The inauguration of Willem-Alexander as king of the Netherlands will be attended by most of Europe’s heirs to throne. They share with the Dutch prince a common outlook and a common future. Crown Prince Frederik spoke about their shared interest in an interview for the biography ‘Willem IV’.
Of course there are differences, Crown Prince Frederik said. Denmark does not have the tradition of abdication or retirement like the Netherlands has. That makes the outlook for a Danish Crown Prince a different one.
Frederik was asked to describe the years he has to wait for the throne. He did not think of them as years of waiting but as years of preparation. “I am sure Willem-Alexander will agree with that. It is a possitive time. You can prepare but at the same time follow your own interests and gain experience in life. And that is very beneficial for a Crown Prince or Crown Princess.”
Willem-Alexander and Frederik meet each other a couple of times a year. They are good friends and discuss among each the challenges the young generation of heirs face. “We discuss topics related to our titles, the present, the future. It is interesting to find out how things are handles in a different country, we can learn from each other. That goes for Sweden and Norway as well”, Frederik said in the interview.
Frederik spoke about the advantage of having found in Crown Princess Mary a wife who did not grow up knowing what her future role or position would, just as Princess Máxima did not know what was in store for her when she met Prince Willem-Alexander. "We were also lucky our parents gave us the trust and freedom to follow our ambitions, to travel the world, to find the woman of our heart", he said about Willem-Alexander and himself.
Frederik and Willem-Alexander are concerned about the way modern media – mobile phones with camera’s for example – are far more intrusive these days than when they grew up. “It will be more difficult for my children and those of Willem-Alexander too. Of course we are thinking about that. We try to deal with it in a professional manner.”
© RoyalblogNL, Hans Jacobs; Source: Willem IV, van prins tot koning by Jan Hoedeman and Remco Meijer . Photos by © RB Marius Cirtiu, DPP Patrick van Katwijk
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