The Dutch Crown Princess Amalia is not even of legal age. Nevertheless, she is at the center of speculation about the future succession to the throne. That raises theoretical questions.
The Hague – The Dutch Crown Princess Amalia could, if she wanted, marry a woman.
Same-sex marriage is also open to queens, kings and heirs to the throne, said Prime Minister Mark Rutte in a letter to parliament in The Hague. You wouldn’t have to give up the throne.
The succession to the throne of possible children from a same-sex marriage still has to be regulated by law, said Rutte. He emphasized in a TV interview on Tuesday evening that it was a “purely hypothetical question”.
The prime minister’s letter was prompted by questions from members of parliament. In a book about Amalia, who turns 18 in December, it is suggested that she would have to renounce the throne if she were to marry a woman. But the government contradicts this. “The government believes that an heir to the throne can marry someone of the same sex.”
However, the position of possible children must be regulated beforehand. Because in the constitution the succession to the throne is strictly bound to hereditary descent.
In the Netherlands, the parliament has to approve the marriage of an heir to the throne. Without this consent, the prince or princess cannot ascend the throne.
In 2000, the then Prime Minister Wim Kok declared that the Crown Prince would have to relinquish the throne should he marry a man. But a year later in 2001, the Netherlands became the first country in the world to introduce same-sex marriage.
The Dutch association COC, which stands up for the rights of gays, lesbians, bisexuals and trans people, spoke of the “most normal thing in the world”. dpa
