Prince Willem-Alexander, in an interview with Dutch TV has spoken about his desire to serve his people and has even spoken about being happy to work with the government in reducing his constitutional powers to that of a purely ceremonial Monarch.
He and his wife, Princess Maxima, are due to accede to the Dutch throne at the end of the month on ‘Queen’s Day’ when Willem-Alexander’s mother, Queen Beatrix abdicates.
In the Netherlands abdication is seen as a perfectly acceptable way of gracefully bowing out, unlike in the UK where the office of Sovereign is considered a job for life (possibly because of the British Monarchy’s religious affiliation).
He has also spoken about moving what will become ‘King’s Day’ to his actual birthday, it being only a few days before. King’s Day, or Queen’s day when the Monarch is female, is a national day of celebration in the Netherlands.
Prince Willem-Alexander spoke about choosing to be called ‘King Willem-Alexander’ rather than ‘King Willem IV’ because ‘he has been known as Willem-Alexander all his life, and as King Willem-Alexander, he’s not just a number.’
Willem-Alexander will accede on 30th April when the abdication document is signed by his mother. His wife will become Queen Maxima [Queen Consort].
The future King Willem-Alexander said no such thing as that he would be happy to cooperate in reducing his powers; when questioned about this he merely stated that if in the future this were to be the outcome of a proper parliamentary process, conducted in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Constitution, he would accept it and sign the bill as a dutiful constitutional monarch. (The present Government has no plans in this direction and the Dutch Constitution is in fact ‘a rigid Constitution’.)
Mr. van Cruyningen’s comment is 100% correct. Words / meaning are often twisted to bring more ‘sensational’ news.