Willem-Alexander - News and events 2022

[Principessa]

https://www.vorsten.nl/vo...fgesloten-met-bordesfoto/

Loosely translated as:


Sworn in new cabinet by king closed with platform photo

The swearing-in ceremony of the new cabinet by King Willem-Alexander has been concluded with the traditional photo on the platform behind Noordeinde Palace. Prime Minister Mark Rutte and his new cabinet members have left the palace and will hold their first council of ministers later in the day.

The process was different than in previous years, partly because of corona. First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Sigrid Kaag was missing from the photo, because she is in isolation due to a corona infection. Second Deputy Prime Minister Wopke Hoekstra (Foreign Affairs) stood instead of Kaag to the left of King Willem-Alexander. The ministers also kept 1.5 meters away from each other.


Sirens, whistles and honking cars could be heard during the landing scene. This noise protest, against the current corona policy, was previously announced on social media. There was a large police presence around the palace.

[Principessa]

Video message of WA about the Gouden Koets ( = Golden carriage):

https://nos.nl/index.php/...t-voorlopig-niet-gebruikt

In de link above you can find the video.

Loose translation of the text in the article itself:


......The Golden Coach is no longer used by the Royal House for the driving tour on Prinsjesdag or other official occasions. King Willem-Alexander announced this in a video message today.

"We cannot rewrite the past. We can try to come to terms with it together. That also applies to the colonial past. The Golden Coach will only be able to drive again when the Netherlands is ready for it. And that is not the case now says the king.

"There is no point in condemning and disqualifying what has happened through the lens of our time. Simply banning historical objects and symbols is certainly not a solution either. Instead, a concerted effort is needed that goes deeper and lasts longer. An effort that unites us rather than divides us.".....

[Principessa]

According to the news of January 17 King WA gets acquinted with the members of the Rutte IV cabinet.

Koning maakt kennis met ministers kabinet-Rutte IV
Nieuwsbericht | 17-01-2022 | 17:26

Zijne Majesteit de Koning heeft vanmiddag op Paleis Huis ten Bosch minister De Jonge voor Volkshuisvesting en Ruimtelijke Ordening ontvangen. Het betreft het eerste bezoek in een reeks van, al dan niet hernieuwde, kennismakingen met de ministers van het kabinet-Rutte IV.


King is introduced to the Rutte IV cabinet ministers
News item | 17-01-2022 | 17:26

His Majesty the King received Minister De Jonge for Housing and Spatial Planning at Huis ten Bosch Palace this afternoon. This is the first visit in a series of, whether or not renewed, acquaintances with the ministers of the Rutte IV cabinet.


Today he met Minister Bruins Slot of the Interior and Kingdom Relations at Huis ten Bosch in the context of a series of meetings with the ministers of the Rutte IV cabinet.

[Aubiette]

Love this. 

Secret project of the king! Volunteering in neighborhood centers in The Hague. Chatting and playing games with the elderly, cleaning up the library and recycling old appliances. Noteworthy: WA's activities were only disclosed last week. By Zebra Welfare, not by the RVD Crown
https://twitter.com/Menno.../1485372451441848326?s=20

[Cordelia Fitzgerald]

In smaller countries, like the Netherlands or Denmark or Belgium, do you think most people meet the King/Queen at some point at least once?

These are charming photos, Aubiette, and the number of people he's interacting with just got me to wondering 

[Gemsheal]

Love this. 

Secret project of the king! Volunteering in neighborhood centers in The Hague. Chatting and playing games with the elderly, cleaning up the library and recycling old appliances. Noteworthy: WA's activities were only disclosed last week. By Zebra Welfare, not by the RVD Crown
https://twitter.com/Menno.../1485372451441848326?s=20

It's an novel but worthy concept, for a King to do a little volunteer work.   I think everyone in the RF's around the world could give one day a month at least to volunteer work.       

[Principessa]

https://www.nu.nl/binnenl...ds-grootste-zeesluis.html

Loosely translated as:

King Willem-Alexander opens the world's largest sea lock in IJmuiden

Sea lock IJmuiden was opened last Wednesday by King Willem-Alexander. The largest sea lock in the world replaces the Noordersluis from 1929, which has become too small.

The new sea lock is 500 meters long, 70 meters wide and 18 meters deep.

