Whenever I see photos of the Dutch royal family, I’m always taken aback by how happy they look together. I’m sure the Dutch royals have issues too – everyone does – but they seem like a tight-knit, supportive family. King Willem-Alexander always seems so proud of his wife (Queen Maxima) and their three daughters, Catherina-Amalia, Alexia and Ariane. Again, there’s just such a stark difference between the joyful family togetherness of the Dutch royals versus, say, the Windsors.
These photos are described as the family’s annual summer photo session. It’s true, in The Netherlands, the royal family basically tells photographers to come on certain days and they’ll pose for happy family photos for as long as they want. Willem-Alexander and Maxima recently completed a state visit to Germany too, so this must mark the beginning of their family’s summer vacation.
Catherina-Amalia is the oldest daughter, the crown princess, and she just graduated from the Dutch equivalent of high school. She plans to take a “gap year” for the coming school year and I don’t believe that she’s announced her plans for the gap year, but she does have a university lined up, I believe. She probably hopes to travel and live out in the real world for a bit. We do know that she and her parents wrote to the Dutch government and asked to NOT receive her now-yearly allowance of roughly $2 million. She said she didn’t deserve it, she’s “uncomfortable” with the amount. Still surprises me!
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
Love the green pants. I used to have a similar pair and I miss them. Want!
I know! I’m really hoping that colored pants and cords are going to make a comeback if low rise and boot cut jeans are doing so.
They really are such a beautiful family and it’s very evident that there is a lot of love there. It’s very refreshing to see.
Each daughter looks so different from the others, but there’s still a family resemblance if that makes sense? They are just a lovely family all around and seem to really like each other, which is a nice change in royal family circles. I’d like to hear more about them, please!
I feel like the oldest and youngest look very much like WA’s family, but the middle daughter is the spitting image of Maxima. And I loooove her hair color.
What I love about this is that it’s not a formal portrait. They all look quite relaxed and casual. What a really good looking family. I hope that what we see in this photo is true and they are supportive of each other.
I love them. They just look so happy to be together.
Agreed. They clearly love each other, and are so happy.
Fingers crossed, this doesn’t make me think I can pull off green jeans, because I cannot, but I sorta want to try, immediately.
I think the Windsors insultingly refer to them as the ‘bicycling’ Royals. I find them refreshing.
Did they really? Lol where did u hear that? I mean shouldn’t the very environmental Windsors be taking tips from the ‘bicycling’ royals?
Lol, the racist royals think they’re better than royal cyclists?
@Merricat it would be sooo fun to se the look on their faces if king Harald of Norway brought his daughter and her shaman boyfriend for his next trip to the UK!
Of course!! Maybe fat head, rage monster, farting TOBB could take a few cues from them in regards to how to truly be royal, instead of being the worst royal worldwide? Take a lot of chutzpah to make disparaging comments about another royal family.
“Lol where did u hear that?”
It started with Margrethe II of Denmark in the 1960’s. She loves (or use to love) to cycle around and would travel everywhere she could on a bicycle.
Lol! What do they call the danish and norwegian royals? The running royals for the danes and the surfing royals about the norwegian?
Funny, seeing how the British are from the artificially creared House of Windsor, while the Dutch are from the House of Orange-Nassau, which has had deep ties to the Netherlands since medieval times.
If they want to act posh, at least back it up with a real posh royal house.
Ignorant Windsors. Literally everyone learns to bike in the Netherlands when they are 4. Everyone bikes everywhere!
You do know it was Harry who said that right? When Harry was younger he wasn’t the most politically correct and nice guy. Oddly, he was a bit like Prince Phillip in his talking. Glad he grew out of it. Google it and you will see what I mean. You have to get several pages in the googling with all the Sussex crap that is on there now, but it’s still there. I guess it just means growing up with that kind of privilege has it’s own kind of issues.
I like the Dutch Royal family and yes they always seem so chill. Granted they don’t have the popularity or notoriety of other royal houses so that might be why. I’m also a fan of Queen Rania and family from Jordan, although they obviously have issues too. It’s still hard for me to reconcile royalty is a good thing though.
