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

[victor1319]

I am afraid I am not so optimistic. I expect this year, around King's Day, we will see the traditional extensive polls and for the first time the majority will sink below the critical mass: only a minority supporting the system of hereditary kingship.

Well, the future is inherently unknown, so, I hope not at least in the interest of us, the royal watchers here in the Royal Forums, that your assumptions will be not come true.

Generally speaking, I feel, the Dutch Corwn is safe, as safe as the Crowns of Belgium and Luxembourg (albeit the Letzeburgers have lost all powers recently). These Monarchies are nice traditions as well and the zeitgeist will be becoming more conservative soon.

I had always the feeling too, the Dutch love their Oranje Dag or whatever and it is hard to explain, why everybody is wearing this orange alarm color, without the House of Oranje.

 

[iceflower]

The Palace has shared two photos of King Willem-Alexander taken today with the caption:


** Pic 1 ** Pic 2 **

Every year, the King signs about 500 laws and General Administrative Orders and about 3000 Royal Decrees. All these documents must be signed by the King. It is not possible to sign documents by someone else on behalf of the King.

Further information has been shared here (translation).


Addition: Some additional photos can be found here: gettyimages gallery

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

In ye olde times ordonnance officers would travel to the King or Queen, when outside the country. For an example in Lech am Arlberg or in Porto Ercole.

These days the King -when outside- signs Acts and Decrees with an electronic signature, to assent it and enable enforcement. But when he returns in the Netherlands, still the original Act and Decrees will need his physical signature (and a physical contraseign of the minister taking this Act or Decree for his responsibility).

This is the lay-out of Acts and Decrees under Willem-Alexander: picture.

 

[Marengo]

Apparently the king and his family are flying to Austria today for another well-timed vacation.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1497180463869353989

 

[lula]

That a Head of State signs decrees or uses electronic signatures when abroad is nothing new or exceptional. Are the photos a way to show that although the king is on vacation in Lech he will continue to sign decrees? A world crisis, and they go on ski vacations, when a couple of weeks ago they were on vacation in Spain...

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Millions of Dutchmen are flocking to the South this weekend for mass-events (Carnival) or for their Spring Break. All these millions seem not to care about a war in Ukraine. But I agree: if the royal family is wise, they better abort their eventual plans.

 

[SLV]

That those people celebrate carnival does not mean they don't care about what is happening in the Ukraine. Staying home will not change it.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

That those people celebrate carnival does not mean they don't care about what is happening in the Ukraine. Staying home will not change it.

I am a Southerner and I can not imagine myself singing and dancing lalalalala while on tv cruise missiles hit civilians in a country bordering the EU.

But when Carnival is no problem, then the royal family can go to Lech?

 

[An Ard Ri]

Apparently the king and his family are flying to Austria today for another well-timed vacation.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1497180463869353989

Well timed indeed ,who on earth advises the king?

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Well timed indeed ,who on earth advises the king?

For so far I have not seen, heard or read that the royal family has left for Austria.

 

[An Ard Ri]

For so far I have not seen, heard or read that the royal family has left for Austria.

I hope they've had a change of mind.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I hope they've had a change of mind.

And/or the Prime Minister.

 

[An Ard Ri]

And/or the Prime Minister.

We will wait and see what happens.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

It seems the Government plane has landed and left Innsbruck 7 hours ago. No idea if the royal family was aboard. Another Government plane went to Base Aerienne 7 Villacoublay-Vélizy near Paris, we may assume that has no relation to the royal family.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Has it been established if the king and family are in Austria or if they stayed at home?

 

[victor1319]

I thought the Dutch King has no say whatsoever in the Dutch Foreign or Defence politics.

And now, that the Dutch Royals seem to behave, like their presence is not needed, since they have no role to play at all - That is a problem!

Interesting!

In my mind, sure, no holidays for the King! I see Royals as some kind of backup and not only morally. So, the have to act responsible and as if...

 

[iceflower]

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima have sent a message to the Dutch team for the start of the Paralympics in Beijing today:


** Twitter post **

The Paralympic Winter Games have started. While the world sympathizes with the people of Ukraine, our athletes are committed to a sporting event for which they have been preparing for years. We hope for great performances from #TeamNL. Good luck at #Beijing2022!

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I thought the Dutch King has no say whatsoever in the Dutch Foreign or Defence politics.

And now, that the Dutch Royals seem to behave, like their presence is not needed, since they have no role to play at all - That is a problem!

Interesting!

In my mind, sure, no holidays for the King! I see Royals as some kind of backup and not only morally. So, the have to act responsible and as if...

In fact no any royal has any operational say in foreign- or defence politics, with possible exception of the Pope (Swiss Guards). Apart from sending 200 Stinger air defence missiles, 50 Panzerfausts III anti tank systems with 200 missiles and an unknown number of sniper guns, the Netherlands are not involved.

