Willem-Alexander, Máxima and Family, General News 4: Sep 2020- Aug 2023

[Denville]

I should say they'll be very cautious about Holidays this year...

 

[Somebody]

The prime minister already stated, in parliament, that it would be antisocial ('asociaal' in Dutch has a very negative connotation; as it typically used to refer to the scum of society) to go on winter sports. So, if they are smart, they won't - unless the government withdraws the urgent advice to not travel abroad until March (unless strictly necessary).

More specifically his words were:
"If you have the impudence to go on a winter sports holiday or to fly in the coming weeks, when you have no urgent reason to do so, it is just anti-social. You just shouldn't do that right now. There is a reason why there is negative travel advice."

 

[Alisa]

If they have any common sense they will cancel any plans for Lech. But common sense has long been a problem with the couple...

By the way, where do the couple stand for vaccination. Because of their royal status will the royal house be prioritized for getting vaccinated?

 

[Katymcwaity]

I think the ski resorts are all closed except for in Switerland at the moment so they couldn’t go if they wanted.

I think its a bit catch 22 whether should be vaccinated before others. I think if I was expected to visit places and people, I would hope to be done sooner rather than later. But presumably as they are youngish and healthy they would be far down any lists. They’ve said they are going to have them as it was announced in the week but I doubt they’ll announce when they actually get them

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I´ve read in a german magazine today that, besides the things mentioned before, many dutch people prefered the more "royal", a bit more reserved style of the then Queen Beatrix and that the King would compulsionary try to present himself and his family as "common", as people such as you and I - while at the same time being not.
They also claimed, it is criticised that the King was obviously trying to transform the monarchy from a constitutionally relevant institution with a "real" constitutional task into a somewhat mere symbolic, ceremonial royal house. I don´t know of course if this is true - it is just what I have read.

That is not what the King himself want. It is his own politic antenna, which failed under his mother Queen Beatrix whom met more and more resistance for her political role. It was under Queen Beatrix that the formation of new Cabinets excluded a role for the King. It was under Queen Beatrix that her Christmas Adresses drew fierce criticisms.

King Willem-Alexander, rightly, saw that there was no role anymore for a political King and steered himself to a "Swedish Model". In theory the Dutch monarch has a lot of powers. In reality he chooses a fully ceremonial role.

Personally I prefer the more distant kingship of Queen Beatrix. But the popularity scores of the King and Queen from 2013 to 2020: she could only dream about it. I feel many Dutch prefer the folksy, approachable and good-natured way the King and Queen act. For an example: babbling to reporters of Blauw Bloed or answering questions from journalists awaiting her: Queen Beatrix would never do that in her days.

Even the searing-in of a new Cabinet, meeting Ambassadors or opening palaces was met with resistance by Queen Beatrix. She thought it would take away the distance. King Willem-Alexander just puts all visitors on social media and has annu openings of the palaces (except Huis ten Bosch, which was opened for visitors when it was not in use as a private house).

If they have any common sense they will cancel any plans for Lech. But common sense has long been a problem with the couple...

By the way, where do the couple stand for vaccination. Because of their royal status will the royal house be prioritized for getting vaccinated?

For a pair with your claim that "common sense has long been a problem" they have enjoyed remarkably all-time high approval ratings for all these consecutive years.

It is communicated that Princess Beatrix (in her eighties) and the King and Queen will be vaccinated according general scheme laid out by the Covid Outbreak Management Team. None of them will request any preference and will follow the plan of their local GGD (municipal health services).

 

[Princess_Eleanor]

They are not stupid, they have already started to do damage control & I am rather certain that they will not make the same mistake twice. Not after what their Greece trip cost them in popularity - that was really quite significant.

It wouldn't easily be possible anyhow. Austria has been in lockdown since the beginning of November and we continue to be in lockdown for the foreseeable future. Hotels are closed and while many ski lifts are operating, it's for the locals really. We haven't had any winter tourism this season and realistically, there probably won't be any in February or March either.

