The future queen of the Netherlands        

In a major step forward, Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte hypothetically stated his stance on homosexuality for the royals. He was of the opinion that any king or queen could marry a person of the same sex to ascend to the throne. It is to be noted that the Netherlands parliament acknowledged same-sex marriage in 2001. However, it was not applicable for the Dutch royalty as there would be no biological heir in the arrangement. As per BBC, Rutte’s remarks came on Tuesday as a response to a written question about “theoretical situation” from his party in the parliament and does not refer to the heir of the Dutch throne, who is a 17-year-old Princess Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria.





The crown Princess is Dutch King Willem-Alexander’s eldest child who has recently come under scrutiny due to a book named Amalia, Duty Calls over the last summer. The book argues orthodox laws and questions about the necessary solution may the situation of homosexuality arises in the royal family. “The cabinet does not see that an heir to the throne or the king should abdicate if he or she would like to marry a partner of the same sex,” his letter read. However, PM Marks’ statement did not indicate a possible wedding in the royal family any time soon since the Princess is about to turn 18 years old in December and join University. Notably, earlier last month, Princess Amalia, through a handwritten letter to the PM has also refused to accept the royal allowance she is entitled to as a student.





For the magazine’s July cover, it featured a photo released by the Dutch royal family showing Queen Máxima of the Netherlands and her and King Willem-Alexander’s eldest daughter Princess Catharina-Amalia, alongside a headline that, when translated to English, reads: “Maxima’s oldest daughter proudly wears her ‘plus-size’ look.” On the cover, it also included the subhead: “The harassed heir to the throne of the Netherlands faces criticism with force and with the support of her parents. A princess who goes through puberty without taboos and defends her figure of ‘real woman.'”





The Netherlands was the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage 20 years ago. But for the Dutch royal family, the rules were different: The government held that if an heir wanted to marry someone of the same sex, they would have to forfeit their right to the throne. That position changed Tuesday, when Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the Dutch princess, 17-year-old Catharina-Amalia Beatrix Carmen Victoria, could marry someone of any gender without fear of relinquishing the crown. The new stance is a clear break from the traditions of other royal families around the globe, including those that have avoided addressing the issue or disapprove of the practice outright. In the Netherlands, parliament must approve royal engagements. But Rutte, a longtime proponent of LGBTQ rights both at home and in Europe, said times have changed since the issue was last addressed in 2000.





The cover of the weekly magazine prompted criticism on social media, where people used the comment section on Instagram to call out the publication for its “harmful” description of the teenager. Now caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte has made clear any king or queen could also marry a person of the same sex. The heir to the Dutch throne, Princess Amalia, turns 18 in December. Mr Rutte said it was all about “theoretical situations” but the next queen could marry a woman. “Therefore the cabinet does not see that an heir to the throne or the king should abdicate if he or she would like to marry a partner of the same sex,” he explained in a response to a written question in parliament from his own party.





Two MPs from Rutte’s liberal VVD party then asked whether current restrictions on royal marriage met with the “norms and values of 2021”. But it remains unclear what would happen to the succession if there were children born from a same-sex royal marriage, for example via adoption or a sperm donor. “It’s frightfully complicated,” Rutte said.The Dutch constitution states the King or Queen can only be succeeded by a “lawful descendant”. Parliament would still have to give its approval to a royal marriage, with the PM later telling Dutch television, “Let’s cross that bridge if we come to it”. Princess Amalia is due to attend university next year and has declined the royal income she is entitled to while she is a student.