Ten years ago this month, at the inauguration of King Willem-Alexander, nearly 80 percent of Dutch were in favor of the monarchy. But ten years later, only more than half of the population wants to preserve the monarchy. Confidence in Willem-Alexander as king, who fell sharply during the Corona crisis, is also not recovering. This is according to the annual NOS King’s Day survey conducted by Ipsos.
According to the king, the last 10 years flew by, but with what exactly? Royal correspondent Albert Bos guides you on three topics: Personal, Politics and Monarchy.
The king can count on the trust of almost half of the population (46 percent), which is about the same as last year. In 2020, that was still three-quarters of the Dutch.
The main reason for this decline is the excitement of the royal couple to vacation in Greece amid the Corona crisis.
Queen Máxima may have more confidence than the king (just under 60 percent), but her satisfaction with her performance has fallen in recent years from over 80 percent in 2020 to 64 percent in 2023. The vast majority believe that Willem-Alexander has added value during his ten-year reign and clearly left his mark on it.
Both the king and queen received a slightly lower grade than last year: 6.5 for Willem-Alexander and 7.3 for Máxima.
The sharp decline in support for the monarchy that began in 2021 is now balanced: 55 percent of Dutch support the monarchy, a slight decrease from the previous year. This support appears to be significantly higher among the elderly than among the young.
The decline in support for the royal family fits with a broader societal trend where institutions are receiving less support from citizens. It is noteworthy that the royal family has more trust (almost 40 percent) than national politicians (17 percent) and the media (23 percent).
Looking at the decade of royalty, the majority (60 percent) believe Willem-Alexander has grown into his role. Four in ten Dutch believe the king brings added value to the country and knows how to connect people, but many believe the royal family is discredited more often than under Queen Beatrix.
It is also noteworthy that the public’s perception of the king as “compassionate” continues to decline. Only 37 percent of Dutch believe this trait applies to King Willem-Alexander.
Princess Amalia can count on the sympathy and understanding of the public. Many see qualities that would later make her a good queen: “clever lady,” “dedicated and caring,” “close to people” are some of the responses.
At least three-quarters of Dutch will understand if Amalia has decided against the throne due to continued threats from the criminal environment.
Because of these threats, the princess still lives at home and cannot participate in student life in Amsterdam. More than four out of ten Dutch feel that the government must protect Amalia at all costs to make this possible.
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.