 

[REAL COUNTESS]

Maybe they should have paid a fine, just like Prince Joachim of Belgium did, if I remember he had the virus when he flew to Spain to see his girlfriend. They already said sorry, only hope it was honest and learned a lesson. Being Royal can sometime be harder then anyone thinks.

 

[Denville]

I dont think they're stupid, but they are rather entitled, by the sound of things. And Im sure they are not so stupid as to make the same mistake twice iwthin a few months.

 

[Somebody]

Maybe they should have paid a fine, just like Prince Joachim of Belgium did, if I remember he had the virus when he flew to Spain to see his girlfriend. They already said sorry, only hope it was honest and learned a lesson. Being Royal can sometime be harder then anyone thinks.

What would the fine be based on? While it was irresponsible it was not illegal, so it's hard to fine people for abiding by the law but not following the government's 'advice'...

Prince Joachim is a completely different case. He broke the rules to which he committed upon entering Spain.

 

[Michiru-Kaiou]

In the middle of a pandenic where thousands of Dutch men and women have lost their jobs due the pandemic, the King goes and buys 2 million Euro speedboat.

Willem-Alexander's actions are "beetje dom".

Yeah, and in doing so maybe a couple of people can still feed their families. Really, this is exactly the time rich folk SHOULD buy stuff like crazy, instead of sitting on their money. That won't help anyone. To the contrary.

best wishes Michiru

 

[Denville]

Tehy dont have to sit on their money... They can donate it to charity, and make it work to help people... rahter than buying a rich man's toy..

 

[tommy100]

I actually agree that people who can should be spending their money now, economies around the world need it especially in small and mid size "local" businesses.

However, as we've seen with WA and Maxima before, they sometimes forget they are not just millionaires but King and consort and that brings responsibilities with it. Its not a case of black and white especially when you are King.

 

[Somebody]

Parts of an interview from 1995 with the then prince of Orange are published in a book commemorating 50 years of the newspaper NRC Handelsblad. At the time queen Beatrix wanted some parts changed and the newspaper refused. In the end the interview was never published... The contested parts are Willem-Alexander's answers to a question about whether a united Europe would be the end of the monarchy (to which he answered that it seemed unlikely that Europe would end up fully united into one country as the cultural differences are quite large) and an answer about his faith 'I am not really a church-goer' - he expressed the same sentiment 2 years later in a tv-interview but at that time added that while he might not attend church regularly, he is a convinced believer.

In the same interview he berates the general media for printing stories that were previously published in tabloids; because people don't take those tabloids seriously but once respected newspapers print that same information (especially about his love life - a few months prior his relationship with Emily Bremers made headlines because of a car accident) suddenly it is believed by the general public.

Links in Dutch: NRC Handelsblad and NOS.

 

[SLV]

Sounds interesting.

 

[Muhler]

Parts of an interview from 1995 with the then prince of Orange are published in a book commemorating 50 years of the newspaper NRC Handelsblad. At the time queen Beatrix wanted some parts changed and the newspaper refused. In the end the interview was never published... The contested parts are Willem-Alexander's answers to a question about whether a united Europe would be the end of the monarchy (to which he answered that it seemed unlikely that Europe would end up fully united into one country as the cultural differences are quite large) and an answer about his faith 'I am not really a church-goer' - he expressed the same sentiment 2 years later in a tv-interview but at that time added that while he might not attend church regularly, he is a convinced believer.

In the same interview he berates the general media for printing stories that were previously published in tabloids; because people don't take those tabloids seriously but once respected newspapers print that same information (especially about his love life - a few months prior his relationship with Emily Bremers made headlines because of a car accident) suddenly it is believed by the general public.

Links in Dutch: NRC Handelsblad and NOS.

Interesting.
Frederik said something similar in an interview around the same time, about having doubts about his faith. (That has since changed BTW.) That caused quite a stir in some areas here in DK, because the Danish monarch is also head of the State Church.
I don't know for sure whether Frederik and King W-A were friends back then. They certainly have become friends and have probably discussed many things including their faith.

