The day after her 18th birthday, the future queen of the Netherlands Amalia entered the Dutch Council of State on Wednesday, the highest advisory body of the government, where she automatically sits after reaching her majority.
It's a new phase, I realize, the crown princess told Dutch public television NOS after an extraordinary meeting of the Council of State, officially chaired by her father King Willem-Alexander. This phase seems slightly different from my peers, she added. But we knew that for eighteen years that this would happen.
I realize how little I know about the tasks of government, the evaluation of laws, the functioning of the administration and the function of the judge, Amalia also conceded. The fact that Amalia is now a full member of the Council of State is her first official position as Crown Princess. But the position is largely ceremonial in nature: although Amalia can now attend meetings of the advisory division every Wednesday afternoon, she does not have the right to vote. King Willem-Alexander is, according to the Dutch constitution, president of the Council of State, which is also the country's highest administrative court in certain areas. But while he presides over the institution, he is not involved in its content.
In a biography published in mid-November, the eldest of King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima's three daughters said she would ask her mother to temporarily take her father's place on the throne if he were to die suddenly. The celebrations surrounding Princess Amalia's birthday follow a series of missteps by the Dutch monarchy during the pandemic, which severely damaged its popularity. In October 2020, when the Netherlands had just declared a partial lockdown, the royal family was forced to cut short a vacation in Greece, following an outcry when details of the stay were made public.
But in a sign that the younger generation is trying to adapt, Amalia waived her right to an annual income of 1.6 million euros in June before assuming royal duties.
