The Netherlands faces a serious conflict that could permanently change the relationship between the royal court and the media. A gentleman’s agreement that shielded the royal family’s private life for decades is now under threat after a series of provocative publications that not only sparked widespread public debate but also prompted the direct involvement of the head of state himself.
The spark that ignited this simmering conflict was a set of photographs of twenty-year-old Princess Alexia, the king’s second daughter. After official festivities in mid-September 2025, when all eyes were on the royal family, the princess allowed herself a brief respite from protocol. Paparazzi secretly captured the moment as she waited for a friend on the terrace of a local venue. Soon, a bright blue car arrived, driven by Antoon, a well-known Dutch rapper three years her senior. Days later, these images appeared on the cover of a popular Dutch magazine with a sensational headline, turning a private moment into a public story and causing outrage among many subjects.
This incident has cast doubt on a nearly twenty-year-old practice known as the ‘media code.’ This unwritten rule, introduced by Princess Beatrix and maintained by the current monarch, established a clear balance: journalists were granted unrestricted access to all official events involving the royal family. In return, the press pledged not to intrude into the private lives of the monarchs, particularly their daughters – Amalia, Alexia, and Ariane. To uphold this arrangement, the court organized special photo sessions twice a year, open to all media representatives. This model of mutual trust had long been considered exemplary among European monarchies.
The disruption of this fragile balance prompted King Willem-Alexander to speak out publicly. In a televised address to the nation, the monarch commented for the first time on the situation involving his middle daughter. He avoided giving a direct answer about the possibility of legal action against the publication, but his remarks were clear. The head of state emphasized that press freedom is one of the key pillars of a democratic rule-of-law state, an essential tool for ‘exposing abuses.’ At the same time, speaking as a concerned father, he called for responsibility and restraint, noting that such an important institution should not be used to invade personal privacy for financial gain.
