He says on a podcast that he had an “out-of-body experience” at King Willem-Alexander’s inauguration, looking at the ten-year kingdom. The first three episodes of King’s Eyes, where he talks to radio DJ Edwin Evers, went live this morning.
The podcast is commissioned by the Government Information Service. Evers initially said the podcast was primarily about caring for the royal family of ten years, with less mention of the king’s private life than an interview.
“I stood there, sang Wilhelmus at the Nieuwe Kerk, and had a bit of an ‘out-of-body experience’, as if I was flying over me,” Willem-Alexander says of his inauguration ceremony in 2013. What are you doing? Who do you think you are?” King adds that he really likes this, as he still asks himself this question. “It makes sense to ask yourself every day: Why am I allowed to do this? It gives you an extra push to get involved.
A year and a half before ascending the throne, he knew for himself when he would succeed his mother. Until a month before the announcement, only Queen Beatrix, Máxima and herself knew about the succession.
In the podcast, the king also describes the MH17 disaster that occurred in the summer of 2014. Earlier in the year, he met with Putin at the Holland Heineken House in Sochi. He was criticized and his photos of him having a beer with the Russian leader were shared with interest on social media. Even then, the relationship between the Netherlands and Russia was under strain, due, among other things, to the mistreatment of a Dutch diplomat in Moscow and the chaining of the Greenpeace ship Arctic Sunrise.
“Of course, we did not know that a month later he would invade Crimea,” the king says during a meeting with the Russian president. “Nor is it that his soldiers shot down MH17 a few months later. Of course, if we had known, things would have developed differently.”
She says she felt “anger, pain, sadness” because of MH17. After the disaster, he met with his relatives several times. “Everyone said: At least you know what that means. You lost a brother.”
social media
King says he sometimes reads comments about himself on Twitter. “I found it difficult at first. But in the end you realize that it was a reaction. People welcome it easily, pleasantly and anonymously.”
He also does not protect his children from negative reactions on social media. “They see everything, read everything, hear everything.” Willem-Alexander doesn’t give any examples, but says what happened was “quite difficult” at times. “It’s so frustrating, especially when you’re a growing kid. Even if other kids ask you. Children have no filters. But on the other hand: This is the reality of our time, so you have to learn to deal with it.”
A new episode of Through the Eyes of the King is available every week on major podcast apps. The first three episodes are now playable.
Source: NOS

Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.