After the sea lock has been opened, the king still talks with those involved, such as those who built the lock, local residents and the port companies involved.

Sea lock IJmuiden must provide space for the ever-increasing seagoing vessels. Construction of the sea lock, which is 0.5 kilometers long, started in mid-2016 and was completed last August. Since then, the new lock has been extensively tested and has been practiced with emergency services.

Not Sluisje McSluisface
A name election for the lock was held in November last year. Entries such as Irma Sluis, De Sluizenmoeder and Sluisje McSluisface did not make it.

It was previously reported that the lock would not bear the name of Irma Sluis in any case. That name was mentioned by several contributors, referring to the sign interpreter who has become nationally known through the corona press conferences.

To be able to name the lock after someone, that person must have been deceased for at least ten years or be a member of the royal family.

[Principessa]

Love this. 

Secret project of the king! Volunteering in neighborhood centers in The Hague. Chatting and playing games with the elderly, cleaning up the library and recycling old appliances. Noteworthy: WA's activities were only disclosed last week. By Zebra Welfare, not by the RVD Crown
https://twitter.com/Menno.../1485372451441848326?s=20

It's an novel but worthy concept, for a King to do a little volunteer work.   I think everyone in the RF's around the world could give one day a month at least to volunteer work.       

Indeed, but I think it would also be something for regular/common people. I have to confess I don't do volunteer work, because I don't have enough time left for it. Or not being available at the opted times.

In the past I have done some voluntary work via an organisation that had a flexible and diverse pool of volunteer work. I for example did a long walk (including socializing) with people of a nursing home (both mobile and in a wheelchair). It was so interesting, because these people had so much fun, interesting and impressive things to tell and share.

In later years I have done some work with/for the group which tries to green up & clean up our city neighbourhood. E.g. providing more spots of green (little streetgardens) and walking through the neighbourhood collecting street garbish.

What was oft impressive at these events was the group of people (men and women) from a local asylum center who came and volunteerd also. Apparently they wanted to interact with Dutch (local) people and have something useful to do.

[Princess MS]

Love this. 

Secret project of the king! Volunteering in neighborhood centers in The Hague. Chatting and playing games with the elderly, cleaning up the library and recycling old appliances. Noteworthy: WA's activities were only disclosed last week. By Zebra Welfare, not by the RVD Crown
https://twitter.com/Menno.../1485372451441848326?s=20

It's an novel but worthy concept, for a King to do a little volunteer work.   I think everyone in the RF's around the world could give one day a month at least to volunteer work.       

Indeed, but I think it would also be something for regular/common people. I have to confess I don't do volunteer work, because I don't have enough time left for it. Or not being available at the opted times.

In the past I have done some voluntary work via an organisation that had a flexible and diverse pool of volunteer work. I for example did a long walk (including socializing) with people of a nursing home (both mobile and in a wheelchair). It was so interesting, because these people had so much fun, interesting and impressive things to tell and share.

In later years I have done some work with/for the group which tries to green up & clean up our city neighbourhood. E.g. providing more spots of green (little streetgardens) and walking through the neighbourhood collecting street garbish.

What was oft impressive at these events was the group of people (men and women) from a local asylum center who came and volunteerd also. Apparently they wanted to interact with Dutch (local) people and have something useful to do.

Yes he shows up .... he and wife are entitled as you would expect..... so just a PR thing

[getafix]

so why doesn's WA have a mask on sitting next to the chap who does when he is opening all those canals?

G

[Principessa]

so why doesn's WA have a mask on sitting next to the chap who does when he is opening all those canals?

G

Good question.

perhaps the prescribed 1.5 meters distance?

[Pomme]

In smaller countries, like the Netherlands or Denmark or Belgium, do you think most people meet the King/Queen at some point at least once?

These are charming photos, Aubiette, and the number of people he's interacting with just got me to wondering 

Well, there are almost 17.5 million inhabitants in The Netherlands, (Belgium 11.5 million, Sweden 10 million, Denmark 5.8 million, Norway 5 million).

So let's say he'll do the job for 30 years, and do people-meeting every single week for those 30 years, he'd have to on average 'see' over 11 thousand people each week.
So, no, I guess not in The Netherlands. Similarly, Margrethe would have to meet 'only' 3,200 people each week.

