The new King Willem-Alexander will get the task of continuing the Dutch monarchy in a changing society, but the future of the Dutch Royal Family looks bright, Dutch historian Coos Huijsen told Xinhua.

From 2013 to 2015, the Netherlands is celebrating the bicentenary of the monarchy. During this time, the Dutch had Kings of Willem I, II and III, a regent Emma, Queens of Wilhelmina, Juliana and Beatrix, with Beatrix's eldest son Willem-Alexander inaugurated as the new king on Tuesday.

In recent years there have been discussions in the media about the legitimacy of the monarchy, with time and age being used as one of the main arguments against it. Nevertheless, the monarchy is still standing because the population largely supports the monarchy.

More than 85 percent is in favor of maintaining the monarchy, as shown by a recent poll. This support has been stable for years.

In 2012, former politician Huijsen who took his doctor's degree in history considers the support as a logical consequence of the role of the monarchy in Dutch society. "The Royals connect the present with the past," he told Xinhua. "It is a tradition the Dutch are used to and are attached to. Monarchy provided continuity and unity. The task of the Royal Family is to maintain this unity."

Although the Dutch monarch is officially the head of state and part of the government, he has hardly any political power and responsibility. "The monarch more or less has an advisory, socio-cultural role," says Huijsen. "The symbolic function became stronger over the years, the political role weaker."

In his dissertation, Huijsen advocates a kind of republican monarchy, because Dutch republicanism has gone hand in hand with love for the Orange family for centuries. Willem of Orange (1533-1584) was indeed both founder of the republic as progenitor of the House of Orange.

According to the Dutch historian, the secret of the success of the Dutch monarchy might lie in its republican origin. "We have evolved from a republic and most people are a little republican," he explains. "We do not have such a Kingdom as the British, ours is much more sober."

According to Huijsen, Beatrix was well aware of the republican origin of the Dutch state. When she took office in 1980 as the successor of her mother Juliana, something changed in the eyes of Huijsen. "The Royal Family became the face of The Netherlands," he said. "Before Beatrix started as Queen she already had been thinking about how to do her job. She adopted the well-considered concept of the Royals as face and heart of society and did her work very professionally. She professionalized the Royal Family."

"Willem-Alexander will try to continue the way his mother did, but will also to do things differently," Huijsen continues. "Beatrix was favored by the elite and in speeches she also spoke the language of the elite. However, her words often went passed the general public."

"It is a challenge for Willem-Alexander to reach a wider audience," continues the historian. "For him that might be easier. He is a different person, fond of sports, that is going to help him. He is also from a different generation. He can communicate fluently, as he recently showed in a television interview."

"Willem-Alexander will also pay more attention to the representation of the Netherlands abroad," says Huijsen. "Kingdoms have become rare, and that automatically raises attention for the remaining Royal families. You can use the Royals well in trade missions to promote the country and boost the economy."

The legitimacy of the monarchy has been discussed and also the quality of the monarch has been questioned. "People have always been skeptical," Huijsen declares. "When Wilhelmina was born, the people were disappointed it was a girl. When Juliana came to the helm, people questioned whether she was able to do the job. Now comes Willem-Alexander, the question is how he's going to do. Succession by right of birth means that quality cannot be guaranteed."

Due to some unfortunate public mistakes, the Dutch were not over-enthusiastic about Willem-Alexander as their new king, but especially his marriage to the charismatic Argentine wife Maxima has done him good. "Willem-Alexander has made mistakes, but he has become wiser," says Huijsen. "He is relaxed and has style. Of course he had time to exercise in his functions in water management and his membership of the International Olympic Committee."

Will Willem-Alexander be the last Dutch monarch or will the new King pass the throne to his eldest daughter Princess Amalia? "Nothing human is eternal," states Huijsen. "In the context of European integration we might need the Royal family, to maintain something unique. The emphasis will shift from nation-states, to culture-states, of which the monarchy can be part. It is a piece of cultural heritage, part of the Dutch identity." Endi

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