Dutch royal foundation ‘shuts down’ after princess accused of creating ‘culture of fear and intimidation’

A Royal Dutch Foundation was reportedly interrupted after being accused of “inappropriate behavior” towards staff at the Ministry of Finance where she works.

Following the allegations, Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, 58, married to the King’s younger brother Willem-Alexander, sensationally resigned from her role as president of the Equally Worthy Recovery Foundation in August, saying that she no longer believed she could fulfill her obligations. role.

Even if she does not assume her role as president, Laurentien said she would continue to assist the board, citing her desire to help parents and children affected by the Dutch child care scandal. .

However, the foundation’s activities have reportedly been halted, with registrations for new victims apparently blocked, and the majority of those already enrolled in the program still awaiting help, according to local media.

The scale-up plan, agreed with the Ministry of Finance last July, predicted that the foundation should have been able to accept new registrations from the beginning of September, according to Dutch media NRC.

The foundation of Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands, which aimed to help families affected by the childcare scandal in the Netherlands, is reportedly at a standstill

Laurentien established the foundation following the Dutch childcare benefit scandal, which came to light in 2021 after thousands of families were wrongly accused of child welfare fraud and left facing financial ruin.

Earlier this year, Secretary of State Nora Achahbar notified the foundation to expand, following a request from the House of Representatives.

“The route should offer a quicker and more generous alternative to the government’s recovery operation, which many concerned parents criticize,” the NRC explained in its English translation.

However, parents are now facing delays in obtaining relief through the foundation, with the Ministry of Finance telling the NRC that new applications are not expected to be accepted until later in the year.

MailOnline has contacted the Department of Finance for comment.

The foundation previously explained that intensified efforts were needed to provide a rapid response to parents affected by the scandal, given that the government’s plan could take until 2027 for aid to materialize.

Before these delays, the foundation was confident it could offer a faster alternative because its method was “designed with urgency, acceleration and scalability in mind,” according to the NRC.

While the foundation claimed the ministry had blocked new recordings, a ministry spokesperson told the NRC: “Victims who have suffered additional damage can simply report it to the organizations that deal with it, such as the foundation or the Actual Damages Commission. »

Laurentien, married to Prince Constatijn of the Netherlands, sensationally resigned from her role as president of the Equally Worthy Recovery Foundation in August.

Laurentien made the decision to step down from his role on his own, without input from members of the Dutch royal family (pictured left to right: King Willem-Alexander, Queen Maxima, Princess Laurentien and Prince Constatijn in 2019).

This comes after the princess faced a scandal highlighted by Dutch newspaper AD in August, claiming his foundation had created a so-called “culture of fear” for civil servants due to a “pattern of intimidation”.

The Dutch newspaper accused the foundation’s anonymous staff of “emotional reactions, insults and not tolerating contradiction”, and claimed that although officials reported this behavior, no change occurred, according to the NL Times.

In a conversation with RTL Nieuws at the time, Larentien said that no member of the royal family had forced her to resign. Instead, she claimed she quit to promote her happiness and avoid a spectacle, saying: “The last thing I want is for this to be about me.”

In response to allegations that she created a “culture of fear and intimidation,” the royal said she never sits alone, meaning there must be enough witnesses if employees want to manifest.

When asked if she was aware of an official investigation into her behavior at the Ministry of Finance, Laurentien said she was unaware and added that she did not know what to defend herself against.

Following the announcement, Charman Gert-Jan Segers of the foundation’s supervisory board published an open letter on the foundation’s website, stating that it was a “personally difficult” decision for him, according to the NL Times.

He added that even though they have no choice but to accept Laurentien’s wishes, they still want his expertise, adding that they look forward to his future contributions.

The royal, pictured with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima in April, faced allegations from Dutch newspaper AD.

Pictured: King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, Princess Amalia of the Netherlands, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands and Prince Constantijn of the Netherlands Netherlands at the balcony of Noordeinde Palace in Prinsjesdag on September 19. , 2023

In response to the allegations, a spokesperson for the Equally Worthy Recovery Foundation said the complaints constituted a “personal attack” against Laurentien.

The Finance Ministry confirmed receipt of the complaints, acknowledging that “emotions ran high at times” and that “a number of our colleagues” had reported this verbally, but did not specify whether the complaints were directly targeting the princess.

The Ministry of Finance does not intend to make any further statements on this matter, as the complaints were sent to it on a confidential basis.

The foundation’s efforts to help parents affected by the scandal were also recognized and appreciated by the ministry, with a representative adding that they were confident the foundation would continue to help those affected.

In 2021, a Dutch childcare benefit scandal broke out, in which as many as 26,000 innocent parents were left in financial ruin after being wrongly forced to repay tens of thousands of euros for wrongdoing dating back to 2012.

Some were targeted due to minor errors in documents, such as mismatched signatures, while up to 11,000 were subjected to greater scrutiny due to their dual nationality, leading to allegations of systemic racism.

The scandal led Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, in power since 2010, and his entire cabinet to resign. He called the affair “shameful” and announced at the time that “the buck stops here” after a crisis meeting of his four-party coalition cabinet.

Princess Laurentien of the Netherlands (pictured) and her foundation, The Equally Worthy Recovery Foundation, have been accused of creating a “culture of fear”.

Princess Laurentien is pictured with Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, now Queen, at Clarence House in 2013.

Princess Laurentien created her foundation to support victims and help them determine their path to recovery from financial ruin.

Following AD’s “personal attack”, the royal family and its foundation are reportedly considering taking legal action against the newspaper if the allegations are not corrected, according to the NL Times.

The editor-in-chief of Dutch newspaper AD said the outlet supported the claims.

The foundation’s spokesperson acknowledged that the moments were “emotional” and “heavy”, saying: “The foundation regrets that the people involved in both organizations experienced the process as sometimes emotional and heavy”, according to the foundation. NL Times.

Laurentien is the wife of Prince Constantijn, the third son of the former Queen of the Netherlands, Beatrix, 86, and Claus von Amsberg, and the younger brother of the reigning King of the Netherlands, Willem-Alexander.

Laurentien and Constantijn were married in May 2001, with a blessing taking place at the Grote de St Jacobskerk in The Hague.

The royal couple lives with their children, Eloise, Claus-Casimir and Leonore, in The Hague.

She carries out official duties as a member of the Dutch Royal House and is patron of several societies, including the Center of Expertise on Disability and Studies.