Dutch Royal House

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In the Netherlands, a distinction is made between members of the royal family and members of the Royal House. The royal family is the Orange-Nassau family, however not every member is a member of the Royal House. By Act of Parliament, the members of the Royal House are:

• the monarch (King or Queen);
• the former monarch (on abdication);
• the members of the royal family in the line of succession to the Dutch Throne
• the spouses of the above

[edit] Current members of the Royal House

• The Queen of the Netherlands
• The Prince of Orange, Prince Willem-Alexander
• Princess Máxima, wife of the Prince of Orange
• Princess Catharina-Amalia, daughter of the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima.
• Princess Alexia, daughter of the Prince of Orange and Princess Máxima.
• Prince Constantijn, son of Queen Beatrix
• Princess Laurentien, wife of Prince Constantijn
• Princess Margriet, sister of Queen Beatrix
• Mr. Pieter van Vollenhoven, husband of Princess Margriet
• Prince Maurits, son of Princess Margriet
• Princess Marilène, wife of Prince Maurits
• Prince Bernhard, son of Princess Margriet
• Princess Annette, wife of Prince Bernhard
• Prince Floris, son of Princess Margriet

[edit] Notes

• Members of the Royal House lose their right to succeed if they marry without parliament’s approval. This applied in 2004, for instance, when Prince Friso married Princess Mabel without Parliament’s official permission. It also applied to the marriages of Queen Beatrix's sisters, Princess Christina in 1975 and Princess Irene in 1964.

• Prince Pieter-Christiaan, son of Princess Margriet, lost his place as a member of the Royal House upon his marriage to Anita van Eij in August 2005.

• Once Prince Willem-Alexander becomes King, Princess Margriet's sons will lose their right of succession.

• Princess Máxima, the wife of Willem-Alexander, Prince of Orange does not hold the title of Princess of Orange as that title is only restricted to the eldest child of the Dutch monarch, regardless of gender.

• Although Countess Eloise, Count Claus-Casimir, and Countess Leonore, the children of Prince Constantijn and Princess Laurentien, are still in line for the throne, they are not members of the Royal House. This in contradiction to the rule, that those in line of the throne (with their spouses) are members. This is, because when the Prince of Orange assumes the throne, his aunt, Princess Margriet, and her children and grandchildren are removed from the line of succession (and therefore, the Royal House), as stated above. Removing them from the Royal House prior to the event will allow them more freedom in their lives.