[Principessa]

In smaller countries, like the Netherlands or Denmark or Belgium, do you think most people meet the King/Queen at some point at least once?

These are charming photos, Aubiette, and the number of people he's interacting with just got me to wondering 

Well, there are almost 17.5 million inhabitants in The Netherlands, (Belgium 11.5 million, Sweden 10 million, Denmark 5.8 million, Norway 5 million).

So let's say he'll do the job for 30 years, and do people-meeting every single week for those 30 years, he'd have to on average 'see' over 11 thousand people each week.
So, no, I guess not in The Netherlands. Similarly, Margrethe would have to meet 'only' 3,200 people each week.

17.5 already  , I was still thinking of 17 million. We are still going fast over here in NL.

The Netherlands is the 67th most populated country in the world. As of March 21, 2016, it has a population of 17,000,000. As of December 31, 2020 the Netherlands has a population of 17,474,677.

The Netherlands is the 16th most densely populated country in the world, and the 5th most densely populated country in Europe. The 17.4 million Dutch inhabitants are concentrated on an area of 41,545 km2 (16,041 sq mi) including water surface, the land surface being 33,481 km2 (12,927 sq mi). This means that the country has a population density of 521/km2 (1,350/sq mi). The density of 500 inhabitants/km2 was reached in the first half of 2014.


As a result of these demographic characteristics, the Netherlands has had to plan its land use strictly. Since 1946 the Ministry of Housing, Spatial Planning and the Environment has been occupied with the national coordination of land use. Because of its high population density the Netherlands has also reclaimed land from the sea by poldering.


Source: Wikipedia

[Cordelia Fitzgerald]

In smaller countries, like the Netherlands or Denmark or Belgium, do you think most people meet the King/Queen at some point at least once?

These are charming photos, Aubiette, and the number of people he's interacting with just got me to wondering 

Well, there are almost 17.5 million inhabitants in The Netherlands, (Belgium 11.5 million, Sweden 10 million, Denmark 5.8 million, Norway 5 million).

So let's say he'll do the job for 30 years, and do people-meeting every single week for those 30 years, he'd have to on average 'see' over 11 thousand people each week.
So, no, I guess not in The Netherlands. Similarly, Margrethe would have to meet 'only' 3,200 people each week.

Thank you for breaking it down like this; I guess it was a silly question when you do the math! 

[Principessa]

https://nos.nl/artikel/24...nwege-kwestie-zorreguieta

loosely translated as:


'Willem-Alexander threatened to give up the throne because of the Zorreguieta issue'

Willem-Alexander has threatened to give up the kingship in the run-up to his marriage in order to marry Máxima. The makers of the BNNVARA documentary A Porcelain Marriage conclude this from previously unpublished interview reports by Max van der Stoel and conversations with those involved.

A year before the wedding of Willem-Alexander and Máxima in 2002, a conflict arose between then Prime Minister Wim Kok, the Crown Prince and Queen Beatrix about the presence of Máxima's father Jorge Zorreguieta at the wedding. At the time, Minister of State Van der Stoel had the task of convincing Jorge Zorreguieta to stay away from the marriage.

Prince of Orange angry
According to the documentary makers, the notes show that Kok thought that Máxima's father could not be there, because he had been part of the civilian government during the Argentine dictatorship. When Prime Minister Kok told Queen Beatrix and Prince Willem-Alexander this, the latter was displeased. "Max van der Stoel notes: Prince of Orange angry", according to documentary maker Hans Hermans, who has seen the notes.

Beatrix then realized that the issue could have major implications for the future of the monarchy. From the notes: "I am grateful to you, consequences incalculable".

According to Hermans, the anger of the crown prince mainly focused on the prime minister. "You want to have the statement signed by the dots", Willem-Alexander is said to have said. The conflict comes when the future king wants to travel to Argentina to ask father Zorreguieta for the hand of his daughter.

"According to Van der Stoel's notes, the Queen says that she does not want that," says Hermans. According to the documentary maker, Beatrix thought that was too early. "At that time there was no certainty at all that the States General would agree, especially because of that past." And by law, marrying without consent automatically means you renounce your right to the throne.

So in love
According to Reverend Carel ter Linden, confidant of the royal family who will be interviewed in the BNNVARA program, Willem-Alexander was so in love that he was willing to give up the kingship. Ter Linden would eventually bless the church wedding in the Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam.