Dutch royal family loses popularity in the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander graded 6.5

Both King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima received lower ratings from the Dutch this year than a year ago. This is according to a survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of NOS. Willem-Alexander received a 6.5, compared with a 6.7 last year. Máxima receives a 7.3, compared to a 7.6 in 2022. Amalia was rated for the first time this year. The princess received a 7 as a grade.

When Willem-Alexander became king 10 years ago, he received a 7.2 as a rating score. In 2020, he received the best rating with a 7.7. From 2017 to 2020, Máxima received an 8 as a grade, which is also her best rating. During the coronavirus pandemic however, support for the monarchy dropped significantly. This seems to be related to the issues the royal family was dealing with at the time, such as their much-discussed trip to Greece.

Overall, young people rated Willem-Alexander and Máxima lower than older people. However, Amalia received the same rating from young and old.

Trust in the king and satisfaction with his performance also do not seem to be recovering after two years of decline. For instance, about half of Dutch people have confidence in the king (46%) and a similar proportion are satisfied with his performance (47%). But dissatisfaction with Willem-Alexander is also on the rise. Máxima however, can count on more trust among the Dutch (59 %) and a large majority thinks she adds value to the royalty.

Since 2021, however, the reduced support for the Dutch royal family has leveled off. According to NOS, around 55 percent of Dutch people support the monarchy, which is only a slight decrease compared to last year. Older people in particular support the Dutch royal family more than young people.

However, the declining support for the royal family is a trend that is reflected in society for any institutions in the Netherlands. For instance, trust in the royal family (40%) is even stronger than trust in the media (23%) or in national politics (17%), according to NOS.