King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands They took advantage of numerous opportunities this year to take some time off. From a week of skiing in Lech, Austria, to an Easter vacation at their home in Greece, the royal couple enjoys different destinations. After fulfilling their duties as hosts during the State visit of the Kings of Spain and celebrating the Royal day, The monarchs once again cleared their official agenda to enjoy a few days of rest in Italy.
This will be the series about Máxima from Holland: point by point of what will be seen in the Argentine biopic
For this trip, the Dutch government funded a flight on the 737-BBJ model, valued at around 90 million euros, which made it possible to follow its route through flight applications. Journalist Menno Swart was the first to report that the aircraft had traveled from Amsterdam to southern Italy, specifically to Brindisi airport, in the Puglia region. Although Swart could not definitively confirm that the Kings were on boardthe absence of official events for Guillermo Alejandro and Máxima until Saturday, May 4 reinforces the idea that they could have been the passengers on the flight.
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Thus, this weekend, it was confirmed that the Kings of Holland are in Italy. An eyewitness who captured photos of the kings shared the images with Swart, who posted them on his social media pages. In the photographs, William Alexander can be seen dressed elegantly in white pants and a blue jacket, walking through Ostuni, known as the “white city” of Puglia.
According to the witness, the king was accompanied by several women, including Máxima. As we mentioned before, the kings have no commitments on their agenda until next Saturday, when they will preside over Liberation Day in Amsterdam. In addition, a concert is scheduled on Sunday night on the capital’s channels.
Coincidence or not, William Alexander and Máxima are enjoying their vacation outside of Holland while celebrating the eleventh anniversary of their investiture as kings. It was on April 30, 2013 when William Alexander ascended the throne after the abdication of his mother, Beatrice, becoming sovereign, and his wife, Maxima, queen consort.
Although the first years of his reign were relatively calm, they experienced a major crisis related precisely to a vacation. In October 2020, while the country was closed due to pandemic restrictions, the kings decided to take a private plane to spend a few days at their mansion in the Aegean. When the news was leaked to the media, they received great pressure and had to quickly return to Holland. In addition, they recorded a video apologizing to citizens.
We got him!
the king of holidays 🇮🇹
He was spotted in Ostuni, the white town (la città bianca) in Puglia.
The Holiday King is relaxing. Some rest after a busy week.
Brought to you by crew @KLM
PH-GOV is still on BDS. pic.twitter.com/iF6sQa4z0W— Menno Swart (@MennoSwart) April 30, 2024
Vacations, the headache of the reign of William Alexander and Maxima of Holland
Despite the apologies, it seems that they did not have the desired impact, as indicated by the results of a recent survey carried out by ‘EenVandaag’ among 26,000 citizens. According to the data, the Dutch show less and less support for the monarchy and a decrease in trust towards their king.
In 2013, the year of Beatriz’s abdication and the investiture of her eldest son, the monarch’s acceptance was at 75%. William Alexander managed to increase these figures in the following years, reaching 85% approval in 2018. However, after the scandal in Greece, his popularity began to decline. By 2021, his approval rating had fallen from 75% to 63%.
In subsequent years, these numbers continued to decline: in 2022 they had 54% support and in 2023 they increased slightly to 55%. In 2024, William Alexander registers 53% support, the lowest figure during his reign.