Millions of Dutch revelers took to the streets on Saturday to celebrate King’s Day, even as confidence in the king has reached an all-time low. Crown Princess Amalia was also there. She fled to Spain last year due to threats from the Mocro Mafia, and spoke publicly about that experience for the occasion.
King Willem-Alexander, who was allowed to blow out 56 candles on Saturday, is no longer as popular as he once was. This emerged this week from an annual poll by research agency Ipsos. Willem-Alexander may have lost some popularity after he went on holiday in Greece during the pandemic and flouted social rules.
Confidence in the king, who succeeded Queen Beatrix 10 years ago, has fallen to 46 percent this year, the poll showed, while support for the monarchy as a whole fell to 55 percent. Until the start of the pandemic in 2020, those rates had remained stable at around 75 percent.
Yet millions of Dutch people took to the streets to share in the celebration. Willem-Alexander was also pleased. “To be able to celebrate your birthday with your own family is of course the most beautiful thing you can experience,” said the birthday King Willem-Alexander today on King’s Day. “I’m glad everyone is back.” Last year, Princess Alexia was missing from the festivities in Rotterdam because she had to study for her exams in Wales.
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Crown Princess Amalia was also present. The Dutch Princess of Orange lived and studied in Madrid for a year, after serious threats from the mocromafia. She looked back on her year of study in Spain. There she found “more freedom” than was possible in the Netherlands. In the meantime, the princess lives again in the Netherlands. The time in Spain has made “life here somewhat possible again,” says Amalia. “I’m happy to be back.”
Queen Máxima said on Saturday that Amalia is an “independent, smart girl” who can handle the fuss well. The queen granted her daughter “the freedom and wings that you must give a child to develop itself”, although there was laughter and tears at Amalia’s departure.
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King Willem-Alexander had a good time in Emmen. He said this to a reporter RTV Drenthe. The municipality has been described for years as one of the least attractive in the Netherlands, but “I don’t think that is correct,” said the king. Queen Máxima added that Emmen has something magical, and that peace and inspiration can be found in nature.
Come on!
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said on Wednesday that the declining popularity of the royal family does not worry him. He praised their role in “uniting” the Netherlands. “Support will always vary, but that is not a cause for concern,” he said. “And 55 percent support? Come on! I think I’m at 20 percent.”
