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

[Duc_et_Pair]

An overview of the last year by the Algemeen Dagblad.

The title is rather telling: A year filled with blunders: king has lost confidence by his own doing

And they pose the question: can the king restore the broken trust after the series of communication blunders of the past year?

In the article follows an overview:

- Greek vacation(s)
- ignoring sanitary COVID restrictions by shaking hands
- ignoring sanitary rules in Greece by posing maskless with a restaurant owner
- Speedboat
- Attending the Grand Prix and posing with prince Bernhard - while the entire cabinet was absent - which apparently led to frowned eye brows in the government and in parlament
- Closing of the crown estates for hunting

On the positive side: princess Amalia returning her dotation.


As for the future: two state visits to European countries are planned in october and november [note on the Warholm boards it is suggested that they will visit Norway in october] and as soon as the pandemic allows it the pair will be visiting the Dutch Caribbean.

Blessed is the nation when "scandals" comprise these futilities. Where is the corruptism, the nepotism, the favoritism, the bribery, the money laundering, the white-washing, the being open for favours in exchange for money, the over-exploitation of staff or the un-allowed spending of state money in all this?

Oh wait... was it all then? Posing with a Greek restaurant owner? Shaking hands in an overcrowded enthusiast The Hague neighbourhood? Buying a boat with his private money, to be used by his private holiday estate? Attending a F1 in the own backyard of Huis ten Bosch organized by his own cousin?

Felix Nederlandiæ !

 

[Marengo]

I don't think anybody has mentioned the word scandal but the article talks about [communication] blunders.

As said: no member of the cabinet attended the Grand Prix as they considered it too sensitive but apparently for the king his these sensitivities are of no concern.

All the blunders or 'blunders' together paint a picture of a king who is rather eager to benifit from all the perks of his function. Rightly or wrongly that is rather a different perception than the one of his mother and that image of jetsetter certainly will not benifit the monarchy. Of course the blunders on their own are rather futile indeed. The comparison with the neighbours from Belgium is rather telling, the Belgian king has not made even one wrong step [or communication blunder] since his enthronement, quite the contrary.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I don't think anybody has mentioned the word scandal but the article talks about [communication] blunders.

As said: no member of the cabinet attended the Grand Prix as they considered it too sensitive but apparently for the king his these sensitivities are of no concern.

All the blunders or 'blunders' together paint a picture of a king who is rather eager to benifit from all the perks of his function. Rightly or wrongly that is rather a different perception than the one of his mother and that image of jetsetter certainly will not benifit the monarchy. Of course the blunders on their own are rather futile indeed. The comparison with the neighbours from Belgium is rather telling, the Belgian king has not made even one wrong step [or communication blunder] since his enthronement, quite the contrary.

The monarchy will end anyway as the underlying trend of support for a hereditary succession is dropping since WWII. That trend was not different under Wilhelmina, Juliana and Beatrix, also under their reigns the trend was downward, no matter how perfect or how so not perfect they were. It was over 80% in the 1950's and it is under 60% now, nearing the critcial 50%.


Remarkably enough this larger downward trend is in all monarchies (the one more clear than the other), no matter how perfect or clumsy, how frugal or jetsetting, how communcative or how stoney-silent they operate.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

Interesting that most of the "confidence-losing communication blunders" were associated in one way or another with the covid-19 pandemic.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Interesting that most of the "confidence-losing communication blunders" were associated in one way or another with the covid-19 pandemic.

Yes, even the F1 was also COVID-related as open air concerts and festivals were not allowed but the Grand Prix Formula 1 (300.000 visitors) was allowed because it was a so-called "seated arrangement" without criss-crossing public.

This was felt as measuring with two different standards. But at the same time the Grand Prix was a HUUUGE succes (with a Dutch winner) with an almost King's Day feel ( picture ) and it would be most weird not to have the King visiting this race in practically his backyard.

The happy politically correct us-knows-us progressive incrowd grumblin' about this petrol-swallowing CO2-bursting orange mania and the King loving every bit of it.

 

[Michiru-Kaiou]

Yes, even the F1 was also COVID-related as open air concerts and festivals were not allowed but the Grand Prix Formula 1 (300.000 visitors) was allowed because it was a so-called "seated arrangement" without criss-crossing public.

Have people largely forgotten the Eurovision Song Contest with 3.500 people per night in the audience and that inside? Or is that too far in the past? And, as far as I know, there were test concerts in the Netherlands even before the F1 Grand Prix...

best wishes Michiru

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Have people largely forgotten the Eurovision Song Contest with 3.500 people per night in the audience and that inside? Or is that too far in the past? And, as far as I know, there were test concerts in the Netherlands even before the F1 Grand Prix...

best wishes Michiru

The Eurovision was in a period when the reproduction of the virus was lower. The Government thought: "we see the end of tunnel" and relieved the measures. Result: in mid-2021 the Netherlands sky-rocketed deep red on the European map. And as a result of that the Government became tough again but then made unlogic choices, like no concerts but yes a Grand Prix F1.

By the way: the confidence in the Government, the State, the Judiciary, the academic world, the institutions as a whole has polled all time lows. It is not that only the trust in the King is low. The COVID crisis, the climate crisis, the housing crisis, the pressure on the borders of the EU (migration crisis) all this together crumbles the trust in "the high folks up there in The Hague" and the King is one of them.

Best example: the formation of a new Government is an ongoing prayer without end. The endless outgoing status of Government causes inertia. The King is member of said Government. Until the last Cabinet of Queen Beatrix, it was always the King or Queen leading the formation of a new Government. Now the politicians do it themselves. But the hopeless inertia in The Hague has a fall-out on the King, who has zero comma zero to do with it, but shares in the general malaise.