- Apart from that. I too doubt EU will ever become a nation. Too many differences, too many cultures, too many tribes. So EU will not be the cause of European monarchies falling. In that I certainly agree with him.

 

[Somebody]

Interesting.
Frederik said something similar in an interview around the same time, about having doubts about his faith. (That has since changed BTW.) That caused quite a stir in some areas here in DK, because the Danish monarch is also head of the State Church.
I don't know for sure whether Frederik and King W-A were friends back then. They certainly have become friends and have probably discussed many things including their faith.

- Apart from that. I too doubt EU will ever become a nation. Too many differences, too many cultures, too many tribes. So EU will not be the cause of European monarchies falling. In that I certainly agree with him.

Willem-Alexander never said something about 'doubting' his faith but has been quite clear about not being a regular church-goer; and he did not do his public confession at the expected age of about 18 but about 10 years later - because he didn't want to do it purely because of tradition but because he wanted it to be his personal decision. For several years he did have regular meetings with a group of university friends led by rev. Carel ter Linden.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

This was Willem-Alexander during an interview 25 years ago. I think this was at Noordeinde 66 in The Hague, his private house back then. Who is the ancestor behind him? The fashion hints to Willem VI Frederik Prince of Orange, Fürst of Nassau-Dietz, later King Willem I of the Netherlands, Grand-Duke of Luxembourg (1772-1843). It is an unknown portrait to me.

https://images.nrc.nl/PzsA0CzUmEaw9...nl/bvhw/files/2021/01/data66751697-83dcc5.jpg

Noordeinde 66, now a pied-à-terre for Princess Beatrix, under maintenance:
https://haagspraak.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/20131203_31471.jpg

 

[Lee-Z]

Not surprisingly when remembering the commotion about their previous holiday

The royal family will not go to Lech, Austria, during the spring holidays, the Government Information Service confirmed on Tuesday.

In doing so, they are following the advice of Prime Minister Mark Rutte not to plan any holidays abroad until the end of March. The Oranges would also not be welcome on the snowy slopes. As part of the corona measures, Austria has opened the ski areas only to its own residents.


https://www.nu.nl/achterklap/611398...vakantie-in-lech-wegens-coronavirus-over.html

google translated

 

[An Ard Ri]

A wise decision.

The Austrians are also handing out hefty fines to non residents who are caught at ski resorts during the lockdown.

 

[Alisa]

I don't think the Austrians would fine the Dutch King and his wife given that his family has been vacationing there for decades.

Nevertheless, it is a wise decision to lay low.

 

[PrincessofEurope]

Are there any plans for celebrations for the 50th birthday of the Queen?

 

[Somebody]

If there wasn't a pandemic, they would organize a large celebration. However, given the mistakes they made earlier I expect them to be very careful with any plans.

 

[Blog Real]

On Instagram:

"More than 20 years later, same place. Enjoy on the ice!" - WA

https://www.instagram.com/p/CLRpTxXHd-E/?igshid=xee3cyf9gjx9b

 

[SLV]

*big sigh*
Marvelous

 

[An Ard Ri]

Would be a perfect time to take the 2021 Christmas Card photos with the wintry weather.

 

[Alisa]

Cute! I'm guessing that is where WA proposed!

 

[TLLK]

What a wonderful idea!

 

[Somebody]

Cute! I'm guessing that is where WA proposed!

No guesses needed It was already known that he proposed while ice skating on the pond in the garden of Huis ten Bosch; I am sure he picked the exact same spot for this picture 20 years (and two weeks) later.

Máxima recalled that it was rather cold that day and that she was looking forward to the second part of the Dutch ice skating tradition (hot chocolate).

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I did not know there was a tea pavilion at Huis ten Bosch as well. What a nice setting.

 

[principessa]

I hardly could recognize Maxima.

But what a nice picture and a nice memory from one of their biggest days.