@letitbe, Harry is not the originator of the term. Folks have been calling the Dutch royals (and the Danish and Swedish) royals the “bicycling royals” since I was a kid in the 80s. Highly doubtful that Harry coined its use when he was a toddler.
They are not co-ordinated in their colours (gasp!!!). They are lovely, happy, lively and they are a family.
British “Royals” need to take note at how to royal successfully.
She only declined the allowance after being criticized heavily about the cost. It’s a great PR move but was not genuine. Had no one said boo about the allowance I highly doubt she would have declined it.
Yeah, she was most likely advised to delay funding after the many missteps that the family made in the last year.
please elaborate…
There was a family vacation during covid that really upset alot of people. It was seen as tone deaf while so many were struggling.
@susie they went to greece during the height of the pandemic when other Dutch citizens were told not to travel. Then the king bought a really expensive yacht and got called out on that as well.
Reports came out that they spent 45 million euro last year and they got alot of negative press about it-hence turning down the allowance.
Right, but really, I am here for the living and learning of really privileged people, and this family has that in abundance. They read the room and corrected their course, as fully formed adults should.
If we were talking about The Other Royal Family of Salty Isle, they would all be sneaking things to the press, to shame their grandmother, father, brother, Other Brother, Other Brother’s Wife, and Meghan. And just for kicks, some reporter would hork up a quote from some part of Philip’s life, where he is being a gigantic douche, and then we could all read about how things are different, for different generations, and we should all applaud institutional racism, because old people are precious.
I’m not going to hold my breath that Wills and Kate are ever going to be this self-aware. There lies certain death.
ETA: We’ve been saying “boo” to Wills and Kate, and their overabundance of spending the Commonwealth’s coin , since the early aughts. Please enlighten me where they have changed their behavior, even slightly.
You get the sense that they are very close, the exact opposite to the Windsors.
Right? If someone told me this was an ordinary family out for a birthday lunch together I would believe it. It feels like they are a family but also royal, rather than a set of protocols, formality and rules that happen to be related.
Dare I say it, a royal family that looks well adjusted and HAPPY? I love seeing this family. Queen Maxima’s style always is a thumbs up because she has fun with it and OWNS the look.
I wish them all well. Good too see them looking so happy.
There’s been terrible flooding in Germany, the Netherlands and surrounding areas. Like, waist high water sweeping people, cars, and houses away. I’ve also seen a lot of Dutch and German neighbors helping each other, which was wonderful. I hope then RF can be a unifying force for their people.
Photos in the press and online of W-A and Maxima wading through flood waters and climbing on tractor-pulled drays through the water as they visit their people to see what help can be given.
On a superficial level, even in wellies Maxima looks glam!
Beautiful. That is how a RF should be – all about their people. Not just for a photo shoot.
So much to like about these pix!
The energy is pretty relaxed, and I very much appreciate that they’re not all color coordinated or dressed in a specific color scheme. I guess that’s why the pix are appealing to me.
Royals who love each other and are happy? What a concept, what a surprise! How wonderful.
They just look like a family to me. Like the dozens of family photo shoots that are all over my FB every fall. I say that with no shade – they just look normal and happy, outfits loosely coordinated with the bright colors and nothing clashing, but not matchy-matchy.
Compare that to the stepford image of some of the windsor family portraits….and it shows you that the problem isnt being royal.
I appreciate the non colour coordination, a modern, fresh family.
Shane the media bullies the CP for her weight. She looks very healthy. Royals don’t need to be size zero
They look normal and human
Hate to say it, but media is already saying Alexia is the “rebel” and funny one we have to keep an eye on. Do all royal families work like this?
I think it’s more that all media works like that.
Word.
I love the colors they used here too. It is rather joyful altogether, a little family rainbow of sorts, all distinct in personality & look but very much cohesive.
It’s a shame the Windsors family trauma prevents such a genuine display of warmth & family affection.
How refreshing! After daily diatribes that Elegant Bill is having another fit of rage this is really a breath of fresh air.
Beautiful family.
Also to those above comments about the terrible flooding my heart is with you. I live along the Mississippi river and I know the devastation flooding can bring.
But…but…but…WHERE ARE THE BUTTONS PEOPLE??????
How can you call yourselves “royal” without ALL the buttons?????
I love this Crown Princess! She’s gorgeous