The Dutch Crown Prince Willem-Alexander is getting a reputation as Prince Property. Is this fair? What impact will it have when he becomes king?

The latest row involves property that the prince’s wife Máxima purchased earlier this year in her native Argentina. It is said the couple would like to build a holiday home for themselves in a walled-in resort community there. They may also be investing in the property for financial gain. A Dutch newspaper has reported that the developer overseeing the project is under investigation for corruption.

Willem-Alexander and Máxima are not in any way implicated, and under normal circumstances the report would not have attracted much attention.

After Mozambique
But the case in Argentina comes just weeks after the couple pulled out of a property development project in Mozambique, in part due to allegations of corruption. The Dutch parliament has called on Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende to appear in parliament to explain the situation. (In the Dutch system, the prime minister is politically responsible for the queen and the crown prince.)

Socialist Party MP Ronald van Raak is spearheading the call for clarity. He is worried that Prince Willem-Alexander is becoming Prince Property.

“He is involved in a lot of property deals. It’s a problematic sector, certainly in the Netherlands but also in Mozambique and Argentina. It’s questionable if one should put one’s money there.”

Mr van Raak doesn’t want the crown prince to be “engulfed by fraud and integrity problems. That’s impossible for our future king.”

The Netherlands' Government Information Service (RVD) is not commenting on the issue, which it considers a private affair.

Holiday photos
The property deals are also just the latest in a growing list of problems the royal family has been having. In addition to the property deals, there has been controversy about tax havens set up with postal addresses at the royal palace, a court case against Associated Press over holiday photos of the family, the renovation of a royal boat at taxpayers' expense, and a raise in the amount members of the royal family receive from the government.

The royal family is generally very popular among the Dutch public. In the wake of an attempted attack on the royal bus during Queen’s Day in April, public support for the family reached record levels. Only to plummet recently, partly due to the Mozambique development project.

Status
Many royal watchers say the couple’s investments in Mozambique and Argentina, and their desire to establish a holiday home in either country, are not in keeping with their status.

Others see that as unfair. The royals have a lot of money, and have a history of international investments. Marc van der Linden is chief editor of the Dutch-language Royalty Magazine:

“We had a king who was called king business, Willem I; Prince Bernhard was an investor as well. They've always liked and protected their money. The family Oranje Nassau has always combined ruling and investing in business all over the world.”

Mr van der Linden does point out that due to the current financial crisis, property investments have become more attractive. And in the world of property development, it is difficult to avoid shady characters.

Mr van der Linden thinks Prince Willem-Alexander has a tough road ahead of him. How much is that due to his involvement in business ventures?

“No, I don't think that's his biggest problem. The Dutch like businessmen. The Dutch like to do business. The problem is bigger than that. The problem is that he's stubborn, or that he doesn’t listen to his advisors.”

Lessons learned
Liesbeth Spies is an MP for the centre-right Christian Democrats. Her party is known for its support of the royal family. Ms Spies thinks the couple has learned from their mistakes:

“I think it's very hard for them to see in what a vulnerable position they are. The story about Mozambique illustrates that. So I think it's a wise decision that he has decided to leave that project and I think that's taught him a very hard lesson, so perhaps he's even more able to become our king in the coming years.”

But in a sign of just how serious the situation is for the crown prince, even Ms Spies has asked the prime minister (also a Christian Democrat) to come to parliament to explain the latest property deal. She wants to separate fact from fiction before things get out of hand. Perhaps her party, too, has learned a lesson.

Photo: ANP