The Royal Family and The Royal House
A distinction is made in the Netherlands between the royal family and the Royal House.
The royal family is the Orange-Nassau family. This includes people born into the family or who have married into the family. They are entitled to bear the title "Prince(ss) of Oranje-Nassau" with the style Highness. However, not every member of which is a member of the Royal House, and entitled to bear the designation "Prince(ss) of the Netherlands" with the style Royal Highness. 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 throne;
- the spouses of the above.
Members of the Royal House can lose their membership and designation as prince or princess of the Netherlands if they marry without the consent of the Dutch Parliament. For example, this happened with Prince Friso when he married Mabel Wisse Smit. This is written down explicitly in the part of the constitution of the Netherlands that controls the Monarchy of the Netherlands.
Read more about this topic: House Of Orange-Nassau
Famous quotes containing the words royal, family and/or house:
“Oh, I know my family’s not of royal blood, but you needn’t throw it in my face all the time.”
—Robert N. Lee. Rowland V. Lee. Queen Elyzabeth (sic)
“Nobody has ever before asked the nuclear family to live all by itself in a box the way we do. With no relatives, no support, we’ve put it in an impossible situation.”
—Margaret Mead (1901–1978)
“The welcome house of him my dearest guest.
Where ever, ever stay, and go not thence,
Till natures sad decree shall call thee hence;
Flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone,
I here, thou there, yet both but one.”
—Anne Bradstreet (c. 1612–1672)