Frank Dane wonders whether it is a media strategy for King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima to be so busy in the month before their summer holidays. “Is this a strategy?”
Royalty fan Annemarie de Kunder does not hide her admiration. She points into it RTL Boulevard Please note that King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima are incredibly busy this month. “Recently they have had a lot of working visits and also many state visits in two weeks. That is really something that never happens.”
From Riga to India
Normally this is very nicely spread over the entire year, says Annemarie. “But now two state visits in two weeks, so they have a very busy agenda.”
“The queen has a very busy month, because at the beginning of this month she was in Riga, last week she was in London for a day, she is going to Houston this weekend for the World Cup and then she will also go to India at the end of this month for her UN work, all in addition to her working visits to the Netherlands and those two state visits.”
From Boeing to Airbus
And what about Willem-Alexander? What does he do? “The king is especially very busy in his palace. He receives ministers from the cabinet and he has also been very busy retraining from Boeing to Airbus. He obtained his papers on June 6.”
Fortunately, it’s almost time to rest, she continues. “Soon they can get some rest. They have between six and eight weeks of holiday, so that’s quite a lot, I think. Anyway, they really have a final sprint until that holiday and that final sprint looks intensive.”
‘I don’t have that luxury’
RTL Boulevard host Frank Dane is surprised. “They are everywhere and nowhere, Jeroen, the king and queen. I can remember that we have often stood here and we said: ‘Shouldn’t they do something more?’”
Royalty expert Jeroen Snel: “We will say that next month or in two months when they are indeed on holiday again for six to eight weeks.”
Aran Bade: “Hahahaha.”
Jeroen: “I don’t have that luxury, Aran. I have three weeks.”
Aran: “You approach it with a critical attitude.”
A strategy?
Frank distrusts the royal couple. “So this is a strategy this?”
Jeroen: “They have a very full agenda, but I think it is a bit of a coincidence and they also find themselves a bit busy, but they will never say that they are tired and they can get by with very little sleep. I always think that is very clever. Then they are somewhere in the morning and they have something private until late at night.”
Frank: “So this is the hustle and bustle before the holidays? That it’s piling up.”
Nice conclusion
Jeroen doesn’t think much of it. “Yes, we all have the last meetings before everyone goes on vacation, so that adds up.”
Frank: “It’s not a strategy, Jeroen, this?”
Jeroen: “No, no, no. That is a nice conclusion that you draw, like: oh, they are busy, but that is purely a coincidence and that is of course good for the image.”
‘She enjoys it’
It’s not a trick, says Jeroen. According to him, they really enjoy it. “That Máxima has been crazy busy and I don’t think she even remembers where she was last week. She really travels around the world, but there is also the psychological pressure. They were with Trump and that should also go well.”
“Two state visits and then they also had to have fun privately on Sunday evenings by watching football together. It’s intense, but Máxima enjoys it.”