picture of Maxima and her daughters welcoming Santa is okay, but a picture of a Maxima waving to photographers while wearing glasses is not. I'm a fan of the Dutch Crown Prince couple, but they can't always play to the press at one moment then go against the next. Rather like the game the late Diana used to play.

[marmi]

Having the media code is a good thing, but this really seems to me to be getting out of hand. Maxima acknolged the press in a friendly manner, I dont see how there is any grounds for complaint by the RVD.

They were right to take action when the picture of Amalia was used inappropriately last year, and I remember that Maxima's camera was once stolen, but not any details about but thats irrelevent, because my point is that:

Yes - the media code is good, it is good that it allows the CP family their privacy, and protects them (along with regular legislation) from events such as the ones I mentioned above..... but enough is enough IMO

[Marengo]

Newspaper 'De Gelderlander', one of the newspapers that published the photo received hundres of comments from readers on their website. Most of them either start to nag about the costs of the monarchy (we pay millions for them so they should not nag) and the other half wonders why we are not allowed to see Máxima with glasses (while the glasses never were the issue).

All very bad PR for the RF, esp. considering it is the goodwill of the people that they rely on and the goodwill has been tested over the last months with one small incident after another.

[marmi]

Originally Posted by Marengo

Newspaper 'De Gelderlander', one of the newspapers that published the photo received hundres of comments from readers on their website. Most of them either start to nag about the costs of the monarchy (we pay millions for them so they should not nag) and the other half wonders why we are not allowed to see Máxima with glasses (while the glasses never were the issue).

All very bad PR for the RF, esp. considering it is the goodwill of the people that they rely on and the goodwill has been tested over the last months with one small incident after another.

You would think that that would be given some consideration, wouldn't you?!

[MissSaga]

It is COMPLELTELY ridicoulous.

I hope the Dutch Royal Court looses the case - that would teach them and their stupid mediacodes a lesson or two.

God, what an exageration !