Dutch Throne on Display for First Time as Monarchy Tries to Win Back Public

GUARDIAN EUROPE: Seat used during state opening of parliament takes centre stage in exhibition about royal power

The Dutch throne has been moved for the first time from the 13th-century Ridderzaal in The Hague to be displayed in an exhibition, as the Netherlands’ monarchy seeks to further open up to the public amid growing republican sentiment.

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De Vries laughed off any suggestion that the new exhibition was an attempt to reignite interest and support for the Dutch monarchy at a difficult time for the king, whose royal house has a €55m annual budget, making it one of the most expensive in Europe.

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An increase in republican sentiment in recent years can be tracked to an outpouring of anger at Willem-Alexander’s decision to take his family on holiday to Greece during the Covid pandemic in 2020, despite people being advised to travel as little as possible at the time.

Read the whole article » | Daniel Boffey, Chief reporter | Friday, October 20, 2023

Protester Being Prosecuted for Shouting 'F*** the King' Hopes to Call Dutch Monarchs as Witnesses

THE INDEPENDENT: The royal palace was spray painted with the insult in protest at the decision to prosecute

An anti-monarchy campaigner hopes to call the Dutch king and queen to the witness box, having been prosecuted for shouting “f*** the king” at a rally in Amsterdam last year. Abulkasim Al-Jaberi was arrested at a demonstration against Zwarte Piet for shouting “f*** the king, f*** the queen and f*** the monarchy.”

Al-Jaberi is due to appear in court in Amsterdam on May 27 after refusing to accept an out of court settlement including a €500 fine. The action taken against him has caused anger on Twitter and vandalism to the Royal Palace.

He is being prosecuted for lèse-majesté, a crime which specifically refers to offences against the dignity of the monarch, for which the maximum sentence is five years in prison. » | Louis Doré | Thursday, May 07, 2015

Dutch 'Sad But Not Shocked' Over Prince Friso Death

BBC: The royal palace in the Netherlands says Prince Friso, the younger brother of King Willem-Alexander, has died at the age of 44.

He had been in a coma since being buried in an avalanche while skiing in Austria last year.

Anna Holligan reports. (+ video) » | Monday, August 12, 2013

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Obituary: HRH Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: HRH Prince Friso of Orange-Nassau, who has died aged 44, was second in line to the Dutch throne until being excluded from the line of succession by his choice of a wife; for the past 18 months he had been in a coma after being buried by an avalanche at an Austrian ski resort.

In the summer of 2003 Prince Friso announced his engagement to Mabel Wisse Smit, a beautiful and intelligent blonde who was known for her work in the promotion of human rights. Soon afterwards, however, it was claimed that, 15 years earlier, she had been in a relationship with a Dutch mobster and international drug dealer called Klaas Bruinsma.

The claim was made by one of Bruinsma’s former bodyguards, who said that his boss and Mabel had been lovers — and that she had been the only woman allowed on board Bruinsma’s yacht. Miss Smit strenuously denied the allegations, saying that she had been merely an acquaintance of Bruinsma; she admitted that she had spent the night on his yacht on several occasions, but denied that there had been a sexual relationship, insisting that she had known him for only a few months and broke off contact after she found out how he made his money. They had, she said, shared a passion for sailing.

Miss Smit had been an expert on the Balkans at the UN, and promoted the cause of human rights for the Open Society Institute, funded by George Soros. She had been vetted by the Dutch secret service and approved as a suitable bride.

Shortly after becoming engaged, however, she issued a statement saying that she had known Bruinsma — who was shot dead in a gangland killing in 1991 — for a few months while she was a student, but had broken with him when she learned of “the practices he engaged in”. » | The Daily Telegraph | Monday, August 12, 2013

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Dutch Prince Friso Dies After Skiing Accident

Dutch Prince Johan Friso has died at the age of 44.

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Dutch Prince Johan Friso Dies After Skiing Accident Coma

THE GUARDIAN: The prince – once second in line to the throne – had been in a coma since February 2012, following fall in Lech, Austrla

Dutch prince Johan Friso, who went into a coma following a skiing accident in February 2012, has died, the government said on Monday.

"Prince Friso died from complications that arose as a consequence of the brain damage caused by oxygen deprivation following his skiing accident," the government said in a statement.

The prince, 44, was skiing off-piste in Lech, Austria, when he was buried in an avalanche. Rescuers pulled him from the snow, unconscious, 20 minutes later. He was resuscitated at the scene and flown to hospital, but remained in a coma for months.

Before the accident, Friso, the second of the former Queen Beatrix's three sons, had sometimes been known as "Prince Brilliant". He studied at UC Berkeley, the Delft University of Technology and Erasmus University Rotterdam, graduating from the Dutch universities cum laude, with degrees in engineering and economics. He later earned an MBA at France's prestigious INSEAD school of business. » | Agencies, Amsterdam | Monday, August 12, 2013

LE NOUVEL OBSERVATEUR: Décès du prince Johan Friso d'Orange-Nassau » | Thomas Escritt; Anthony Deutsch, Clémence Apetogbor pour le service français | lundi 12 août 2013

FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG: Prinz Johan Friso ist tot: Der niederländische Prinz Johan Friso ist gestorben. Der Bruder von König Willem-Alexander war im Februar 2012 beim Skifahren in Österreich von einer Lawine erfasst worden. Seither lag er im Koma. » | Von Michael Stabenow, Brüssel | Montag, 08. August 2013

VIDEO hier abspielen.

Dutch Royal Family Statement »

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