King Willem-Alexander has not yet announced a second photo opportunity for this year, which means that the media will be dissed this Christmas. Why? “Because of those photos of Antoon and Alexia.”
It’s a nice trick from King Willem-Alexander that also works quite well: in exchange for two photo opportunities per year, the showbiz media leave him and his family alone during private moments. There has been one photo opportunity this year, but for the first time in twenty years there doesn’t seem to be a second one and the show press is anything but happy about that.
Not a second moment
Annemarie de Klunder, the royalty fan of RTL Boulevard, thinks this is really unacceptable. “It is really common for there to be two photo opportunities a year. In 2023 it also seemed that there would not be a second one. Then we made a bit of a fuss and there was eventually a second one, just before Christmas,” she complains. in the show section.
That’s not going to happen this time, she thinks. “I understand that next Friday the king and the family will leave the country, so yes, I don’t see it happening again in a week.”
Ugly Christmas tree
According to colleague Jeroen Snel, the Dutch people do not miss that much. “That photo itself doesn’t mean much. Two years ago with that hideous Christmas tree in front of the palace that only had lights hanging in it…”
“But it’s just the feeling, right, the idea… It’s a media code, an interaction, an agreement. We don’t bother them, especially not during holidays, and in return we see the family twice a year.”
Agendas full
Why aren’t they doing it this year? Jeroen: “Those agendas are full. Those princesses are adults and they roam everywhere. Alexia is in London, Ariane has a gap year and Amalia is busy. I think it is the princesses who say: is that necessary? Alexia is also very much in the spotlight.”
He continues: “It’s also stupid. They have to do it, because then they will be in the Privé, the Weekend, the Story again and that is good for their popularity.”
Antoon photos
Shay Kreuger, who is also an expert in something and is therefore in the studio, thinks it is because Privé has published photos of Princess Alexia with hit singer Antoon. “I have a bit of a feeling that we are being punished because of those photos with Antoon. That’s the first thing I think: oh, that’s the reason.”
Jeroen: “That could be the case. That had no further consequences for Evert Santegoeds, because no further lawsuits have been filed about it. It could be, but to punish the entire media with it is not fair. Willem-Alexander wants to hold out and really do two media moments, but I think it is the princesses.”
Anthony moment
Crime reporter Jermaine Ellenkamp thinks the king is stupid. “You provoke such an Antoon moment.”
Jeroen: “Yes, you can bet that the tabloids think: yes, they don’t give us anything, now we have carte blanche to do this.”
Boulevard host Bridget Maasland concludes: “We were also boycotted once in 2020, because we showed images of the musical Amalia played in, but they were simply released by a theater in The Hague. Conversely, they hold us to it.”