As much as the Dutch Monarchy is anchored within the Nation,it might be odd to others that the Dutch never really have been Monarchists rather then Orangists.
(Note:I have to stress that that has absolutely nothing,nothing,to do with Northern Ireland!)
It was/is mainly the respect for the House of Orange as such.The House started out with the Stadtholders as the Republic of the Seven United Provinces,while surrounded by Monarchies,in the 16th & 17th centuries,in fact until 1795,as the French under Napoleon,marched in and the Batavian Republic was forced upon the Dutch.The then Stadtholder Prince Willem V fled for England,and later to Germany were he died.
As Napoleon installed his brother Louis Napoleon as King of the Netherlands in 1806,that marked the creation of the Kingdom of The Netherlands as such,allthough shortlived,as Napoleon thought his brother to be much too lenient towards the Dutch(and their secret trade with the British),so he "relieved"his brother in 1810,and added the Netherlands to his Empire as a mere province,while referring to it as "the delta of the river Meuse(Maas)".
After Napoleons defeat at Waterloo,Willem the V's son returned home and was proclaimed first as Sovereign and later as King Willem I in 1815,and thus installing the Royal House of Orange Nassau.During the past two centuries as a Kingdom it always was,as I said,the respect for the House of Orange,(due to its history of service to the Nation,especially since Prince Willem the Silent,Patrae Patriae),and our respective Monarchs that more than the institution of the Monarchy itself,secured its position.
A few years ago,it was the late (and missed)Prince Claus who defined the Dutch Nation as being more of a Royal Republic,and if a Monarchy was to be created at present,one first had to find someone crazy enough to do the job(he referred to living in a glasshouse in this context).
This year we celebrate the Silver Jubilee of our present Queen Beatrix.It is celebrated extensivily,not only here in Nederland but also in the Dutch Antilles and Aruba,as
that is the entire Kingdom of the Netherlands.
HM is widely respected and loved,without a doubt,for the way She performs Her duties.Duty first is Her motto,and sometimes She's critisized for being to much of a perfectionist,be that as it may be,the critics never even get close to the praise.Not by far.And rightfully so.
Over the years we've come to know more of The Queen's human touch,not only during the times of grieve and loss within Her own Family,loosing Her husband and both Her Parents within 2 years time was a terrible blow.
Besides that,HM was always immediatly at the spot in case of disasters,the crash of the 747 in Amsterdam,the firework disaster in Enschede,the problems we are facing within a fast changing society,to name but a few,come to mind.She went there,not just for the looking good part,no,She was/is genuinely caring for all those affected,and showed it.
HM is the fourth in a row of formidable Queens.Lucien.
