King of Netherlands makes cheeky dig at Kate photo scandal as he jokes with kids

14 March 2024 , 21:46

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King Willem-Alexander, 56, poked fun at the Princess of Wales Mother's Day photograph debacle

The King of The Netherlands made a brutal joke at the British Royal Family during a royal engagement in his country today.

King Willem-Alexander, 56, poked fun at the Princess of Wales Mother's Day photograph debacle as he spoke to a group of children. Footage shows King Willem, who became monarch in April 2013, talk to a little girl, who is thought to say in Dutch words to the effect of: "I have a photo with your whole family".

To which, the King is alleged to reply: "Really?... At least I didn't photoshop it," or words to that effect. This is greeted with laughter by the crowd at the event, which appears well-attended by a group of children wearing hats and waving Dutch flags.

The clip has been shared widely on social media today, including X, which was known as Twitter. Many online praised the monarch, himself a father of three, and mocked the British Royal Family. One X user said: King Willem Alexander serves us jokes..." Another posted: "They are really a laughing stock now."

The jibe refers to the row about the Wales' Mother's Day picture released to the media, which Princess Kate later admitted she had edited. It had, hours earlier, been pulled by huge pictures agencies Associated Press (AP) Reuters, Agence France-Presse (AFP) and Getty Images, which issue snaps to media around the world.

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They, like scores of social media users, became suspicious the image - taken by Prince William - was manipulated after spotting several signs in the photo. When Kate, 42, admitted the tweaks, the mum of three posted an apology on X. It read: "Like many amateur photographers, I do occasionally experiment with editing. I wanted to express my apologies for any confusion the family photograph we shared yesterday caused."

But royal pundits defended the future queen, claiming the image was supposed to be "an innocent picture". An insider urged royal fans to ease any scrutiny on Princess of Wales as, with peace, they claimed she should be able to return to duties by Easter. All official engagements had been cancelled for Kate until after Easter following her abdominal surgery in January.

The Mirror has contacted both Kensington Palace and representatives for The Netherlands' royal family regarding King Willem-Alexander's

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