The Netherlands: Love is love: Gay marriage possible for Dutch monarch

In the country that first legalised gay marriage, the Dutch crown princess has the right to marry a person of any gender without giving up her right to the throne, the prime minister said on Tuesday.

Crown Princess Catharina-Amalia, 17, has not made any comments on the matter, and little is known of her personal life. The question arose after recently published books argued that the country’s rules exclude the possibility of a same-sex royal couple.

Read more at: Love is love: Gay marriage possible for Dutch monarch - Metro US

Britain: The King and His Husband’: The Gay History of British Royals

Ordinarily, the wedding of a junior member of the British royal family wouldn’t attract much global attention. But Lord Ivar Mountbatten’s did.

That’s because Mountbatten, a cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, wed James Coyle in the summer of 2018 in what was heralded as the “first-ever” same-sex marriage in Britain’s royal family.

Read more at: Pocket

The Netherlands: Heir to Dutch Throne Waived Right to $1.9 Million Annual Allowance

Princess Amalia of the Netherlands, the heir to the Dutch throne, waived her right to her $1.9 million annual allowance.

Amalia, the Princess of Orange, is King Willem-Alexander's eldest daughter. She graduated from high school on June 10, and the royal family marked the occasion by hanging her backpack alongside the Dutch national flag at Huis ten Bosch Palace. Read more at: Heir to Dutch Throne Waived Right to $1.9 Million Annual Allowance

Britain: Leave the monarchy? In Barbados, that's just the first step on a long path to healing

An interview by Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, featuring accusations of racism against the Royal Family may have shocked some who watched it, but for Risée Chaderton-Charles in Barbados, it only sparked a sense of familiarity.

"The monarchy is actually built on a system of class that has been designed to exclude people of colour, so (Meghan's claims) were completely unsurprising to me," equality advocate Chaderton-Charles said in a Zoom interview from Christ Church, about 16 kilometres southeast of the capital, Bridgetown.

Read more at: Leave the monarchy? In Barbados, that's just the first step on a long path to healing | CBC News

Britain: Megxit: Harry and Meghan are doomed - by Dominic Green

Never mind World War Three. How about the implosion of the world’s most glamorous couple? Welcome to Megxit.

Harry and Meghan think they’re going to escape press intrusion and live a more meaningful life by ‘stepping back’ from the British royal family, but they’re in for a nasty surprise. 

Their lives are meaningful now because they are integral to the royal family’s rebranding for the 21st century. Any reduction in their royal-ness reduces them to second-tier celebrities, and any missteps in that crowded second-tier lead downwards to tabloid hell, which is as meaningless as life gets.

And while it’s true that the press pursue Harry and Meghan because they’re glamorous young royals, the near-sacred status of royalty is precisely what protects them against unlimited press intrusion.

"The only quick way out of a royal family is via the guillotine"

Read more at: Megxit: Harry and Meghan are doomed | Spectator USA

Britain - Brexit: could the Britsh Queen fire Boris Johnson

Read more at: 

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/royal-fascinator-politics-queen-meghan-british-vogue-1.5236861

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The Netherlands: Princes day: a well kept Dutch political tradition

King Willem Alexander and Queen Maxima

Today was Prinsjes Dag (Princes day) in the Netherlands.

The day on which the reigning monarch of the Netherlands addresses a joint session of the Dutch Senate and House of Representatives to give the speech from the throne (Dutch: Troonrede); setting out the main features of government policy for the coming parliamentary session.. It is somewhat similar to Britain's ceremony Re: opening of parliament.

Basically it has become a ceremonial day of the King reading a speech written by the PM and a lot of "pomp and glamour" with the ladies showing off their hats and a large public turnout.

Today was not any different, specially the great sunny weather made it fun to watch.

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The Netherlands: The King of the Netherlands Reveals He Has Been Living a Secret Life for 20 Years - by Jamie Bland

King Willem Alexander could be flying your plane

King Willem-Alexander—aka King of the Netherlands—recently revealed his secret life as a KLM Airlines co-pilot to the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf.

"I find flying simply fantastic," he told the newspaper. "You can't take your problems with you off the ground.

You can completely switch off for a while and focus on something else. That, for me, is the most relaxing part of flying."

For the past 21 years the King has secretly taken flight on the commercial planes and while very few have recognized him, he's had no trouble strolling through the airport in his pilot uniform going mostly unnoticed. In fact, unless passengers recognized the royal's voice via telecom, Willem-Alexander managed to keep his hobby and second profession completely under wraps...until now.

 

"The advantage is that I can always say I am speaking on behalf of the captain and crew to welcome them on board, so I don't have to say my name," Willem-Alexander further explained to the paper. "But then, most people don't listen anyway."

So what prompted the sudden reveal? Willem-Alexander is heading to training to fly Boeing 737s—the model of plane that is replacing the current aircrafts used by the airline company.

 

While it has been awhile since the king has been taking orders, he is excited to fly the new planes.

"It also seemed nice to fly to other destinations one day, with more passengers and bigger distances. That was the real motive for training on the 737," said Willem-Alexander.

Even with the new changes and public exposure, the king plans to keep up his hobby of co-piloting twice a month.

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The Netherlands: Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands to abdicate for son

In a pre-recorded address broadcast on TV, she said she would formally stand down on 30 April.

The queen, who is approaching her 75th birthday, said she had been thinking about this moment for several years and that now was "the moment to lay down my crown".

Queen Beatrix has been head of state since 1980, when her mother abdicated.
In the short televised statement, the queen said it was time for the throne to be held by "a new generation", adding that her son was ready to be king.

Prince Willem-Alexander, 45, is married to Maxima Zorreguieta, a former investment banker from Argentina, and has three young children.

He is a trained pilot and an expert in water management. Willem Alexander will become the Netherlands' first king since Willem III, who died in 1890.

Read more: BBC News - Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands to abdicate for son

Denmark: Tasmanian-born Crown Princess of Denmark gives birth to boy and girl - by Lucy Carne

Denmark's Crown Princess Mary has given birth to a boy and half an hour later a girl with both mum and babies are doing well, Prince Frederik reports. The twins join Mary and Frederik's son, Prince Christian, 5, and daughter, Princess Isabella, 3, in becoming what many royal watchers predict will be the most adored royal family in the world.

Prince Frederik says both babies are healthy and have dark hair like their mother.He said he was "very happy" and was hoping to bring his family to Australia "sooner rather than later".

For more: Tasmanian-born Crown Princess of Denmark gives birth to boy and girl | Perth Now