ANPPrincess Laurentien on King’s Day 2024
NOS Nieuws•gisteren, 17:45
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Bernice Willemsen
Political editor
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Bernice Willemsen
Political editor
On Wednesday evening, in the middle of the summer recess, the Ministry of Finance issued a remarkable statement about the (Equal) Worthy Recovery (SGH) foundation of co-founder Laurentien van Oranje, the sister-in-law of King Willem-Alexander.
The foundation is working in consultation with Finance on an alternative handling of the childcare allowance affair and complaints have been received about this collaboration. The statement states that “emotions have sometimes run high”. A “number of colleagues” from the ministry have reported this verbally. The name Laurentien and the number of reports are not explicitly mentioned.
The SGH foundation responded indignant and believes that Princess Laurentien has been put in a bad light by leaking officials and the media. This morning in the NOS Radio 1 Journal a spokesperson admitted that the discussions sometimes became quite heated.
To curse
The reason is a article in the Algemeen Dagblad about complaints of inappropriate behavior by Princess Laurentien towards civil servants, such as insulting people, not tolerating contradiction and reacting emotionally.
It is certain that things have not been going well between the foundation and the ministry for months, as reported by the NOS at the end of May. Laurentien, who has been involved with low literacy for years, has been on more slippery ground since last year: the handling of the child benefit affair.
It is – besides the Groningen gas extraction – the most painful dossier in The Hague. The third Rutte cabinet fell on it in 2021 and successive ministers have not yet succeeded in closing the dossier.
The ‘Laurentien method’
During the claims handling process by the (Equal) Worthy Recovery Foundation, affected parents can tell their story to volunteers (‘listening writers’) and fixed amounts are paid out on the basis of a conversation lasting several hours.
If someone is divorced as a result of stress from the benefits affair, for example, a standard amount is paid for this. Evidence, such as doctor’s statements, does not always have to be shown. Through the ‘Laurentien method’ parents receive more compensation on average than through the government’s own method.
Laurentien believes that Finance should be less complicated about rules and she is convinced of her approach. That provokes resistance. Civil servants, but also the then State Secretary for Allowances, Aukje de Vries, and the House of Representatives do not want to sign a blank check of billions of euros for victims of the allowances affair.
Officials also point out the susceptibility of the Laurentien method to fraud, because reporters can share their experiences without having to provide thorough evidence.
The princess sees herself as a fighter against injustice. In a lecture in June in Leiden she criticized the approach of civil servants with their nine-to-five mentality. She works through the evenings, just like her husband, Prince Constantijn.
“We don’t sleep enough”Laurentien said in her English-language speech to an enthusiastic audience. The princess is used to doors being opened for her, the allowance parents and volunteers of the foundation are crazy about her. Critical remarks from the ministry are seen as obstruction.
Reporter Royal House Albert Bos:
“Laurentien’s position is starting to get complicated, they see at the ministries, but also at the palace. Party leader Omtzigt of coalition partner NSC has also recently asked questions about the position of the members of the Royal House. This will lead to even more discussion about it.
In any case, you can ask yourself why the princess is no longer steering this project from the sidelines. But she wants nothing to do with it and now that these kinds of messages are coming out, it is starting to affect the monarchy. The question is when the king or Prime Minister Schoof will draw the line.”
So it is not only the method, but also the behavior of the princess that causes discomfort. The NOS has also received signals about meetings where raised voices, slamming doors and tears from the princess were discussed.
The sources want to remain anonymous because it concerns a member of the Royal Family. No one wants to use the word ‘crossing the line’.
The Laurentien method has now become the Laurentien issue. Although the members of the Royal House are free to choose their own activities, they are subject to ministerial responsibility.
What they say in public must be submitted to the relevant ministers. “The freedom of movement of a member of the Royal House is limited,” it says on the website of the Central government.
