Titles of the Dutch Royals

[Tatiana Maria]

The law clearly states that Willem-Alexander will return to being 'prince of the Netherlands',

Which law clearly states that? The 2002 Royal House Membership Law did not, and the then government interpreted it (cf. previous post) as leaving open the possibilities: "Dit constitutionele beginsel neemt niet weg dat de titel Koning (Koningin) ook gebruikt kan worden als aanspreektitel voor andere personen die het koningschap niet (meer) zelf vervullen."

Edited to add: It just occurred to me that you may be referring strictly to legal titles - but Máxima, Mabel et al are living proof that usage of non-legal titles in the Royal House and Royal Family is alive and well.

 

[Somebody]

Which law clearly states that? The 2002 Royal House Membership Law did not, and the then government interpreted it (cf. previous post) as leaving open the possibilities: "Dit constitutionele beginsel neemt niet weg dat de titel Koning (Koningin) ook gebruikt kan worden als aanspreektitel voor andere personen die het koningschap niet (meer) zelf vervullen."

Edited to add: It just occurred to me that you may be referring strictly to legal titles - but Máxima, Mabel et al are living proof that usage of non-legal titles in the Royal House and Royal Family is alive and well.

Máxima, Mabel, Laurentien, Marilene, Annette, Anita and Aimée are all using courtesy titles which are based on their husband’s or late husband’s title - in line with regular practice within the nobility as well. Using the title of king when you are no longer the monarch but are a prince again is a completely different usage of a title you do not possess. Not within the normal realm of the use of courtesy titles.

My educated guess is that that would not go over well with the Dutch population. His mother, grandmother and great-grandmother were fine returning to the title of princess, so why wouldn’t that be good enough for W-A? - would be the sentiment.

Note: I don’t think W-A has any intention of retaining the title of king.

 

[SLV]

An interesting question is indeed how Máxima would be known if Willem-Alexander would die while he is still king. I expect her to go back to using her official title, which is princess of the Netherlands, but it could be argued that as a widow she might continue to use queen as courtesy title based on her late husband's (last) title.

Wouldn't she still be known as queen, like Queen Emma did? Without a husband who gave up his title, the wife wouldn't lose it either, I think.

 

[An Ard Ri]

The last Dutch Dowager Queen was Queen Emma.

 

[Stefan]

Wouldn't she still be known as queen, like Queen Emma did? Without a husband who gave up his title, the wife wouldn't lose it either, I think.

But then she hasn't it, but is only adressed as Queen by custom

 

[Tatiana Maria]

But then she hasn't it, but is only adressed as Queen by custom

That was the case for previous queens consort as well, I believe. The Civil Code derives from the principles of the French Napoleonic code, per which the name at birth is retained for life and married women were/are merely given the right to use the surnames and titles belonging to their husbands, rather than legally taking a new name or title for themselves.

 

[Tatiana Maria]

the other branches of the house of Orange also claimed the Orange title through female lines, so it would have been hypocritical if they objected to the Orange-Nassau female-line title inheritance (although hypocrisy is not exactly unheard of when it comes to title disputes…).

Which ones?

A lot of them.

The principality of Orange passed to female monarchs or through female lines numerous times before reaching the Nassaus. Princess Tiburge reigned over Orange in the late 12th century, and her daughter Tiburge’s son Guillaume of Baux succeeded as Prince of Orange. Their descendant Marie of Baux reigned as Princess of Orange from 1393 to 1417, and while Marie’s son was her heir, she named her daughter Alix of Chalon as the spare in her testament. Marie’s descendant Philibert of Chalon reigned as Prince of Orange from 1502 to 1530 and was succeeded by his sister Claude’s son René of Chalon.

https://fmg.ac/Projects/MedLands/provvaldi.htm#_Toc97476355

René of Chalon, Prince of Orange, never married, and he appointed his paternal cousin Guillaume of Nassau (“William the Silent”) to succeed him as reigning Prince of Orange. This broke the direct prince(ss)ly line and created the house of Orange-Nassau.

The Dukes of Longueville and other French nobles who descended from Alix of Chalon (the daughter of Princess Marie, mentioned above) disputed the Nassaus’ succession to Orange and asserted their claim to the Principality of Orange by right of their descent from Lady Alix.

Meanwhile, King William III of Great Britain and Ireland, reigning Prince of Orange, died childless. He appointed his paternal aunt Princess Albertine-Agnes of Orange’s son, Count Johan Willem Friso of Nassau (who was also distantly related to him in male line), to succeed him as Prince of Orange. Johan Willem Friso is the progenitor of the present-day Royal House of the Netherlands.

However, Princess Albertine-Agnes was not the eldest daughter of the Orange-Nassau family. Her older sister, Princess Louise-Henriette of Orange, had descendants who became the royal family of Prussia. Thus, the Prussian kings disputed the succession and laid claim to the Principality of Orange by right of their descent from Princess Louise-Henriette.

(All the claims were unsuccessful because the King of France conquered the Principality of Orange upon William III’s death, and it remains a part of France to this day.)

The Rank/Title of Prince in France