King William of Orange celebrates a decade on the throne on April 30 and plans to celebrate it with his compatriots on the eve of his 56th birthday, on the 27th of the same month. That day, he will invite a hundred Dutch people to lunch at Huis ten Bosch Palace, the royal family’s official residence, in The Hague, and preparations are already underway. To sit at a table with the prince and his wife, Queen Máxima, every citizen could nominate a person who is distinguished by their social commitment. It has not been possible to propose to family or friends, and a shortlist of 600 people will enter a lottery-like hype in a competition to be held in front of a notary. From there the final selection of the guests comes, and the initiative is well received: there are 9,000 candidates.
The application period expired this Monday and the sovereign wants to surround himself with anonymous people who have worked for others and are valued by those around them. People “who are able to calm down, solve everyday problems, help others, set an example, inspire or unite,” according to the palace’s official statement. The monarch himself started the call 10 days ago through a video posted on YouTube. Filmed in a relaxed tone, it shows Guillermo taking a call to help with a prescription. “ME? You’re sure. Okay,” he says, leaving his office on his way to the stove. While preparing a stuffed avocado with two chefs, the off-screen monarch explains that on his anniversary “he would like to thank the people who have earned a 10 for their service to others”. Later, the fountain with the avocado is shown in the palace room where the tables are being arranged, one of which is decorated to give the viewer an idea of what the appointment will be like .
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It is not the first time that William of Orange has wanted to surround himself with ordinary citizens at an official event. When the sovereign turned 50 in 2017, he invited 150 Dutch people to a dinner at the royal palace. He also did so by lottery, but in this case the requirement to appear and be one of the candidates to dine with the king and his family was to release a decade or five years to half a century; that is, live to be 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50 years old. The call had much more prestige than the current one, as 11,500 people signed up, although it is true that the candidates entered the list directly there, they did not nominate a third party.
King William of Orange and Queen Máxima toast at a dinner for 150 Dutch people to mark the monarch’s 50th birthday April 28, 2017 at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam. Patrick van Katwijk (Getty Images)
In the decade he has been on the throne, William of Orange has seen his popularity fluctuate, with a significant drop from 2020 after hovering by figures close to 80%. In December of the same year, 47% of citizens valued the king’s work, according to a survey published by the news program Nieuwsuur on public television (NOS). The criticism reflected the impact of his behavior during the pandemic. In particular, a holiday in Greece during the crisis, when the government had asked for restraint in their travels. The popular reaction prompted the kings to apologize on TV and there was a comeback in the polls. In 2021, he estimated a 57% increase. However, in 2022, the 47% percentage was repeated, according to the request from the same chain. In 2014, a year after his accession to the throne, 74% of Dutch people trusted the king.
Guillermo and Máxima de Oranien have just returned from an official visit to the Dutch territories in the Caribbean with their eldest daughter, Princess Amalia, 19. The tour was designed to introduce the young heiress to her compatriots overseas and was themed around two themes: colonial memory and the Dutch slave-owning past, and Amalia’s two-week change of scenery. The heiress lives surrounded by strong security due to alleged threats from organized crime, the so-called Mocro Mafia, which operates primarily in Antwerp, Amsterdam and Rotterdam, which have forced her to abandon her student life in the capital and leave the apartment, he shared his classmates to return to the palace and continue his university studies from home.
Kings Guillermo and Máxima of the Netherlands are visiting the Dutch Caribbean with their daughter Princess Amalia these days during their tour of the Netherlands. They left last Friday, January 27th, and the official trip ends two weeks later. During their stay, they have a busy schedule of activities that leaves curious images of the Dutch royal family. The picture shows the kings and princess dancing at the Bon Bini Festival in Fort Zoutman in Oranjestad (Aruba). Patrick van Katwijk (Getty Images)
On day four of the tour, January 31, the King and Queen of the Netherlands showed their more adventurous side with a visit to Arikok National Park on Aruba’s east coast. dppa (cordon (DPPA/Sipa USA / Cordon Press)
To get to Arikok National Park, which occupies 20% of the country, the Dutch royal family had to climb into a safari truck.dppa (cordon press) (DPPA/Sipa USA / Cordon Press)
On the same day, the 31st, the King and the heir to the Dutch throne also visited the Frans Figaroa sports complex to get to know the country’s young football talent up close. Guillermo de Holanda was responsible for tossing a coin to draw a lottery for which the team would start the game that was to be played. Albert Nieboer (cordon press)
The third act of the day was at an aloe vera plantation, where they learned about the process from the beginning of the plant’s growth to its multiple uses. They also met the company’s employees and took part in a workshop in which they transformed aloe vera leaves into personal care products such as creams or masks. Copyright Royalportraits Europe/Bernard Ruebsamen (Copyright Royalportraits Europe/Bernard Ruebsamen / Cordon Press)
Upon their arrival in Aruba on January 30, the King and Queen and their eldest daughter were greeted by thousands of people in a ceremony where a student orchestra provided the soundtrack and songs in Dutch and Papiamento (language spoken in the Netherlands Antilles will) performed. . Patrick van Katwijk (Getty Images)
The Dutch royal family, showered with gifts throughout the visit, try on glasses made by a local artist. Patrick van Katwijk (Getty Images)
During their visit to Aruba’s San Nicolan District, the kings and princess posed for photographs with local artists. anp (Cord (Remko de Waal/ANP/Sipa USA / Cordon Press)
It was also time for more official visits. The Aruva Parliament met with the country’s Prime Minister, Evelyn Wever-Croes, and the other leaders of the various political groups. dppa (Cordon Press) (DPPA/Sipa USA / Cordon Press)
On January 28th, the second day of the tour of the former Dutch colonies in the Caribbean, the family attended a windsurfing demonstration at Sorobon Beach, Bonaire. DPPA (CORDON PRESS (DPPA/Sipa USA / Cordon Press)
Princess Amalia during the demonstration of water sports practiced in the Caribbean country. Copyright Royalportraits Europe/Bernard Ruebsamen (Copyright Royalportraits Europe/Bernard Ruebsamen / Cordon Press)
The heir to the throne of the Orange Dynasty is accompanying her parents on such a journey for the first time to introduce them to their residents. Marked by the memory of the colonial past and its legacy of slavery, the journey coincides with two anniversaries: the 21st marriage anniversary of the sovereigns, celebrated in Amsterdam on 2 February 2002, and the decade that has passed since the abdication The Queen has passed Beatriz, mother of the current monarch, and with it the 10 years since Guillermo’s accession to the throne.anp (cordon press (Wesley de Wit/ANP/Sipa USA / Cordon Press)
One of the first stops on the tour was a visit to the Witte Plan slave huts, the natural salt pans on the island of Bonaire where they were forced to work. They are listed monuments and are a reminder that salt was extracted there in great heat and without protection.DPPA (CORDON PRESS (DPPA/Sipa USA / Cordon Press)
The Dutch family visiting the Witte Pan Salt Pan DPPA (CORDON PRESS (DPPA/Sipa USA / Cordon Press)
In the evening, the family attended the Taste of Bonaire festival, where the monarchs and the heiress showed their funniest side and even dared to dance in front of those present. DPPA (CORDON PRESS (DPPA/Sipa USA / Cordon Press)
In the evening, the kings and princess could taste the most typical dishes of the area. anp (cordon press) (Remko de Waal/ANP/Sipa USA / Cordon Press)