The name Dientje Rozeknop probably means nothing to you, but you know her. I’m sure he knows. In her youth, Princess Beatrix went on vacation with this pseudonym. Does this make it unique? No, in court they are happy to use a pseudonym.
Outside the palace gates
When you are born a prince or princess, it is usually not difficult to learn about the world within the palace gates. No, the great challenge begins right outside the palace gates. With a little bad luck, everyone will bend to you like a knife and all troubles will be quickly removed from under the table. Queen Juliana also noticed this when she wanted to introduce her daughters to Dutch society in the 1940s and 1950s. The Queen is deeply disturbed by the appearance, and therefore sends Beatrix on the road under an assumed name when she wants to see the water damage with her own eyes shortly after the flood disaster of 1953. A wooden caravan is arranged in Westerschouwen, where “Dientje Rozeknop” can stay for a while in peace and security. .
Mr. Un Mrs. Smith
As mentioned, Princess Beatrix isn’t the only one who sometimes uses a pseudonym. When Prince William and Duchess Catherine imagine an evening of casual dining, they often book a table like Mr. and mrs. Smith. You probably won’t miss the nod to the movie of the same name with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, but there’s also a story behind it. Smith is a name commonly used in the United Kingdom. Just like here Janssen and Van Dyck. So no one will be surprised if reservations are made with this name. For the same reason, Prince William is also going through life like Mr. Jones.
Nicknames for social media
Of course, this column is not meant to reveal how Amalia, Alexia, and Aryan call themselves on social media. Girls have a right to privacy, so I like to ignore creative nicknames. What I can say is that King Willem-Alexander gratefully benefits from the many titles he holds in his name. There are many who can think of a different name for each new adventure without any effort. For example, he is Count van Buren and in 1986 skied Elfstedentocht under the name WA van Buren. As a KLM pilot, he was just called Alex van Leerdam, and yes indeed: our Head of State is also Count van Leerdam.
It doesn’t always work well
Unfortunately, using an alias doesn’t always work out well. Prince Gabriel of Belgium chose the name Gabriel Le Grand a few years ago, in order to be able to participate discreetly in a tennis tournament. That was his great wish, for the Prince had been training for a while on the farthest field of a tennis club and it turned out to be going well. News about his participation was leaked through the media, and therefore the recording had to be withdrawn at the last minute for security reasons. How upset he was!
