Holland’s Beatrix unconcerned by royal satire

20 January 2004

AMSTERDAM — Queen Beatrix has officially confirmed she is not worried about satirical imitations of the royal family, rejecting public concerns Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende raised in November.

Both Balkenende and Justice Minister Piet Hein Donner said imitations broadcast on television went too far and urged for comedians to show restraint. The Christian Democrat CDA ministers asserted that satire had a negative impact on the reputation of the royal family.

But the Queen — currently on a state visit to Thailand — reacted light-heartedly to questions on Tuesday from journalists who accompanied her to the South-East Asian nation. She said she had more trouble with the media, not satire, an NOS news report said.

Beatrix also spoke openly about the health of her mother, former queen Princess Juliana, who suffers from a type of dementia. Julia will be 95 on 30 April, Queen’s Day, and has not been seen in public for some time.

Having praised her in last year’s Speech from the Throne — when the monarch unveils Dutch government policy for the coming year — Queen Beatrix open-heartedly said on Tuesday that her mother was not improving. She also said Juliana is not very approachable, but is in good physical health. 

Meanwhile, the date for the christening of the Netherlands’ future queen, Princess Amalia — the daughter of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander and expatriate Princess Maxima — is not yet known, but will occur after the 24 April wedding of Prince Johan Friso and Mabel Wisse Smit.

The queen did not go into too many details about her 25-year jubilee anniversary, which will occur next year. She does not consider the event to be very important, but fears that other people do, she said.

[Copyright Expatica News 2004]

Subject: Dutch news