A young woman is standing on the beach in a black swimsuit. She holds a lifebuoy in one hand and a cocktail glass in the other. A beautiful photo. And one that is currently causing a stir in the Netherlands.
Countess Eloise van Oranje (20), the niece of King Willem-Alexander (56), appeared in a TV show in swimwear. Now their compatriots are discussing: Is something like this appropriate – as a member of the royal family?
Queen Máxima and King Willem-Alexander. His niece, Countess Eloise, is fifth in line to the Dutch throne
The 20-year-old is very active on social media and is a contestant on the TV show ‘Het Perfecte Plaatje’ (Eng: ‘The Perfect Photo’). In an episode of the RTL4 format, Eloise had herself filmed and photographed in a bathing suit on the beach in South Africa. The bathing photo has been a hot topic in the media since the episode aired last week.
The discussion was fueled by Royal reporter Jeroen Snel (53). He thinks Eloise shouldn’t have done the swimsuit shoot. “She’s a member of the royal family, after all. Your uncle is the king, that’s the limit,” he said. “It’s not necessary, and she doesn’t need it.”
Background to the show: Eight well-known Dutch people with a passion for photography compete against each other in various challenges and have their photos evaluated by an expert jury. The winner gets to shoot a photo reportage for a well-known magazine.
In response to the criticism of Eloise, many Dutch celebrities posted a photo of themselves in a bathing suit on social media with the hashtag #magditwelvanjeroensnel – translated: According to Jeroen Snel, is this allowed.
The king’s niece thanked her 351,000 Instagram followers for “the super nice reactions” after being declared a borderline case by Snel. “Besides enjoying participating, it’s really heartwarming to see so many people supporting me and letting me be who I am,” Eloise wrote on her Instagram story. “Don’t let anything or anyone stop you, dear people, and enjoy the sunshine.”
Eloise’s father, Prince Constantijn (53), took his daughter’s side. He doesn’t understand the criticism, he said on the show “Shownieuws”.
“People are always looking for excitement. I don’t understand why there is a fuss about this,” said the king’s brother. He described said episode as a “beautiful episode” and thinks it’s good that his daughter is taking part in the show.
The Dutch royals in autumn 2017