Today it became known the Netherlands will send new items: an unspecified number of armoured vehicles, laptops, field hospitals with full equipment, bulletproof vests and additional missiles to Ukraine.

And that is it, no soldier is deployed, also no extra Dutch military as already assigned towards the NATO Quick Response Force in Eastern Europe. No role for the King as the Constitution says "The Government holds the supreme commmand over the armed forces". (Before 1983 it was "The King").

Has it been established if the king and family are in Austria or if they stayed at home?

No idea, nothing seen, nothing heard. But half of the nation was holidaying or partying (Carnival) anyway.

 

[Lee-Z]

Half of the nation does not have a rolemodel position ?
but it is clear that the W-A regards kingship a job as a government employee

but the dutch hardly care where he is, so why should we

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Half of the nation does not have a rolemodel position ?
but it is clear that the W-A regards kingship a job as a government employee

but the dutch hardly care where he is, so why should we

A role model? For whom?
Have Willem-Alexander, Beatrix, Juliana, Wilhelmina etc. ever been a role model?

 

[lucien]

A role model? For whom?
Have Willem-Alexander, Beatrix, Juliana, Wilhelmina etc. ever been a role model?

Yes,the first three way before you were born,and the invantion of asocial media...

 

[iceflower]

The overview of the Royal House for 2021 concerning engagements and activities has been released:



** koninklijkhuis.nl: Jaaroverzicht Koninklijk Huis 2021 ** translation **

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Yes,the first three way before you were born,and the invantion of asocial media...

Impossible that a Beatrix Wilhelmina Armgard der Nederlanden ever has been a "role model" for an Ellemieke de Vries in Groningen or an Yvette Jansen in Roermond. The lives of Beatrix, Juliana and Wilhelmina were so diametral different to that of any Dutch, that they hardly ever have been a "role model" for them.


Willem-Alexander's lifestyle is less distant to the more normal Dutchies but I can not imagine anyone has ever seen a "role model" in him. Not as adolescent, not as Prince of Orange, not as King.


But be my guest anyway, if there are woke people feeling shocked because their "role model" Willem-Alexander maybe has been in Lech last week: I wish them a good recovery to overcome their "shock", seeing their "role model" on skis.

 

[Marengo]

Let's get back on topic - which is not: over-analysing potential thoughts and feelings of imagined people that are identified as 'woke' by those who are instigating a paranoid culture war. Instead the topic is general news about the Dutch king, queen and their daughters.

 

[iceflower]

RTL Nieuws reports that King Willem-Alexander agreed that buildings belonging to the royal domain will be opened for refugees from the Ukraine:


** anp gallery ** rtl nieuws article **

 

[carlota]

i am so happy to hear that WA and maxima have made available het loo to house ukrainian refugees. i wonder how many families they can host there and what the hosting situation is like as i assume there's not enclosed spaces one can give to a family for example, my guess is that individual rooms will be provided to individual people? in any case, it is a very generous offer and it shows they are walking the walk! i also wonder what they will do as i assume there's many artifacts in the palace which may be easily breakable/fragile which is probably tricky with families with small children. in any case, a lovely gesture. hope other families follow suit.

 

[An Ard Ri]

What a wonderful gesture!

 

[TLLK]

i am so happy to hear that WA and maxima have made available het loo to house ukrainian refugees. i wonder how many families they can host there and what the hosting situation is like as i assume there's not enclosed spaces one can give to a family for example, my guess is that individual rooms will be provided to individual people? in any case, it is a very generous offer and it shows they are walking the walk! i also wonder what they will do as i assume there's many artifacts in the palace which may be easily breakable/fragile which is probably tricky with families with small children. in any case, a lovely gesture. hope other families follow suit.

One other thing to consider is the age and ability levels of the families/individuals to be housed there. If there are too many stairs or the doorways are narrow, it might not be the place for the elderly or those who are wheelchair reliant.



It is a wonderful offer from the Dutch royals to offer this historic residence to the refugees as temporary housing.

 

[iceflower]

The plans for the refugee accommodation, announced in March, have been made concrete:

From next week on Het Oude Loo will host 32 Ukrainian refugees. The garden around the castle will be "closed to visitors for the time being to offer privacy to the new residents".


** instagram post ** koninklijkhuis.nl: Slot Het Oude Loo opvanglocatie voor Oekraïense vluchtelingen **

 

[lucien]

The plans for the refugee accommodation, announced in March, have been made concrete:

From next week on Het Oude Loo will host 32 Ukrainian refugees. The garden around the castle will be "closed to visitors for the time being to offer privacy to the new residents".


** instagram post ** koninklijkhuis.nl: Slot Het Oude Loo opvanglocatie voor Oekraïense vluchtelingen **

The refugees have arrived two days ago,32 of them.