The sister-in-law of the King of the Netherlands and his foundation face accusations of “inappropriate behavior” toward staff at the Finance Ministry where he works.
Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, who is married to King Willem-Alexander’s younger brother faces scandal revealed by Dutch newspaper ADVERTISEMENTalleging that his foundation, The Equally Worthy Recovery Foundation, has created an alleged “culture of fear” among public officials due to a “pattern of intimidation.”
The Dutch newspaper accused the foundation’s unnamed staff of “emotional reactions, insults and not tolerating contradictions,” and claimed that despite officials reporting the behavior, no changes were made, according to the paper. The times of Holland.
Laurentine set up the foundation in the wake of the Dutch childcare subsidy scandal, which came to light in 2021 after thousands of families were wrongly accused of child welfare fraud and faced financial ruin.
In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for The Equally Worthy Recovery Foundation said the complaints were a “personal attack” on Laurentien.
Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands (pictured) and her foundation, The Equally Worthy Recovery Foundation, have been accused of creating a “culture of fear”.
The Finance Ministry confirmed receipt of the complaints, agreeing that “emotions have sometimes been running high” and that “a number of our colleagues” had reported this verbally, but did not comment on whether the allegations directly mentioned the princess.
The Ministry of Finance has no plans to comment further on the matter, as the allegations were submitted to it in confidence.
The foundation’s efforts to help parents affected by the scandal were also acknowledged and appreciated by the ministry, with a representative adding that they are confident that the collaboration will continue to help those affected.
In 2021, a childcare benefit scandal came to light in the Netherlands, with up to 26,000 innocent parents left financially ruined after being unfairly forced to repay tens of thousands of euros in a crime dating back to 2012.
Some were targeted for minor paperwork errors such as mismatched signatures, while up to 11,000 were subjected to additional scrutiny for holding dual nationality, leading to allegations of systemic racism.
The scandal prompted Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who had been in office since 2010, and his entire cabinet to resign. Rutte called the affair “shameful” and announced at the time that “the responsibility lies with him” after a crisis meeting of his four-party coalition cabinet.
Princess Laurentien created her foundation to support victims and help determine their path to recovery from financial ruin.
Following AD’s “personal attack,” the royal and her foundation are said to be considering legal action against the paper if the allegations are not rectified, according to NL Times.
The royal, pictured with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima in April, faces accusations from Dutch newspaper AD
Pictured: King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Queen Máxima of the Netherlands, Princess Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands and Prince Constantine of the Netherlands on the balcony of Noordeinde Palace on Prinsjesdag on September 19, 2023.
The editor-in-chief of Dutch newspaper AD said the outlet stands by the claims.
The foundation’s spokesperson agreed that times have been “emotional” and “heavy,” saying: “The foundation regrets that those involved from both organizations have experienced the process as emotional and heavy at times,” according to NL Times.
Laurentien is the wife of Prince Constantijn, the third son of the former Dutch queen, Beatrix, 86, and Claus von Amsberg, and younger brother of the current Dutch king, Willem-Alexander.
Laurentien and Constantijn were married in May 2001 and the blessing took place in the Grote de St Jacobskerk in The Hague.
The royal couple lives with their children, Eloise, Claus-Casimir and Leonore, in The Hague.
She serves as an official member of the Dutch Royal House and is a patron of several societies, including the Centre for Expertise in Disability and Studies.
Princess Laurentien is photographed with the then Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, at Clarence House in 2013
This comes after Queen Máxima of the Netherlands was encouraged to watch her country compete in the mountain bike cross-country finals at the Paris Olympics in July.
The 53-year-old European monarch and her husband King Willem-Alexander, 57, stood on the sidelines to watch the women’s race and did not hide their enthusiasm.
The royal couple were accompanied by their daughters Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange, 20, and Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, 19.
Dutch runner Pieterse Puck came in fourth with a time of 1:29:25, losing by just a few minutes to the United States, Sweden and France, who took gold with Ferrand Prevot Pauline.
Watching from the sidelines, Máxima wore a stunning floral dress to complement the generously bright and sunny weather.
The modest multi-coloured floral dress helped keep the queen cool in Paris’ seasonally warm weather.
She paired the look with trendy sunglasses, long sunset-colored earrings and a bright orange cap in the colors of her home team, the Netherlands. She added a pair of trendy sneakers underneath the hem of her airy dress.
Also sporting a Dutch national team sun hat was Máxima’s husband, King Willem-Alexander, who also wore a matching shirt to show his support for his country.