The Royal Family and The Royal House
A distinction is made in the Netherlands between the royal family and the Royal House.
The royal family is the Orange-Nassau family. This includes people born into the family or who have married into the family. They are entitled to bear the title "Prince(ss) of Oranje-Nassau" with the style Highness. However, not every member of which is a member of the Royal House, and entitled to bear the designation "Prince(ss) of the Netherlands" with the style Royal Highness. By Act of Parliament, the members of the Royal House are:
- the monarch (King or Queen);
- the former monarch (on abdication);
- the members of the royal family in the line of succession to the throne;
- the spouses of the above.
Members of the Royal House can lose their membership and designation as prince or princess of the Netherlands if they marry without the consent of the Dutch Parliament. For example, this happened with Prince Friso when he married Mabel Wisse Smit. This is written down explicitly in the part of the constitution of the Netherlands that controls the Monarchy of the Netherlands.
Read more about this topic: House Of Orange-Nassau
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