PR-INSIDE.COM: THE HAGUE, Netherlands - Dutch Queen Beatrix celebrated her 70th birthday Thursday with a low-key gathering of close friends at her palace nestled in woods on the edge of The Hague, while her subjects hung the national flag and orange streamers from their homes and public buildings. Despite the public shows of affection, her birthday comes at a time when a recent speech has sparked criticism for interfering in politics.
In her 2007 Christmas speech, Beatrix said: «Rudeness in word and deed tests the limits of tolerance. Discussions end up in rigid stances _ in that kind of atmosphere people are quickly grouped together and prejudices are accepted as truth. That erodes the community spirit.
Geert Wilders, leader of the far-right Freedom Party who has warned the Netherlands is in danger of being swamped by «a tsunami of Islamization» and is busy making a film in which he says he will portray the Quran as a «fascist book,» interpreted the comments as an attack on his party, which holds nine of Parliament's 150 seats.
Calling the comments, «multi-culti nonsense,» Wilders said the queen's duties should be limited to «cutting ribbons.»
Under the Dutch constitution, the prime minister is responsible for the queen's speech, and she cannot speak on her own behalf.
The monarchy also came under fire last year when the queen's daughter-in-law Princess Maxima, the Argentine-born wife of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander, said in a speech that there was no such thing as a single Dutch identity. Dutch Queen Beatrix celebrates 70th birthday with low-key party >>> ©AP
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