 

[iceflower]

On the occasion of World Animal Day King Willem-Alexander has photographed "the newest member of the royal family": Mambo ?


** Pic ** instagram post **

 

[eya]

"The Feyenoord players who flew to Prague at 12 noon had a 'Royal flight' to the Czech Republic. None other than King Willem-Alexander was the co-pilot during the flight."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1463495241445646345

 

[Somebody]

"The Feyenoord players who flew to Prague at 12 noon had a 'Royal flight' to the Czech Republic. None other than King Willem-Alexander was the co-pilot during the flight."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1463495241445646345

According to the passengers he was making teasing remarks about Feyenoord from the cockpit (apparently, the king is a fan of Ajax while queen Máxima supports Feyenoord).

 

[Marengo]

Ah, and the supporters did not demolish the interior of the plane? That is a lucky escape. Let's hope they will leave the center of Prague in one piece as well, as supporters of the club are notorious for their vandalism and criminal behavior abroad.

 

[Somebody]

Came across this youtube-video (for foreigners learning Dutch - therefore, it has both Dutch and English subtitles) about the question 'Does THE Dutchman exist'? And of course, it started with probably Máxima second-most famous quote that 'THE Dutchman does not exist' (the most famous one imho would be 'he was a bit stupid' during their engagement interview).

One of the panelists said that Máxima was probably well integrated that she no longer saw the bigger picture but had started picking up the subtle differences; and therefore concluded that THE Dutchman doesn't exist.

 

[Blog Real]

New Photo of the Dutch Royal Family.

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=247793457444946&set=a.119689420255351

 

[iceflower]

The accompanying text says: „The holidays are approaching: time together at home again.“

 

[Somebody]

I wonder where that picture was taken; the background isn't familiar to me. Probably some kind of 'entrance area' towards their private apartment within the palace?

I am sure that especially Ariane is happy to have her sisters back home. Amalia arrived home some time ago after travelling to the USA as part of her gap year but I assume Alexia just arrived home today (or yesterday in the evening) for her Christmas break from school in Wales (in november Willem-Alexander and Máxima stated they had not been allowed to visit their daughter due to Covid-19-regulations).

 

[An Ard Ri]

I wonder where that picture was taken; the background isn't familiar to me. Probably some kind of 'entrance area' towards their private apartment within the palace?

I was thinking the same ,perhaps its a back porch?

 

[Somebody]

I was thinking the same ,perhaps its a back porch?

The wall looks like the one of the entrance (in the back) Máxima and Amalia used on Amalia's birthday earlier this week. Which must be some kind or side-entrance (to their private apartments as expected) in the back.

It could very well be the entrance area behind this door (although I wonder whether that door is at the front (previously it was white but they might have repainted it); which I don't think they normally use to go out and about).

In this picture from last year's photo call the private apartment is clearly visible (is it the main entrance? There are pillars but it seems to include a small step that is not in these pictures).

 

[Marengo]

I m not sure, the hight of the doors - with no additional wall space above - and ceiling indicates an oldfashioned storage space, which in the palace could be an entry of the souterrain.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

It indeed looks like an entry in a souterrain (an entrance slightly under floor level) which usually would have been a staff entry in ye olde days.

 

[eya]

Merry Christmas from the Royal Family!!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FHXV-wUXMAAArYD?format=jpg&name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FHXV-wTXwA4FCBv?format=jpg&name=large


The picture is from Queen Máxima's 50th birthday concert.

"Christmas is a time of traditions. At the Royal family it is tradition that on Christmas Eve the Christmas tree is decorated and the candles are lit. The King lights a candle in the family tree at Huis ten Bosch Palace."

https://twitter.com/x/status/1474435142563344384

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Merry Christmas from the Royal Family!!

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FHXV-wUXMAAArYD?format=jpg&name=large
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FHXV-wTXwA4FCBv?format=jpg&name=large


The picture is from Queen Máxima's 50th birthday concert.

That is a nice picture. I like how the pup watches the two black labs.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Its a really lovely family photo the dogs too make it even nicer.

 

[stunking]

Lovely family photo, dog lovers.

 

[eya]

Queen Maxima:

“Exercise is good for your physical but also for your mental health, especially if you can do it outside. Today, on Blue Monday, I take a long walk. You too?" – Maxima

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FJS3rvkXEAEwzyr?format=jpg&name=medium
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FJS3rvkX0AA4oRw?format=jpg&name=medium
https://www.instagram.com/p/CY05MTrMBiF/

King Willem-Alexander as bingo game leader during volunteer work in The Hague district center

https://twitter.com/x/status/1485287483701137419

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I am not sure what to think about it. The Queen posting a selfie on a dog walk. Must be the new normal....

 

[Marengo]

I suppose it is a kind gesture, drawing attention to mental health issues, considering the sad fate of her younger sister.

 

[Katymcwaity]

Yeah, it feels slightly off for some reason. Maybe its down to being restricted lately and not been able to get out and out?

I guess supprting mental health initiatives may take a different form to music in schools etc and posting on social media is the way to go?

I do love a walk myself and certainly clears my head.

 

[MsJulie]

If nothing else, the three pictures the Queen posted made me smile today. The world needs more to smile about as it’s been a “rough ride”. Thank you QM!

 

[Somebody]

The queen referenced "Blue Monday" (see Wikipedia for more information). Apparently, today is considered to be the most depressing day of the year.

 

[Somebody]

The Dutch royal family will discontinue the traditional photoshoot at the start of their winter holiday and the start of their summer holiday (see NOS; after reports from RTL). They intend to keep to offer two moments a year in which pictures of the family can be taken. The reason given is that they want to make sure that all 5 of them can be present for the photoshoot and this year Alexia will not be able to join them for the yearly skiing holiday in Lech because she is at boarding school in Wales.