The king’s speech: Royal House releases video of the king apologising for Greek holiday

Following outrage both in the parliament and online, King Willem-Alexander has addressed the nation in a video released by the Royal House today. 

The king sits on a sofa next to Queen Máxima as he delivers an apology to the nation. In his speech he concedes that the decision of the royal family to go on holiday to Greece was “very unwise.”

The king takes note of the public’s opinion, saying, “Our trip to Greece has provoked strong reactions from many Dutch people. It hurts to have betrayed your trust in us.”

The king goes on to say that the family “feels connected” to all those who are struggling during these times. The video can be seen below.

Much controversy

The royal family have been under attack for the past few days ever since it was discovered that they had flown with a government plane to their villa in Greece. The family left on Friday but the king, queen and youngest princess returned to the Netherlands 24 hours later.

Princess Amalia and Alexia arrived back from Greece yesterday, provoking further criticism.

How do you feel about the royal’s recent trip? Let us know in the comments below! 

Feature Image: Richard Broekhuijzen/Wikimedia Commons/CC4.0

 

Accuracy, clarity, and a touch of humour — that’s DutchReview. Read our editorial mission.

Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
Sarah O'Leary 🇮🇪
Before becoming the Senior Editor of DutchReview, Sarah was a fresh-faced international looking to learn more about the Netherlands. Since moving here in 2017, Sarah has added a BA in English and Philosophy (Hons.), an MA in Literature (Hons.), and over five years of writing experience at DutchReview to her skillset. When Sarah isn't acting as a safety threat to herself and others (cycling), you can find her trying to sound witty while writing about some of the stickier topics such as mortgages and Dutch law.

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